Instead of using a proprietary client as with Notes, however, all four packages use Web browsers to access the conferencing package running on a Web server. With browsers widely available for a variety of operating systems, Web-based systems are a good match for organizations that want to link several different operating systems into a single information distribution system.
Users can also choose the browser they are most comfortable with.
However, the current crop of Web-based conferencing tools is suited only to organizations that have simple conferencing needs. None of the products we looked at offers the customization and application development tools found in Notes or the sophisticated user interfaces of other conventional groupware products such as Attachmate Corp.'s Open Mind. Notes also makes it easy to distribute information across several Web servers through its replication services. Organizations that need more customization or document-management to help manage Web sites should evaluate conventional groupware products with Internet support. There are several other Web-conferencing packages nearing release.