Page 189 - DCAP609_CLOUD_COMPUTING

Cloud Computing

Notes 12.1.6 AOL Instant Messenger

The most-used instant messaging program is AOL Instant Messenger (www.aim.com), also
known as AIM. AOL claims more than 60 million users, which makes it the number-two IM
service today, second only to Yahoo! Messenger. For whatever reason, AIM is especially popular
among the teen and preteen crowd, although people of all ages can and do use it.

12.1.7 Google Talk

You can access Google Talk from a web-based Google Talk gadget, a stand-alone Google Talk
client program (similar to what’s offered by both AIM and Yahoo! Messenger), or from your
Gmail and iGoogle web pages. As with competing IM systems, Google Talk lets you send and
receive both text-based instant messages and Voice over IP (VoIP) Internet phone calls. Most
people will use Google Talk via the web-based Google Talk “gadget.” You launch the Google
Talk gadget by going to talk.google.com and clicking the Launch Google Talk button. With the
gadget, there’s no software to download.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
1. Unlike traditional ……………… email, web mail can be accessed from any PC using any
web browser.

2. Gmail doesn’t use …………….
3. Gmail groups related email messages in what Google calls ……………………
4. Microsoft gives you ………… of storage.
5. The most-used instant messaging program is ……………… Instant Messenger.

6. Microsoft has moved it into its Windows Live suite of online services and now calls it
Windows Live ……………………

12.2 Evaluating Web Conferencing Tools

Web Conferencing is designed to facilitate synchronous communication and collaboration for
geographically distributed participants. It operates on standard desktop computers
communicating on the public internet; no special-purpose hardware (beyond web cam or
microphone) is required. Typically, the software runs in a web browser. With the advance of
technology into education and the ease of accessibility to internet services, a new form of
instruction based on web conferencing technologies has emerged.

Did u know? Web conferencing was initially introduced into the world of business allowing
conferencing events to be shared with remote locations but is now widely embraced in
education.

12.2.1 WebEx

WebEx is Cisco’s solution for web conferencing outside of their traditional and expensive
hardware-based corporate conferencing options. Users can share screens, files, schedule video
conferences in Outlook just like regular meetings, and easily pass the “presenter” title from

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