Did you know that you can use presentation broadcasting or Microsoft NetMeeting® conferencing software to deliver your Microsoft PowerPoint® 2000 slides over the Web? Whether you want to save on travel expenses or hold a team meeting with participants at multiple sites, these methods can help you increase your productivity and efficiency at the same time. Depending on your particular needs, however, one method may have more advantages. This article will help you determine which method is best for you.

Online Broadcasting

Using PowerPoint presentation broadcasting, you can broadcast your presentation online with video and audio. You can use broadcasting for a company meeting or to present to groups at several different locations. By using Microsoft Outlook® 2000 or any other e-mail program, you can schedule the broadcast just as you would any other meeting.

You can allow access to your PowerPoint speaker notes, in case some people in your audience have hearing disabilities. You can also allow immediate feedback from your audience through e-mail during the broadcast. If you have a chat server, you can even open a chat window where you and your audience can type text messages in a real-time, online conversation.

The broadcast presentation can be recorded and saved on a file server, Web server, or even a CD for later viewing. It can then be available for playback on demand.

For more information about presentation broadcasting (including procedures for using it), see Presentation Broadcasting with PowerPoint 2000 and Outlook 2000.

What the Broadcaster Needs

In addition to a computer (at least, a Pentium 300 MHz) and PowerPoint, the broadcaster will need the following:

• For broadcasting audio, a sound card and microphone
• For broadcasting video, a video camera

Note   If you are broadcasting to an audience of more than 10 connections, you should use a Windows Media™ (formerly NetShow™) server.

What an Audience Member Needs

In addition to a computer, an audience member will need the following:

• For hearing a broadcast, a sound card and speakers
• For viewing a broadcast, Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later

Online Collaboration

You can use PowerPoint and NetMeeting for online collaboration. As a presenter or participant, you can take control of and edit a presentation in real time, open a chat window for a real-time text discussion of the presentation, or open a whiteboard for real-time communication using graphic information. You can also send files to each other during the presentation to exchange your ideas and actually collaborate on the presentation as it is being given.

To deliver your PowerPoint presentation with NetMeeting, you and the other participants must first have the latest version of NetMeeting. (If you do not have Office 2000, you can download it from the Windows NetMeeting Web site.) You can then initiate an online meeting from within PowerPoint or work directly in the NetMeeting program.

Note  If you initiate the online meeting from NetMeeting and then share your PowerPoint presentation, you can also broadcast audio and video.

For more information about NetMeeting (including procedures for using it), see Schedule and Meet Online in Office 2000 with NetMeeting. For a list of how actual businesses and educational institutions are using NetMeeting, see Windows NetMeeting in Action.

What the Presenter Needs

In addition to a computer and PowerPoint, the presenter will need the following:

• For presenting, NetMeeting
• For broadcasting audio, a sound card and microphone (if you initiate the call from NetMeeting rather than from PowerPoint)
• For broadcasting video, a video camera (if you initiate the call from NetMeeting rather than from PowerPoint)

What a Participant Needs

In addition to a computer and PowerPoint, a participant will need the following:

• For participating, NetMeeting
• For hearing the broadcast, a sound card and speakers (if the presenter has initiated the call from NetMeeting)
• For viewing the broadcast, NetMeeting

Comparison Table

This table will help you decide whether to use presentation broadcasting or NetMeeting to deliver your PowerPoint presentation:

*If you are broadcasting to an audience of more than 10 connections, you should use a Windows Media (formerly NetShow) server.

**You can broadcast audio and video only if you initiate the online meeting from NetMeeting instead of from PowerPoint.