Frequently Asked Questions

IOCOM Visimeet is a new, cross-platform visual communication solution, that can be used as a hosted service, or deployed as a solution over an enterprise's existing network. Designed to optimize communication and collaboration for distributed teams, businesses, and enterprises, IOCOM Visimeet combines high-performance multi-party audio and video communications with a robust suite of webconferencing collaboration tools, including file- and desktop-sharing, live URL-sharing, chat and instant messaging, and more. It is the most comprehensive business communication solution available. Experience the IOCOM Visimeet service for yourself. Sign up for your free trial today.

A Visimeeting is a visual meeting. It's what IOCOM Visimeet allows you to do: hold real-time, live communication sessions with multiple people wherever they are (provided they have an internet connection). It's an entirely new way to think about communication.

What do I need in order to use IOCOM Visimeet? Do I have to have a camera?

The basic requirements: a personal computer with microphone and speakers, a broadband internet connection, and a USB Camera.

The camera is not a requirement to use IOCOM Visimeet, but it is required if you would like to transmit video into your Visimeetings.

A quick note on the computer and internet requirements: Since IOCOM Visimeet is a video application that streams over the internet, it can be taxing on your processor and your bandwidth. If your computer is older and/or your internet connection on the slow side, you may notice some performance hits, but chances are you won't notice anything until you get into a Visimeeting with a lot of video views active at once.

What are the minimum system requirements for Visimeet?

Windows XP or later. Mac OS X 10.5 or later. (English US/UK)
Pentium 4 (2.0GHz) or faster
512mb RAM
USB camera & headset or echo-cancelling microphone
High-speed internet connection

Is IOCOM Visimeet secure?

IOCOM Visimeet is very secure-- it is a cornerstone of our offering. Our technology works to securely open audio and video connections on your network only when you initiate the connection (or accept an invitation) and closes them completely when not streaming.

Does IOCOM Visimeet work on Mac, or on my smartphone?

Downloads are available for Mac and PC. When you register for trial and begin the download, we'll automatically detect your OS type and provide the appropriate version for you.

How much will IOCOM Visimeet cost? Will there be a free version?

We're still working out the details of the pricing structure, but we can tell you that the Visimeet hosted service will be available at affordable monthly subscription rates, including a basic-functionality FREE version. Term/ Volume discounts will be available as well.

At the end of the free trial, what happens if I don't subscribe?

If, by the end of your trial, you do not subscribe to the IOCOM Visimeet service, you will be able to continue using IOCOM Visimeet indefinitely with all of the features of the free subscription plan. If you find that you do need the features of one of our paid plans, you can subscribe at any time — even for just a single day.

How do I manage my IOCOM Visimeet account?

You can manage your IOCOM Visimeet account, including personal and payment info, subscription plan, and the users on your plan through our IOCOM Visimeet Customer Portal. You can also get to the Portal from the Visimeet application, under the Portal menu item.

I've installed IOCOM Visimeet, now what?

Join your first Visimeeting! To do so, you'll need to add some contacts and invite one or more of them to a Visimeeting:

Visimeet Contacts Menu

Add contacts by clicking on the Contacts menu item and selecting to either Add Contact or Import Contacts. The first will let you manually add a single email address of an IOCOM Visimeet user to add; the second allows you to scan your existing contacts lists (Gmail or Outlook, with more on the way) for IOCOM Visimeet users to add.
Now, wait for your contacts to confirm the connection. Until then, you'll see their names in the Awaiting Responses folder.
Once some of your contacts are approved (they'll now be in the All Users folder), you can click their name and select Invite from the pop-up menu to attempt to join a Visimeeting with them. They will receive a pop-up Visimeeting invitation on their desktop and, if they are available and accept, you will be joined into a meeting.

If you none of your current contacts are IOCOM Visimeet users, why not invite them to try it with you?

Do I have to install IOCOM Visimeet to use it?

Not necessarily. Your best experience will result from downloading a PC or Mac client for meetings. A web client that will receive (but not transmit) video is also available at http://visimeet.iocom.com. Simply log in with your user name, password, and phone number. When you are invited into a meeting, our servers will call you at the phone number that you specify.

Am I always connected to IOCOM Visimeet? How do I disconnect?

IOCOM Visimeet is designed to always run in the background, even when the IOCOM Visimeet window is closed (you can make it visible again by clicking on the logo icon in the system tray, near the clock). If you do not want to be disturbed, we recommend setting your status to Away or Busy.

Of course, if you need to close the application entirely, you can right-click on the logo icon in the system tray and select Quit Visimeet.

