Peter Parnes, CDT1/15 mStar Status and Future Plans Peter Parnes LTU-CDT/Marratech Roxy Workshop mStar Status and Future Plans Peter Parnes LTU-CDT/Marratech Roxy Workshop

Peter Parnes, CDT2/15 Overview  Background  History  Current Status  Future Plans  Summary  Background  History  Current Status  Future Plans  Summary

Peter Parnes, CDT3/15 Background and History - jMUE  Development started with the Java Multi User Environment - jMUE in early 95 as a test of Oak and Java.  Alpha-Java  Supported: shared whiteboard, text-talk, membership and user status information  Applet and Web based  Development dropped when Beta-Java was released in August 95  Development started with the Java Multi User Environment - jMUE in early 95 as a test of Oak and Java.  Alpha-Java  Supported: shared whiteboard, text-talk, membership and user status information  Applet and Web based  Development dropped when Beta-Java was released in August 95

Peter Parnes, CDT4/15 mStar--  Development restarted with a new architecture in late 95  mWB  mWeb  mMOD  mChat  Later mDesk  In mid 97 the name mStar was coined.  Development restarted with a new architecture in late 95  mWB  mWeb  mMOD  mChat  Later mDesk  In mid 97 the name mStar was coined.

Peter Parnes, CDT5/15 mStar until Summer 98  The CDT mStar system  mStar relies on Vat/Vic for audio and video distribution and Netscape for slides.  Supports:  VCR, Web-presentations, Whiteboard, prototype Java audio application, chat, vote, wave; un/reliable transportation of data  ~ 115K lines of Java code  Built around a very nice agent architecture  The CDT mStar system  mStar relies on Vat/Vic for audio and video distribution and Netscape for slides.  Supports:  VCR, Web-presentations, Whiteboard, prototype Java audio application, chat, vote, wave; un/reliable transportation of data  ~ 115K lines of Java code  Built around a very nice agent architecture

Peter Parnes, CDT6/15 mStar….  Complicated user interface  a “techie” system  Only Solaris support (some Wintel support added during the spring of 98)  No good installation procedure  Hard to administrate and upgrade  Complicated user interface  a “techie” system  Only Solaris support (some Wintel support added during the spring of 98)  No good installation procedure  Hard to administrate and upgrade

Peter Parnes, CDT7/15 mStar  Over the years a product demand have appeared  Thus the creation of the company Marratech AB which now holds the exploitation rights of the system.  mStar is currently being modified into a more product like system.  All need for external programs removed.  Over the years a product demand have appeared  Thus the creation of the company Marratech AB which now holds the exploitation rights of the system.  mStar is currently being modified into a more product like system.  All need for external programs removed.

Peter Parnes, CDT8/15 Marratech  Spin-off from LTU's Centre for Distance-spanning Technology (CDT)  Financed by venture capital from Slottsbacken.  Main office in Luleå and sales office in Stockholm.  Mission: Commercialise and distribute conferencing software utilising IP Multicast  First market segment: IT-Mature Scandinavian Companies.  Spin-off from LTU's Centre for Distance-spanning Technology (CDT)  Financed by venture capital from Slottsbacken.  Main office in Luleå and sales office in Stockholm.  Mission: Commercialise and distribute conferencing software utilising IP Multicast  First market segment: IT-Mature Scandinavian Companies.

Peter Parnes, CDT9/15 Marratech mStar Divided into a number of products:  mStar Player  Target: media-broadcasts  mPlayer, mTransmitter and mSessionEditor  mStar Pro  Target: symmetric communication  mVideo, mSessionEditor Divided into a number of products:  mStar Player  Target: media-broadcasts  mPlayer, mTransmitter and mSessionEditor  mStar Pro  Target: symmetric communication  mVideo, mSessionEditor

Peter Parnes, CDT10/15

Peter Parnes, CDT11/15 Marratech mStar...  mStar Multimedia Server  Target: recording and playback of sessions  mRecorder and mServer  mStar Multicast Tunnel  mStar Manager  Target: control and management of mStar applications  mManager  mStar Multimedia Server  Target: recording and playback of sessions  mRecorder and mServer  mStar Multicast Tunnel  mStar Manager  Target: control and management of mStar applications  mManager

Peter Parnes, CDT12/15 Marratech mStar Status  mStar Player 1.1 released  mStar Pro beta4 released  mStar Multimedia Server and mManager under development  Primary target platform is currently Wintel  Does not rely on external products and the UI is much better (but still needs a lot of work)  mStar Player 1.1 released  mStar Pro beta4 released  mStar Multimedia Server and mManager under development  Primary target platform is currently Wintel  Does not rely on external products and the UI is much better (but still needs a lot of work)

Peter Parnes, CDT13/15 Work under the Surface  Incorporation of heterogeneous networks  mTunnel  mVideo uses low bandwidth JPEG still images to create a live electronic corridor  Experimenting with different video/audio codecs  Switch from Java Media Framework to own code  Incorporation of heterogeneous networks  mTunnel  mVideo uses low bandwidth JPEG still images to create a live electronic corridor  Experimenting with different video/audio codecs  Switch from Java Media Framework to own code

Peter Parnes, CDT14/15 Summary  Work started in early 95 - jMUE  mStar developed extensively within CDT  Created very advanced mStar prototype  Marratech created in mid 98  Developing mStar products  Work started in early 95 - jMUE  mStar developed extensively within CDT  Created very advanced mStar prototype  Marratech created in mid 98  Developing mStar products

Peter Parnes, CDT15/15 Questions?