nferencing systems deliver capabilities that fall into five major categories: Shared Whiteboard Shared whiteboard tools are especially effective for geographically separated groups that need a shared drawing board. Products in this class work well for brainstorming sessions, project reviews, task force meetings, and product-design. They are ideal for a group that needs to explore ideas, and to document process. Most include an audio component, although some require participants to set up a separate telephone call. With a mouse, participants can cut, copy, paste, highlight, point to objects of interest, and type text-based messages. All participants can view changes in real-time. Products can be either object-oriented or pixel oriented (object oriented products are preferable). Electronic whiteboard enabled physical whiteboards may rely on a server, not on a desktop, to host computing. They use electronic markers and video feeds to create the illusion of a single site meeting across multiple sites. Electronic markers are much easier to draw with than a mouse. Personal Conferencing Figure 15-2. Personal Conferencing (courtesy of Polycom). Screen Sharing Screen sharing products are presentation-oriented, that is to say that they emulate paper-like text, graphic, and still images. Systems in a screen-sharing call permit an initiator to launch an application for the benefit of a remote viewer (or viewers). The initiator's machine is equipped with the conferencing software that allows the remote parties to view an application even though it is not running on their desktop. Remote viewers may or may not be able to make changes to the application, but can provide verbal input over an audio connection. Screen sharing applications are useful in distance learning and remote presentations, and are effective over the Internet or a LAN. Application Sharing Application Sharing products enable distributed workers to turn any off-the- shelf application (word processing, slide presentation, and spreadsheet) into a shared one. Only