Microsoft SharedView Beta

Microsoft SharedView is a Windows Live beta that offers an easy-to-use, collaborative online workspace. With SharedView, you can connect with up to 15 people in different locations and share with them the information that is on your screen. The other participants in the session can also review and update the shared documents in real time. Starting a new SharedView session is easy - you just choose "Start New Session" from the launch options and enter in your Windows Live ID.

To invite others to join, you can use one of several options - an invitation can be sent via email, or you can quickly send a SharedView invitation using the "Activities" menu in your Windows Live Messenger conversation window. If you are already speaking to your participants on the phone, you can choose the "phone" option and be provided with a session name and password to give to them, as well as instructions so you can explain how to join the session.

In addition to the online collaboration aspect, files can also be shared among the participants by using the "handouts" feature. With handouts, participants can post a total of 25 files per session. When one member posts a file, all other participants are able to download the file to their own computers. If the document being shared is Microsoft Word, there is some additional integration with the SharedView program that is very useful. As participants modify the document, each change made can be identified with the participant’s name using Word's ability to track revisions and authors.

Although the program is simple and attractive, you should be aware that it still holds the beta tag, as there are several known issues with the program that should be resolved when development is complete. However, if you need an easy, online collaboration tool, SharedView may be just what you were looking for.