Microsoft® Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Resource Kit

Understanding Conferencing Media Types

Office Communications Server 2007 R2 conferences provide rich multimedia experiences. The following sections discuss the four main types of multimedia conferencing: multiparty instant messaging, data collaboration, audio/video (A/V), and audio conferencing provider support.

Multiparty Instant Messaging

Multiparty instant messaging, or Group IM, refers to an IM conversation among three or more parties. The Microsoft Windows Messenger 5.x and Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 clients, along with Live Communications Server 2005 SP1, already support Group IM based on establishing a separate connection between each two-user pair engaged in the conversation. In Office Communications Server 2007 R2, a Group IM session ...