How do I add contacts to my IOCOM Visimeet contacts list?

There are two methods to add contacts to IOCOM Visimeet. Both can be accessed by clicking on the Contacts menu item in Visimeet, then selecting either:

Add Contact. This allows you to manually add a single new contact. All you have to do is enter an email address; if the contact is an IOCOM Visimeet user, they will be instantly added to your contacts list.
Import Contacts. This allows you to scan your existing contacts lists (Gmail or Outlook, with more on the way) for IOCOM Visimeet users to add.
Visimeet Contacts Menu

Anytime a contact is added, they will receive a notification to approve the connection. You'll receive one as well, if someone adds you to their contact list. Only after the connection is approved can you have a Visimeeting with your contact.

How do I change my presence status or set an away message?

Status messages are easily changed using the Status pull-down menu at the top of the IOCOM Visimeet window or by clicking on the IOCOM Visimeet icon in the system tray and selecting a new status in the Set Statusmenu.

Can I send someone a message without joining a Visimeeting with them?

Absolutely. Click on their name in your contact list and select Send Instant Message.

How can I connect with another IOCOM Visimeet user who is not in my contacts list?

If you need or would like to join a Visimeeting with someone who is not in your contacts list, you have a couple of options:

If you know their email, you can very easily add them to your contacts list by going to Contacts -> Add Contacts.
You could also start a solo Visimeeting and have them join it. Go to Meeting -> Join New Meeting and when you've joined, note the meeting code along the bottom of the Visimeeting control panel (in the form “In Meeting 12345”). Provide this to the other participant and they can join by going to Meeting -> Join Meeting, entering the five-digit meeting code, and clicking Join Meeting.
Finally, you can schedule the meeting in advance and send them an invitation. Go to Meeting -> Meeting Scheduler and select New to open the Edit Meeting window. Once scheduled, you can use the Meeting Scheduler to send an email invitation, which includes a link to directly launch the Visimeeting.

How can I share IOCOM Visimeet with others?

We're working on some great ways to make this super easy and super fast; for now, though, just send them to the Free Trial Signup page.

Can I add users to my subscription account?

Yes! You can do so from the Customer Portal, under Subscriptions.

If you want to encourage users to obtain their own accounts, you can recommend that they signup with IOCOM through our website, just like you did. Don't worry, we'll take good care of them.

What type of support is available?

You can contact IOCOM support via email at helpdesk@iocom.com or via telephone at 312.786.9169. Support requests can also be entered directly as Trouble Tickets through the IOCOM Visimeet Customer Portal, on the Support tab.

How do I contact IOCOM?

The best way to contact IOCOM in regard to Visimeet is at helpdesk@iocom.com. If you have a Sales questions or would like a consultation, please see our sales consultation request page, or contact sales@iocom.com.

Why can't I hear the other person/people in my Visimeeting?

First, determine if their audio is actually reaching you. When they talk, is there activity on the incoming volume meter in the Visimeet control panel? If you are meeting with more than one other person/site, are you able to hear some but not others?

If either of these is yes, then the other side is probably not sending audio. They should reference the next question below.

If you are receiving audio (seeing activity in the meter and/or not hearing any of the other participants), then you need to check your speaker configuration:

If you're using external speakers, make sure they're turned on and the volume turned up.
While in the meeting, make sure that all Visimeet volume sliders are not all the way to the left (off). Also, check the system audio to make sure it's not muted or turned down.
Finally, look under Tools -> Options -> Audio to make sure the output device is set correctly.

Other people in the Visimeeting cannot hear me, what can I do?

First, check the outgoing (right) audio volume meter in the Visimeeting control panel. If there is activity when you talk, that means your audio is getting sent into the meeting and the other side will need to check their settings (reference above question).

If you are not seeing activity, then you need to check your microphone:

If you're using an external microphone, make sure it has power and is not muted.
While in the meeting, make sure that your Visimeet volume slider is not all the way left (off). Also, check the system audio to make sure the microphone is not muted or turned down.
Finally, look under Tools -> Options -> Audio to make sure the input device is set correctly.

Why am I hearing an echo of my voice, or of other people's voices, during the Visimeeting?

Echo happens when sound out of speakers gets picked up by a nearby microphone and, if there's no form of echo cancellation, it goes straight back into the Visimeeting. This issues should now be rare, because we've built echo cancellation directly into the software. If it happens, have the site causing echo — they will be the only one in the Visimeeting who doesn't hear the echo — rejoin the Visimeeting. Also, make sure their microphone is not sitting right next to or across the room from the speakers, as extreme closeness or distance can disturb the echo cancellation.

