WebEx Use for SMCS in 2008

SMCS made a contract to use WebEx Meeting Center (WebEx) till December, 31, 2008 for our technical and management activities.

What is WebEx? WebEx is a web conference system. It has functions of not only audio/video/chat communications like Messenger and Skype but also document presentation, desktop sharing, whiteboard, recording, and others. As it is a browser-based system on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, you need not install special software.

Who uses WebEx and why? TC Chairs, Chapter Chairs, Organizing Committees of conferences/workshops sponsored by SMCS, and other SMCS volunteers are encouraged to use WebEx for their technical activities and communications. Since it is not easy for their members working in the world to communicate each other except e-mails, and exchanging their researches and discussions is quite limited. WebEx solves this problem and helps their discussions with presenting slides or documents and showing demonstration of software by showing the desktop of a running PC.

Now it becomes easier for these Chairs to add their activities in TC Activity reports or Chapter Reports.

How does WebEx work? Document Sharing may be the most frequently used function. You upload your Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or PDF files and present the documents using your voice, a virtual laser pointer, and drawing on the documents. As document images are delivered from a WebEx server, its quality is completely same among all participants including a presenter who uploads the files.

When you developed a software system on your PC and want to demonstrate its running to other people, Desktop Sharing is useful. All participants can hear your explanations with viewing your desktop as movie.

Whiteboard is helpful for your discussion by drawing freehand lines, text, and prepared diagrams and pointing them using a pointer.

WebEx has a recording function, and your presentations/discussion can be recorded as a movie. This is helpful for your absent members and secretary who need to make meeting minutes.

How did SMCS use WebEx? Organizing Committee of DHMS2008 whose members were spread in the world had their organizing meetings using WebEx.

SMCS UK & RI Section Chapter organized a tutorial talk in Ulster, North Ireland using an SMCS Distinguish Lecturer Program in September, 2007, and several Chapter members who could not come to Ulster audited the lecture talk through WebEx.

SMCS TC on Soft Computing organized a student workshop in November, 2007; 10 labs of 9 Japanese universities were connected, 8 students made their presentations, and 40-50 participants joined the event.

SMCS Japan Council Chapter and Seoul Section Chapter organized a Korea-Japan joint event for graduate students in January, 2008; 6 students made presentations by connecting three sites in Japan and Korea, and I gave a tutorial talk.

How to use WebEx? First, please check system requirements, then prepare a headset or microphone/speaker. SMCS contracted with minimum size, and only the below five ID Users can hold WebEx web meetings. Once the ID User holds the meeting, he will pass a host function to you and leave the meeting.

Please request one of the them to schedule your WebEx web conference by sending (a) e-mail addresses of all participants up to 14 except the ID User and (b) meeting date and start time in the local time of the ID User or contact with them if you have any questions.

1. East Standard Time Zone
   Liping Fang (Ryerson Polytechnic University)
   
2. Mountain Standard Time Zone
   Hong Zhang (University of Alberta)
   
3. Europe Standard Time Zone
   Michael R. Berthold (University of Konstanz)
   
4. Japan Standard Time Zone
   Tomoyuki Hiyoyasu (Doshisha University)
   
5. Japan Standard Time Zone
   Hideyuki Takagi (Kyushu University)