Prepared By: Rahul Kapoor

Electronic Meeting System (EMS) formerly. It is an online support system for a group

discussion. Provides a structure to the ideation efforts for a

project. Follows Client- Server model Application runs on the client computer. A Web 2.0 concept it helps us in:

◦ Electronic form of Brain storming◦ Categorizing ◦ Sorting and prioritizing◦ Consensus◦ Documentation

Infrastructure cost = min.$2000 ◦ Server Req.

Windows 2000, 2.4 GHz, 2 GB RAM◦ Client Req.

Windows XP,1 GHz, 256 RAM.◦ Basic LAN for data transfer

Software package◦ An average web conferencing software costs

33c/minute per person. (Source: www.Webex.com)

◦ Assume these services are also provided in the similar cost range.

GDSS Vs. Web conf.◦ Many – Many as opposed to one – many relation◦ Structure to ideation process as opposed to plain

speech and presentation.◦ Emphasis on brain storming

The technology started in 1987-89◦ University of Minnesota ◦ University of Arizona (Ventana Corporation, now

Groupsystems)

It can be used to have group discussions at:◦ Same time and same place◦ Same time but different place◦ Different time and different place◦ Different time but same place

Source: http://www.meetingdragon.com/

GroupSystems - ThinkTank◦ Can handle 50 participants at a time.

Partners◦ Microsoft: SharePoint, Office, calendar ◦ CISCO – WebEx◦ IBM: Lotus◦ Universities◦ Consulting firms

Customers◦ Government and Defense◦ Commercial◦ Education

Other organizations◦ Grouputer Solutions - Grouputer◦ Zing Technologies – AnyZing◦ Meetingworks◦ Facilitate.com◦ Meeting Dragon.com

Well Suited◦ Team environment◦ Project Planning◦ Project Management ◦ New Product development◦ Process Improvements ◦ Problem Solving◦ Feedbacks for a project.

Poorly Suited◦ Low technology resources◦ Core Manufacturing and Production◦ Individual research environments

Ease of availability of Software (Online/ Internal)

Existence of a Set of frame work for idea generation during the project.

Cheaper and efficient than the standard form of meetings/web conferencing.

In Summary: the more the organization is team driven the more successful is the technology.

http://scis.nova.edu/nova/hci/week9.txt http://www.groupsystems.com/ http://www.groupsystems.com//resources/c

ustom/PDFs/ThinkTank-FAQ.pdf References for costs are taken from Google

Shopping results for Microsoft products.