The document summarizes an electronic meeting system (EMS) that provides a structured online platform for group discussions and project ideation. It follows a client-server model and can support up to 50 participants. While the initial infrastructure costs around $2000, usage fees are comparable to other web conferencing services. EMS is well-suited for team-driven environments like project planning, management, and problem-solving, offering advantages over traditional or web-based meetings.

1. Prepared By: Rahul Kapoor

2. Electronic Meeting System (EMS) formerly. It is an online support system for a group discussion. Provides a structure to the ideation efforts for a project. Follows Client- Server model Application runs on the client computer. A Web 2.0 concept it helps us in: Electronic form of Brain storming Categorizing Sorting and prioritizing Consensus Documentation

3. Infrastructure cost = min.$2000 Server Req. Windows 2000, 2.4 GHz, 2 GB RAM Client Req. Windows XP,1 GHz, 256 RAM. Basic LAN for data transfer Software package An average web conferencing software costs 33c/minute per person. (Source: www.Webex.com) Assume these services are also provided in the similar cost range.

4. GDSS Vs. Web conf. Many – Many as opposed to one – many relation Structure to ideation process as opposed to plain speech and presentation. Emphasis on brain storming The technology started in 1987-89 University of Minnesota University of Arizona (Ventana Corporation, now Groupsystems)

5. It can be used to have group discussions at: Same time and same place Same time but different place Different time and different place Different time but same place Source: http://www.meetingdragon.com/

6. GroupSystems - ThinkTank Can handle 50 participants at a time. Partners Microsoft: SharePoint, Office, calendar CISCO – WebEx IBM: Lotus Universities Consulting firms Customers Government and Defense Commercial Education Other organizations Grouputer Solutions - Grouputer Zing Technologies – AnyZing Meetingworks Facilitate.com Meeting Dragon.com

7. Well Suited Team environment Project Planning Project Management New Product development Process Improvements Problem Solving Feedbacks for a project. Poorly Suited Low technology resources Core Manufacturing and Production Individual research environments

8. Ease of availability of Software (Online/ Internal) Existence of a Set of frame work for idea generation during the project. Cheaper and efficient than the standard form of meetings/web conferencing. In Summary: the more the organization is team driven the more successful is the technology.

9. http://scis.nova.edu/nova/hci/week9.txt http://www.groupsystems.com/ http://www.groupsystems.com//resources/custom/PDFs/ThinkTank-FAQ.pdf References for costs are taken from Google Shopping results for Microsoft products.