The WebM community, leading VP8 developments, has worked hard on increasing its performance on both encoder and decoder. The last VP8 version, codenamed “Duclair” brings huge performance improvements, up to 50% faster than version 1.0. As videoconferencing is a high-demanding application for CPU's, Tixeo worked on integrating this major update to give its customers the best communication experience.

Indeed, Tixeo always keeps listening its customers, and not all of them have the latest CPU's on their computers, making it difficult for some of them to enjoy Full HD multi-party video conferences. By reducing a lot CPU usage, multi-party video conferences over WorkSpace3D are now smoother than ever, even on the oldest computers. Video quality has been also improved.

Thanks to this update, WorkSpace3D runs now faster, using less CPU, and delivers a better video quality.

A custom control of WorkSpace3D

By using SOAP oriented Web Services from any language, the WorkSpace3D API allows developers controlling all the meeting and users management functions. It is not only possible to schedule video conferences, but also to edit both date and attendees list, and even cancel it. Besides, it is also possible to add and edit users accounts, and manage the right of hosting meetings.

The ease of use of the API, its quality, and its ability of being used from any language, makes integrating videoconferencing into third-party software accessible.

Where videoconferencing meets Information Systems

Using this API allow customers quickly integrating WorkSpace3D into their Information System, increasing its flexibility and efficiency. There are many use cases, and in particular integrating WorkSpace3D into:

• the Intranet of the company to check available time slot and schedule video conferences from a shared and public calendar,
• the CRM to schedule and host video conferences with customers,
• Email clients, such as Outlook, Thunderbird and Zimbra to schedule video conferences.

This API allow companies to meet precisely their needs and use cases, depending on their existing information system.

New opportunities for partners

Thanks to this API, partners will be more independent in their customers relationship, for instance, to set up automated trial periods of WorkSpace3D.

Besides, the different API functions make it possible to not only design their own applications, but also develop new sales proposals by integrating WorkSpace3D to their existing solutions (conference calls, IP Centrex...)

Through this deep integration, WorkSpace3D will bring a new growth engine to its partners.

A greater in-meeting experience

By adding a “Full Screen” mode to WorkSpace3D, you can now be focused on what matters the most during your meetings: videos of your workmates and shared documents. This leads to a better immersion and collaboration. Only one click is needed to enter and exit the “Full Screen” mode.

Automated layout synchronization of attendees with the host

The “follow me” option, allowing synchronizing the host layout with the attendees, has been activated by default. From now on, attendees will follow automatically the host on the shared documents and the “video wall”. This option can be disabled at any time by the host.

Adding and managing contacts have never been easier

A contacts import feature has been added to WorkSpace3D, allowing importing multiple contacts at a time. You can quickly import contacts from Outlook and the most used online services such as Gmail, Windows Live, Yahoo and Plaxo.

Furthermore, contacts management has been improved. Each new added contact will now be visible in your private contact list, even if he has not accepted your contact request yet. It will make it easier to invite them to videoconferences while your contact request is still pending. Once your request has been accepted, you will be able to see their status (online, offline, busy…).

Finally, you can now delete contacts which you no longer use directly from the plug-in.

Now you can send messages to all your private contacts by creating chats. Each chat can be turned into a video conference with one click on "invite to an instant meeting".

New messages are notified by a pop-up showing the sender name, and the beginning of his message. You can access your new messages and chats by clicking on "My messages" on the Tixeo plugin. Each new message will be indicated in bold.

WorkSpace3D crosses a new step in collaboration and unified communications, making it the best solution for daily collaboration within companies.

User status now changes to "Away" when he is not in front of his computer. This allows to make sure a contact is really available before sending him an instant meeting invitation.

Add new attendees to meetings in which you are connected with a single click. It is as easy as clicking on the contact to invite him into the current meeting (as long as you are the organizer of this meeting).

Available for our on-premise customers.

With the upcoming version 4.5, Tixeo will reach another step towards Unified Communications...

