Web Video Conferencing Bridge

We would like to use a video conferencing tool that enables users in North Carolina and Alabama all sit at their own office desk/laptop and all join in a conference. There are only two users in Alabama. It would also be good if say a NC users is in OR and needs to join the conference too. We would like it to have the “Brady Bunch” effect; where all attendees are visible, or are able to toggle between them. A Tandberg or Polycom systems are too expensive.
First I tried VMukti. Long story short it requires SQL Standard Edition for over the Internet video conferencing. Plus it needs for the server to have a public IP address with out the firewall turned on.
Now I am researching MS Office Communications Server 2007. While researching the licenses needed I found this article. In it it reviews the CAL’s (about half way down) for Standard and Enterprise versions. Multi user Web conferencing requires Enterprise CAL’s. So, is it a limitation of SQL to only work on the web/WAN with Standard or Enterprise? It seems we are going to need a Standard version of SQL to run Web based video conferencing. Does Communicatoins Server 2007 also require SQL Standard to be purchased?
Is anyone else using Office Communications Server 2007 as their PBX? If so are you using hard phones, media bridge or soft phones? Is there another open source, Linux based product that uses MySQL that I have not been able to find?

Thanks for taking a look.

Blake Ray

Hello Blake,

Have you taken a look at the hosted options? It may be more cost effective to go with a hosted option. Also have you checked out Dimdim?

Dimdim

Thanks,
Joseph Guarino
www.evolutionaryit.com

There should be some open source solutions, I guess. Has anyone tried any of them yet? I look forward to having this setup.

We did try dimdim. It says only two users can be viewed at a time. We could only get one at a time to work. But we did not spend much time with it, since it would not meet our needs. Still, a powerful free tool.
We did try an open source tool also VMukti. But you have to have standard or Enterprise MS SQL. Also at the time you had to DMZ the server or just stick it out on the internet with a public IP and the windows firewall turned off. Not a good solution.
So it look like MS Office Communications Server 2007 is the closest thing. it supports multiple users in a video conference. Plus it does have the potential to take over the PBX duties. It does also require Standard or Enterprise MS SQL, Express will not broadcast on the web.

Thanks for the replies any other ideas out there?

-Blake