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Continuous presence is another interactive conference option supported in MeetingPoint, implemented as four QCIF panels in a CIF presentation window. If more conferees are participating, only the four most recent speakers are shown. Continuous presence did not weigh heavily in our grades because many videoconferencing practitioners view it as a marketing gimmick that is not particularly useful where higher-resolution full-screen presentations are preferred. But if you need continuous presence to satisfy small groups who demand it, MeetingPoint and NetConference can deliver it.

With MeetingPoint, endpoints can use G.711 or G.723 audio, and H.261 or H.263 video in CIF, QCIF or sub-QCIF. But all participants in a conference must choose the same algorithms. Transcoding is not supported. If you want continuous presence output, all endpoints must transmit QCIF video.

MeetingPoint's new browser-based conference setup and management software can run on any operator's PC on the network using Internet Explorer 4.0 or Netscape 4.6.1, with no JavaScript plug-ins needed. White Pine employs sophisticated browser technology, which works best when Microsoft IIS 4.0 is available on the server.

One useful new feature in MeetingPoint 4.0 is conference callout, which enables the server to initiate a conference at the scheduled time by dynamically calling all participants. It also lets participants in an existing conference dial another endpoint on the fly to bring a colleague into the meeting. MeetingPoint integrates this capability smoothly within the conference setup; Encounter and NetConference have more awkward implementations.

MeetingPoint 4.0 server software includes a built-in gatekeeper that White Pine has tested extensively with NetMeeting 3.01, PolyCom ViewStations and other endpoints. We set up continuous presence conferences among NetMeeting 3.01 and PS 500 endpoints by restricting bandwidth to 128 Kbps and forcing call setups to G.723 audio and H.263 QCIF video. At higher speeds, NetMeeting 3.01 locks up, apparently because of its inability to accept bandwidth negotiations.

While testing MeetingPoint's ability to work with an external gatekeeper (the one built into RadVision's MCU-323), we found some registration anomalies, which we reported to White Pine. As with other MCUs we tested, we're not sure who's at fault. The problem may be related to H.323 protocol evolution. MeetingPoint is H.323 version 2-compliant; RadVision will remain at H.323 v.1 until early 2000.

MeetingPoint 4.0, $8,995 for 10-user licenses, White Pine Software, (800) 241-PINE, (603) 886-9050, (603) 598-0962. www.wpine.com or info@wpine.com