Introducing Netopia Virtual Office

This section provides general information about Netopia Virtual Office.

• What does Virtual Office do?
• Where is Virtual Office located?
• What is an Internet Name?
• What hardware and software do I need?

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What Does Virtual Office Do?

The purpose of Netopia Virtual Office is to link your personal work environment to anyone who has a standard Web browser and an Internet/intranet connection. A "visitor" (a user at a remote computer) can use his or her Web browser to interact with you as they might interact with you in a personal meeting.

Virtual Office gives you the freedom to do the following things:

• Collaborate--the Control service permits you to view and operate another computer by allowing your keyboard and mouse to control the other machine. This enables you to work with (or offer assistance to) a user who may be thousands of miles away. The Control service makes telecommuting a snap!

Using Virtual Office to edit a spreadsheet by remote control

• Observe--the Look service lets you view the screen of a remote computer. Unlike Control, Look does not send your keyboard and mouse commands to the remote computer. The Look service can allow you to identify a problem on a remote computer without leaving your desk.

Using Virtual Office to look at a drawing on a remote computer

• Talk--the Intercom service lets you speak to your visitor just as if you were on the telephone.

Using the Virtual Office Intercom to talk to another user

• Chat--the Chat service allows you carry on a keyboard-based interactive dialog with your visitor.

Using Virtual Office's Chat service to discuss a meeting

• Send and receive files--the Out Baskets enable you to leave files for others to pick up at their convenience. Visitors can retrieve them at any time without interrupting you. Visitors can also send files to you by simply dropping them into your In Basket.

Working with Virtual Office Out Baskets

• Post messages--the Message service permits you to send notes to and receive notes from other users. Your Virtual Office Business Card gives you ability to display additional contact information-such as a pager number and a street address. Your Virtual Office Links area allows you to provide your Office visitors with references to other Virtual Offices and Web sites.

Sending a message and a file to another Virtual Office

Netopia Virtual Office is easy to use because it speaks HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)--the language of the World Wide Web. Netopia Virtual Office contains a small HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) engine that serves up the customized Web pages you create when you install Netopia Virtual Office. These personalized Virtual Office Web pages are kept in a folder on your hard drive, enabling you to change them at any time.

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Where Is Virtual Office Located?

All of Virtual Office's parts are located on your hard drive.

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What Is an Internet Name?

An Internet Name is the name you pick--such as johnqpublic--when you create your Virtual Office. You can then encourage others to visit your Office by simply having them enter your Internet Name--http://www.johnqpublic.netopia.com--in the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) box of their Web browsers. You don't need to remember any numbers!

For portable computer users, you can move from place to place without worry--Farallon's Netopia Name Server computer will keep you in touch with all of your friends. For even more flexibility, you can use your Internet Name on any computer that is equipped with Virtual Office. Whenever you log on to the Internet, Virtual Office will send your Internet Name to Farallon's Name Server, automatically updating your Internet address information. Farallon's Internet Name service runs 24 hours a day at Farallon's worldwide headquarters.

You can send your Internet Name to your friends and colleagues or put it on your business cards. No matter where you are, your friends and associates will always be able to find your Office.

Note: If you don't start your Netopia Virtual Office for six months and if another user requests the Internet Name you originally chose, you will have to select a new Internet Name when you decide to reopen your Virtual Office.

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What Hardware and Software Do I Need?

Virtual Office's minimum hardware and software requirements are outlined below.

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Hardware Requirements

If you do not intend to use Intercom, you need

• A 486 DX 33 MHz processor
• 8 MB of RAM
• 15 MB of available hard disk space
• A TCP/IP network or standards-based PPP connection with TCP/IP

If you intend to use Intercom, you need

• A 486 DX 100 MHz processor (Pentium recommended)
• A sound card, microphone, and speakers/headphones
• 8 MB of RAM
• 15 MB of available hard disk space
• A TCP/IP network or standards-based PPP connection with TCP/IP

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Software Requirements

To run Netopia Virtual Office, you need

• Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, or Windows 95
• At least version 3.0 of either the Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser
• One copy of Virtual Office installed on each workstation that is to receive visitors

Netopia Virtual Office is compatible with version 1.x of Timbuktu Pro for Windows and with versions 2.x and 3.x of Timbuktu Pro for Macintosh.