Described here is a distributed multiparty desktop conferencing system called MERMAID (Multimedia Environment for Remote Multiple Attendee lnteractive Decision-making). The system is based on Group Communication Architecture (GCA). MERMAID system provides participants flexible floor passing control, convening control, dynamic joining and leaving control, efficient conference preparation support, user-friendly interfaces, and the means for sharing such multimedia information as video, vdi.ce, text, graphics, images, and handdrawn figures. This paper describes MERMAID system's configuration, providing functions, server configuration and their functions. Features of MERMAID are: 1) wide area multiparty realtime communication, 2) flexible conference support, 3) multi-media communication and presentation, 4) user-friendly interface, and 5) cost-effectiveness. Application systems of MERMAID are also described.
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