Subject: TelePort - Noddy SIP client available

From: Ben Anderson <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 1996 15:33:07 +0100

we've been using this off and on over the summer and it seems fairly
stable so if anyone wants to try it out...

Teleport is an awareness tool that uses IP multicast to distribute
awareness information using an experimental group awareness protocol
(GAP). Each user runs a GAP client (eg. TelePort) to receive awareness
information about other users in the 'awareness session'. Users can then
initiate more focused interaction (eg through glances, or requests for
'connections') which is done using SIP.

GAP should be scalable - it is based to a certain extent on RTCP but we
have only used it inside our campus network - I am unsure as yet how
well it performs in the wide area or with more than 10-20 participants.
It should show the same behaviour as RTCP where everyone is sending, but
I have no data (other than simulations) to prove this :-)

For more background, screenshots and the binaries (only SunOS 4.1.4 and
IRIX 5.2 at present I'm afraid) see:

http://pipkin.lut.ac.uk/~ben/PHD_Public/teleport.html

There are a number of not-yet-implemented features including:

- support for initiating multipoint conferences, only 1-1 conferences
are supported at present

- interworking with sdr is not supported

The development of TelePort was supported by BT who retain all rights to
the software and all concepts, designs etc contained within it.
Potential users should note that:

"This software is released for evaluation purposes only. 
Copyright 1995/1996 British Telecommunications plc. All rights
reserved."

I'd be interested to hear any comments, ideas, feedback etc.

cheers
Ben.
-- 
http://pipkin.lut.ac.uk/~ben/sig.html