Most of web & videoconferencing software-based solutions require to schedule a video conference and send emails to invite attendees, before being able to join the meeting. This process is well-suited for meetings planned on a fixed date but not for informal meetings. Indeed, no matter where users are from, they would rather use their phone when they need to quickly talk to a workmate about a particular matter, instead of spending some time on scheduling a video conference.

That's why Tixeo has decided to add presence & ad-hoc meetings features to WorkSpace3D, allowing you to know who is online, busy or offline, and set up an instant video conference by clicking on the contact you want to talk with. Thanks to this, talking over video conference with one of your workmates will be as easy as giving him a phone call.

By making videoconferencing easier and faster, WorkSpace3D 4.0 will boost users adoption within companies and unleash the potential of collaboration over video conference. Companies will not only be more productive than before but also save more money by maximizing video conferencing usage.

WorkSpace3D makes the most of your IPBX

For customers who want to have their on-premise videoconferencing server, Tixeo offers the possibility to deploy a SIP compliant Confcall Gateway, in addition to the Workspace3D Enterprise server.

This gateway allows you to host conference calls synchronized to your video conferences over WorkSpace3D. Each time a video conference is created, a phone conference will be automatically created on the Confcall Gateway, using your IPBX and one of your phone numbers.

Thanks to this, users are free to use the built-in VoIP of WorkSpace3D or their phones during their video conferences at no cost.

For maximum comfort and ease, users often use both webcam's built-in microphone and speakers.

This is a very common usage :

• when using a laptop,
• during distant learning sessions, with different trainees,
• in sales force action,
• or during C-Level meeting, in which the participants really don't like wearing headsets.

All these usages can sometimes lead to echo generation.

While the voice of the far-end participants is played in the speakers, it is also captured by the microphone, and sent back to the far-end participants. Being annoying during a one-to-one communication, this echo make it very hard to understand each others during a larger audience.

Tixeo had already developed an AEC (Acoustic Echo Canceler) in previous versions of WorkSpace3D. This echo canceler was working quite well when using the same device for capture and playback, but with different devices working at different speeds, it was necessary to calibrate both signals ("clock drift").

Rather than forcing all of its users to equip themselves with headsets or special devices with built-in echo cancellation, Tixeo chose to improve this system.

Thanks to the hard work done and the capacity of innovation of its R&D team, Tixeo is now proud to allow everyone, whatever microphone or speaker is used, to be able to communicate in perfect conditions.

On another side, WorkSpace3D offers have been simplified, as they now all have an unlimited amount of hosts. WorkSpace3D Professional Edition, becoming our main SaaS offer, has now a possible amount of seats extended to 10, 15 or 20. WorkSpace3D Enterprise Edition, our on-premise offer is enriched with new options. Still available as a license, appliance and virtual appliance, WorkSpace3D remains one of the leading web and video conferencing on-premise server.

Our hardware offers have also been developed. Our Standard and Executive meeting room kits are now composed of a motorized HD 1080p video camera and provided with a preconfigured Core i7 desktop. A new set of furniture for you video conferencing equipment has been added. Single or double screened, they not only offer a modern design, but also a great ease of use for video conferencing in your meeting room. For more information, click here.

Once you are logged in, your meeting list is available, allowing you to join them in one click when they start.

When a meeting is started, a pop up notification appears, coming along with a ringtone, and giving you an instant access to your meeting.

In brief, this brand new version allows you to:

• Access your meeting list from Windows
• Be instantly notified when a meeting starts
• Join a meeting in a single click

You can watch the latest tutorial about joining a meeting here: http://www.tixeo.com/en/Tutorials.htm

It also concerns the design of the meeting management system which has completely been revisited to be more user-friendly, and is inspired from the Tixeo's web site design.

Here are some Q&A to give an answer to your first questions:

Why changing this system?

What does in contact really mean?

How to invite someone which is not in my contact list?

How to use it?