PRESS RELEASE

Screendragon launches Tabletop: A virtual meeting space for humans

Asked by clients to provide a more natural and fluid online meeting experience Screendragon has developed a virtual tabletop.

Tabletop is a radical approach to online meetings from the perspective of design, technology and collaboration methodology. As ever, the Screendragon approach rejects the complex and rigid experience of traditional virtual meeting tools in favor of a more natural and democratic system.

Screendragon released the tool from its beta stage today - May 1, 2009 - following testing with several global marketing organizations.

TableTop allows everyone to participate and collaborate together on the same screen. So rather than the linear approach - one person showing the other person their screen – its one common screen where everyone goes to work together.

While, Tabletop can be compared in some ways to Webex and other online meeting software it approaches virtual meetings from a different perspective.

One of the underlying insights is that the biggest obstacle to the success of online services is stimulating a change in user behavior i.e. getting them to adopt a new way of working. With Tabletop we’ve set out to minimize the behavior change required. This makes online meetings feel human & normal. TableTop allows everyone to participate and collaborate together on the same screen. So it’s like a roundtable meeting. Everyone can see each other’s – webcams & cursors, and everyone can participate. Content can be uploaded and placed on the Tabletop and all participants have the simultaneous ability to control assets on the table (rather than the usual practice which is to be a helpless viewer until granted control)

The experience is synchronized on everyone’s screens so everyone sees the same thing at the same time. Content can be moved around on screen and can be organized freely for particular meeting purposes.

Tabletop is particularly good for sharing & showing Rich Media files which other virtual meeting software struggle to do well. All content uploaded to the meeting is automatically converted into an online format for quick & easy viewing. So if you want to show a video reel. Just upload it and a streaming file will be created for you to share with others. No need for them to download.

Tabletop has been integrated within Screendragon’s Buzz collaboration environment. All files stored in Buzz can be instantly accessed during a meeting and using drag n drop they can brought directly into a meeting. So no more worries that you’ve forgotten materials for a meeting – everything is available, all the time, from wherever you are in the world.

Other collaborative features include online sticky notes and brainstorm templates. See screenshots below to get an impression on the how these features will help unlock ideas from individuals and teams around the world. Finally distant and travelling teams can brainstorm wherever they want (internet access permitting of course). That’s a refreshing thought. Not bad for the finances either.

Summary of key features

• No install/download required
• Simple - one click access
• Web cam connectivity for up to 5 participants
• Seamless Integration with Buzz file system – all your files available for sharing during a meeting
• All key file formats converted for online viewing - for example, auto video streaming
• Post-its and MindMapping template stencils

About Screendragon:

Screendragon is a creative technology company that makes online collaboration environments for humans not robots. It provides collaboration and knowledge management solutions to Fortune 100 companies and Small and Medium Enterprises. The company was created in 2001 and is privately financed. Screendragon is based in London and has offices in Cork, Amsterdam and New York.

For further information please contact info@screendragon.com
or visit Screendragon.com

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