Why am I not seeing someone/anyone else's video?

The video streams could be hidden, closed, or non-existant. The following will check for all cases:

Select Tools -> Video -> Refresh Layout (Windows) or Ctrl-click the Video icon in the Visimeet Console -> Refresh Layout (Mac). This will redraw all videos onto your screen into a new grid, on top of all other windows.
Look for any orange video camera icons beside participants in the Visimeeting control panel — orange means they have a closed video stream available — and click on it to select a video to open. If all videos from a site are currently open, the icon will remain white.
If you still don't see video, ask if the person on the other side is using a camera and, if so, if they see themselves on their own desktop (many cameras also have a light that turns on when they're active, you might have them look for that as well). They may not be transferring video at all. If so, they should reference the next question.

No one else is seeing my video, why not?

There are a few possible reasons (and solutions):

Do you have a camera? One isn't required to use IOCOM Visimeet, but is required to send video.
If you have a camera, is the light on the camera (signifying it is active) on? Do you see your video on the desktop? If no:
1. Go to Tools -> Options -> Video and make sure the camera is listed there and checked on.
2. Make sure no other applications are trying to use the camera at the same time that you're in Visimeeting.
If the camera is showing on your desktop, but no one is seeing it, click on the video options icon in the Visimeet control panel and make sure your camera is set to Transmit.
If none of these help, your video might be turned off on the remote end. Refer them to the question above.

Why is my video choppy or distorted?

Chances are good that your network or your computer are having trouble keeping up with the videos. You can turn off videos on your end to save on both bandwidth and processing power (remember, you can still transmit your video into the meeting even if you don't have it on your desktop, so that's a good one to turn off). Closing other programs may help too.

As for the network, if the issues are only intermittent, check to make sure no one else on your local network is using lots of bandwidth (by streaming videos or music, etc.) while you're holding the Visimeeting.

My video windows are all small sized, how do I make them larger?

You can drag out the lower right corner of any video window to make it larger. Or right-click on the video and look under Window Size to jump to some standard sizes.

What is the difference between the H.261 and H.264 video codecs?

H.264 is our default video codec. We strongly recommend for all Visimeetings. However, we continue to include the H.261 codec as connecting to some other video conferencing devices require it for full compatibility.

How do I change my video codec to H.264?

Video codecs can be changed within the Tools -> Options -> Video menu, or on-the-fly for the current Visimeeting only by right-clicking on the video and selecting the codec under Send Resolution.

I'm getting an error that says “Unable to spawn X process” or similar.

This generally means that something is blocking your video and/or audio connection to IOCOM Visimeet. First, we recommend restarting your computer to make sure no applications, including Visimeet, have left hanging processes. Next, make sure that you don't have any other similar applications (such as a video or audio chat application) running in the background. Parental or content control applications have also been known to cause problems.

If you're still getting the same error, it may be a restriction of your network. Contact helpdesk@iocom.com and let us know.

Can I use IOCOM Visimeet from home?

Yes. Be aware, though, that home connections can run at lower speeds and, if you have multiple computers in the house, you may be sharing the connection with other streaming video and audio. As such, we recommend being aware of ways to adjust for lower-bandwidth situations...

What settings should I adjust for low-bandwidth situations?

There are three simple ways to adjust to low-bandwidth situations:

Tune down your video codec. Click on the Tools -> Options, then the Video tab. Make sure any cameras (although if you have more than one, you should probably turn off all but one by unchecking them on the left) are set to H.264 Small resolution.
Tune down your audio codec. Still in Options? Click on the Audio tab and check the box next to “Limit Audio Codec to Standard Quality (64K)”. You can close Options now.
Finally, when you're in a Visimeeting, close the video windows of anyone you don't need to see right now. You can always turn them back on again and if they're off, you are not receiving that bandwidth.

My company has another video conferencing system. Can I use IOCOM Visimeet to connect with it?

Probably. We're compatible with many standards-based H.323 devices, such as Polycom or Tandberg, provided that the device allows for a connection from wherever you are (i.e. it's not behind a closed firewall).

How do I connect to another type of video conferencing system?

Use the Dialer tool from a Visimeeting-in-progress. Start a new meeting by going to Meeting -> Join New Meeting, then select the Dialer from the row of tools in the Visimeeting control panel. In the Dialer window, enter the IP address of the system and click Call. IOCOM Visimeet will now try to connect.

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