These web pages describe traditional, individual CITES services.

Going forward, Unified Communications at Illinois provides faculty, staff, and graduate students with an integrated system that offers phone, instant messaging, web/ teleconferencing services and other features.

For more information, see Voice & More with Microsoft Lync.

What is e-Conferencing?

e-Conferencing is a network-based multimedia conferencing service that allows users to schedule and hold meetings through several media:

• Audio conferences (i.e. teleconferences)
• Web-based conferences (i.e. sharing computer screens)
• Video conferences (via webcam or video terminals).

The MeetingPlace system that the campus uses to provide e-conferencing services is a product of Cisco Systems, Inc. CITES and the College of ACES operate closely integrated MeetingPlace systems to provide e-conferencing services. To help decide which of these two services you should use, please see "which e-conferencing service should I use?"

The Introduction to MeetingPlace video and Overview e-learning module explain more about MeetingPlace's audio, video, and web conferencing capabilities.

Accessibility issues with web conferencing

The web-based portions of the Cisco MeetingPlace system are not accessible to users of assistive technologies. Screen reading software is not able to translate the Flash-based interface into a text description. Keyboard-only users will not be able to navigate the system. Low-vision users will not be able to adjust the screen size or resolution.

Scheduling, attending, and presenting at meetings

• Scheduling e-Conferencing Events
  You can schedule events through the web interface, through an Outlook plugin, or over the phone.
  
  
  • Create Your Profile
    You'll need to create a profile before you can schedule meetings.
    
    
  • Schedule Meetings
    Login to schedule through the web interface.
    
    
  • Pricing
    Conference fees are charged to the scheduler, not to the meeting attendees.
    
    
• Attending e-Conferencing Events
  You can attend meetings through the web, over the phone, and/or with video systems. You don't need to create a profile in advance to attend.
  
  
• Presenting at e-Conferencing Events
  Presenters at web conferences will need to install a presenter plug-in to share their screens with the other conference attendees. Go to the MeetingPlace web interface and click the Install Cisco Unified Presenter Add-In link on the main page.
  
  
  • Calling out to long-distance or international attendees
    If some of your attendees are far away and would have to pay high phone charges to call in to campus, you can save them phone charges by calling out to them instead.
    
    
• Video conferencing
  In order to use a video camera system to attend a video conference, you'll need to register your camera with a gatekeeper and configure H.323 video software. However, if you do not have access to a compatible video camera system, you can phone into a video conference as long as it is scheduled with at least one phone/audio port.

Which e-conferencing service should I use - CITES or ACES?

While CITES and the College of ACES both offer e-conferencing service with the same scheduling fee structure, the intended client-base for each service is different.

You should attend an event based on where it is hosted

• This information should be provided by the event organizer
• If you are unsure or do not have this information, contact the CITES Help Desk

You should host your events on CITES' MeetingPlace system if:

• You are affiliated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (except College of ACES, U of I Extension, and current ACES clients)

You should host your events on ACES' MeetingPlace system if:

• You are affiliated with the College of ACES, U of I Extension, or a current ACES client
• You are not affiliated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (Individuals from other institutions/organizations can create a user profile to allow use of the ACES system)

Help

CITES Training Services

CITES Training Services offers training on e-Conferencing. Please register with CITES Training Services. Space is limited and registration is required. We ask that you create a profile before attending e-Conferencing training.

Quick Start Guides

CITES has assembled printable Quick Start and user guides on the most common topics.

Cisco's documentation

The system manufacturer, Cisco, provides documentation for meeting schedulers, meeting presenters, and meeting attendees within the MeetingPlace web interface. Click the Help link (also shown in the upper right corner of the interface) for Cisco's online documentation.

Cisco's support website provides a full set of documentation.