I have worked at several companies now that have used a number of different tools for online demos and collaboration such as WebEx and GoToMeeting. Microsoft has now introduced a new product that provides the same functionality but is completely free! The new product is called Microsoft SharedView.
SharedView, like the other brand collaboration tools, requires a small download and installation. When you open the program it places a menu bar at the top of the desktop that provides access to the application features. This new tools allows up to 15 members in a given session and provides for application specific sharing or full screen sharing. The session host must have a valid Windows Live Account (Hotmail and Microsoft Passport accounts work as well) to start a session. However, the other participants do not need to have an account. Once the session is started the other participants simply enter the user id of the session host and the password for the session that is generated when the session is initiated.
One of the more interesting features the SharedView provides is the presence of multiple mouse cursors on the screen labeled with the name of the participant that is represents. This is a great feature that allows the other users to be able to point to areas on the screen without having full control of the shared application.
If your looking for a great free product for real-time collaboration I really encourage you to check out Microsoft SharedView.
Tags: collaboration, tips & tricks