DimDim 4.0 is here!


I blogged about open source web conferencing software a while back, but I wanted to share this significant update of the DimDim project. They have justed released version 4.0 of their software which adds significant functionality and makes DimDim a serious competitor to proprietary web conferencing solutions like Webex and GoToMeeting.

Because there are so many new features, I am only going to list my favorite ones below. For a full-list of features, go visit the DimDim website.
Recording and Archiving
Any Dimdim session can be recorded and made available with the click of the mouse. Simply press the record button. You can email the recording URL or grab an embed code and paste it on your blog or website. You can even upload your recording to YouTube or Blip.tv.

Mac Screensharing
Mac users can share their desktop with other Mac (and even Windows) users - even if they aren’t using Dimdim. With Mac live screencasting you can share your desktop with anyone (it’s like iChat within a browser.)

Multiple Presenters
With a single click you can let any attendee share their desktop, whiteboard, webcam or documents. You can always grab back control of the meeting with another click.

Free Conference Calls
While we’ve improved our free VoIP microphone sharing, many users asked for a conference dial-in so more people can use their traditional phones. Now every user gets their own unlimited free conference call account.

Single click to Start or Join Meeting
Start or join a meeting in seconds with a single click. All you need is the meeting room name or the meeting URL.

Zero Install
You don’t have to install any software even to host a meeting, share your webcam, whiteboards or PPTs. The first time you choose to share your desktop you’ll be prompted to install our live screencasting software. It’s a tiny 1.8MB install and comes with an uninstaller if you ever want to remove it.

Easier to Use
Based on user feedback, we’ve removed confusing tabs, popups, dialog boxes and links. Now Dimdim is not only faster and more powerful - it’s actually even easier to use. A single click is all it takes to share your desktop, your whiteboard, or your PowerPoint presentation. Click to share. Click again to stop. The item being shared is clearly indicated with an eye icon and darker background.
What is the DimDim business model?

DimDim is a great option for anyone who prefers to use open source software. The source code is always available on their website if you want to host your own web conferencing that includes all of the features of DimDim. They even offer a virtual appliance that can be used for a painless install of DimDim. If web-conferencing is a critical part of your business, you might consider purchasing services from DimDim.

For those who don't want to worry about installing and managing a DimDim server, DimDim offers several hosted options.


As you can see from this diagram, DimDim offers free hosted web conferencing for meetings with up to 20 users. If you need more web conferencing capabilities, they offer hosted services at very reasonable rates.

If anyone is using DimDim, please write a comment and share how it is working for you.

Comments

  1. Dread Knight8/11/2008 10:07 AM

    Awesome! Will try to put it to good use. Thanks for posting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Vadim Peretokin8/11/2008 10:54 AM

    I don't see where is 4.0 open-source available

    ReplyDelete
  3. SEJeff8/11/2008 3:59 PM

    You might mention that 4.0 is NOT open source yet.

    """ Major update! May 2008
    The Open Source Community Edition has been updated to v3.5 beta and is ready for immediate download. """

    From: http://dimdim.com/opensource/dimdim_open_source_community_edition.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tristan Rhodes8/11/2008 4:16 PM

    Thanks for pointing that out. I expect the open source code will be published shortly, as they have not announced any licensing changes.

    It may take a few days because they are so busy marketing this major release. I will keep my eye on the open source page and write a comment when 4.0 is available.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous8/12/2008 9:05 PM

    Your blog is very useful. Can I add your blog in my blog feed please? Many thanks!!!

    http://softwares-addiction.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous8/14/2008 9:46 AM

    * Note: Source code might not actually be available. Source code edition might be released in binary form months before source code release. Don't hold your breath.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous8/19/2008 3:27 PM

    i came across a news item about hyperoffice releasing a new tool called hypermeeting . it integrates fully with HyperOffice's collaboration suite. im not aware of any other solution which offers integrated collaboration and web conferencing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous8/21/2008 9:04 PM

    I contacted them and asked them when version 4.0 might be available and they could not even give me a date. I wonder if they are considering moving away from open source?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous8/29/2008 10:27 AM

    nice software...but v4.0 is really free ?

    ReplyDelete
  10. B29/04/2008 11:35 PM

    DimDim looked promising but it has a hard limit of 4 simultaneous audio connections (6 for Enterprise). This killed it for me - I need 5-8 people all able to talk without passing around a mic.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous9/29/2008 11:50 AM

    PECS is Microsoft & ISO 9001 certified company that provide new media
    solutions all across the globe having sales office in UK and India. We
    provide solutions related Web Design & Development, SEO and Bespoke
    Software for all business domains.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Using the Cisco console in Linux

Image
Introduction People who work with Cisco network equipment need to be able to connect to the console port on their devices. In Windows, you can simply fire up HyperTerminal to get basic access to your devices. If you are using Linux, then you need to know how this can be done with an application called Minicom . Hardware First, you are going to need a Cisco console cable , a Cisco device, and a computer. If your computer has a serial port , then you can use the standard console cable that comes with every Cisco device. If you do not have a serial port (like most new laptops), then you need to purchase a USB to Serial adapter that supports Linux. This device will allow you to use the standard Cisco cable, which has a serial port on one end. Install Minicom You can easily install Minicom by using "System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager". Search for "minicom" and choose to install the package. Click "Apply" and Minicom should be insta...
Read more

Linux NIC teaming recommendations

Image
Introduction In my job as a network engineer, I am constantly looking for ways to increase the availability of the network. This is especially true in the data center, where services are expected to always be available. One of the ways to increase the network availability of a server is by using multiple network interfaces. This technique has many different names, but I am just going to call it NIC teaming. Purpose of NIC Teaming NIC teaming increases network availability by removing single-points-of-failure (SPOF). These SPOFs are components that will cause a service outage if they become unavailable. If we consider a single network connection from your server to your switch, we can identify quite a few SPOFs: Server NIC failure Network cable failure (such as being cut or unplugged) Network switch failure (such as a planned firmware upgrade or unplanned outage) Methods of NIC Teaming The reason I am writing this blog is to help people understand the different options for NIC team...
Read more

What it takes to make Ubuntu ready for use

I recently installed Ubuntu 6.10 on a new PC at work. In this post I will document all the steps I had to perform to get it ready for everyday use. Each step is assigned a level of difficulty, which I define below: Very Easy Step can be completed without using the command prompt Intuitive to complete Easy Step can be completed without using the command prompt May require searching to find the right place to make the change Medium Requires a single command to be entered at the command prompt Requires searching internet resources to find the solution Hard Requires multiple commands to be entered at the command prompt Requires searching internet resources to find the solution Very Hard Requires multiple commands to be entered at the command prompt Requires searching internet resources to find the solution Requires the user to manually edit a configuration file These criteria are quite strict, because I believe that using an operating system should be intuitive, and not require any spec...
Read more