CVIEW: A Real-Time Interactive Conferencing System

Computer-based tools for supporting collaboration, from informal conversations to structured meetings, are becoming commonplace. Different technologies support various techniques for computer conferencing. On the one extreme is asynchronous communication where the participants do not need to be available at the same time in order to communicate. Traditionally, this has taken the form of computer conferences, bulletin boards, mail and forms management. In contrast, video conferencing provides the ability to have a conference where the participants can see each other and possibly make impromptu presentations. Video conferencing is progressing from freeze frame to full motion technology. An emerging area in computer supported cooperative work is real-time computer conferencing. This technology allows two or more people in the privacy of their own offices to see a shared view of a computer application. That is, when any person moves a mouse, uses the keyboard, or uses other input devices, the result of these actions are immediately shown to all people in the conference (limited by network bandwidth). This technology is especially useful in consulting, teaching, programming, meetings, marketing technical writing and a variety of other applications. This paper discusses a system called CVIEW that implements a real-time interactive conferencing system. The architecture of the system is described along with its implications and directions for future systems based on User Interface Management Systems (UIMS).