Live Meeting 2007 Launched

Microsoft has recently released Live Meeting 2007. Since it is still based off the old Placeware technology which is Java-based, I'm curious of the type of product and code changes that went into this version since Java and Windows play so nicely together. :)

Live Meeting 2007 starts off with a knockout punch, requiring a massive 15 MB download for first time attendees! How is that for listening to customer feedback and providing customers with the exact opposite: an even larger, more time-consuming client download so all attendees can wait even longer to join meetings...assuming they did not run into any firewall or Active X issues.

The roll-out of this new version is true to Microsoft-fashion: difficult and challenging with plenty of technical issues. Even though internal Microsoft sources confirmed that the 2007 version had multiple technical issues during beta testing and during their internal roll-out, they still released it. (Someone had their MBO's tied to a September launch, I presume.)

The launch was such a smash hit that Microsoft had to recall the Live Meeting 2007 Free Trial because there were too many recurring technical issues. The solution: Microsoft reverted back to Live Meeting 2005 for the free trial. After more extensive internal testing and troubleshooting, the problems were resolved...

...Earlier this week at Microsoft's Unified Communications launch event, the Microsoft Web Conferencing Team demoed Live Meeting 2007. What a graceful and flawless flop. Three specific areas got the audience to roll their eyes back and shrug shoulders with the, "Not again attitude."

1. When they attempted to use VoIP for the first time, the presenter and the remote attendee could not hear each other at all.
2. When the remote attendee was asked to share an application, it did not work.
3. Near the end of the product demo, when they thought the failed VoIP was fixed, they tried VoIP again and instead of no sound, the entire audience witnessed a loud screeching sound that made everyone cringe. (Finger nails on a chalkboard ring a bell?)

In addition, ZERO changes have been made to the Live Meeting architecture as it still employs a "store and forward" architecture, meaning users are still required to leverage the Microsoft iVault Server to store meeting content before, during and after meetings. Companies are not comfortable storing corporate or customer data on a server outside of the corporate firewall. This architecture, similar to all other web collaboration technologies, is why Live Meeting has not earned a single independent 3rd party security certification and why they continue to lose market share. (1999 they had 45%, 2007 they have 14%)

Other Microsoft Security Vulnerability News:

• October 11th: "Microsoft Warns of Dangerous URI Security Vulnerability"

Old David Letterman Bit on Microsoft:
Download letterman1.Gates.wmv

Thanks
David Chao
The Web Conferencing Expert

 

Comments

[Voip providers]

There are several advantages using VoIP including the availability of advanced features that standard telephone systems are not capable of and the ability to have a phone number usually associated with a particular local area anywhere in the world.
http://www.voip-catalog.com/ Voip providers.

[Godwin]

We use LM2007 extensively for internal training, remote support and audio/video conference. I haven't seen any of the issues that are described above. The issues that I have seen are related to poor internet connection and wrong or out of date audio/video drivers or non compatible historical headset or web cam devices

I am not surprised to read David Chao's feedback. I guess he must be Cisco Insider :).

[online meeting reviews]

Yea microsoft has a long way to go I think. It's got one foot in the arena but has to play catch with Goto and Webex.

[وستا]

but i couldn't even download the office live meeting 2007 server.i am currently using Adobe Connect Pro.

[Ash]

David, I accidentally stumbled across this blog while searching for LM 2007 upgrade issues. I am responsible for upgrading our customers hosted sites from LM 2005 to LM 2007. Anything I should "really" be worried about. We support integrated audio and server based recordings and I am concerned that client recording will disappear after the upgrade.

[David Chao]

Mike,

Sorry to hear about your Live Meeting upgrade/downgrade mess, always a frustrating situation when the vendor does not provide good service. I have heard about LM unreliability and firewall issues numerous times. All the best in your future evaluations.

[Mike Guess]

Microsoft forcibly upgraded our LM2005 to LM2007. After two weeks of hassle, we gave the ultimatum: downgrade us to LM2005 or we're gone. They said no-- only if LM2007 doesn't work within our office. Huh? Then they offered the "special case" downgrade. Still waiting for that while we evaluate other web conference solutions. My rating: LM2007 is a bloated, unreliable, complex mess of poop.

[David Chao]

Oscar,

Appreciate your comment but what I documented in my blog is exactly what happened during the MSFT Unified Communication Launch. Even the MSFT team confirmed that they had technical issues during beta testing. Any chance you are a Microsoft Solution Specialist out of Madrid?

Always the objective, Ken Molay, even has the same sentiment as I do. Read what he has to say:

http://wsuccess.typepad.com/

[Oscar Maqueda]

That's amazing, the Trail for LM2007 works fine A/V features are fantastic and collaboration has plenty tools to enable real meetings, please try it before blaming.