Bush takes to the Web

By Jason Meserve
Network World Fusion, 12/09/99

NASHUA, N.H. - Campaign 2000 took a high-tech turn as Texas Governor George W. Bush used videoconferencing software to speak with New Hampshire fourth graders yesterday.

G. Bush Sitting in the offices of White Pine Software, Bush took questions from children at Franklin Elementary School in Keene, Kimball Elementary School in Concord, and Riddle Brook Elementary School in Bedford. Using White Pine's CU-SeeMe Pro videoconferencing client, Bush was able to see the students and hear their questions from the three remote sites. Each site got to ask the Republican candidate for president three questions.

White Pine's MeetingPoint multipoint conference software enabled the three locations to participate in the conference over the Internet using the H.323 standard for IP conferencing. Each site was equipped with a PC-based camera, White Pine's CU-SeeMe Pro client and a broadband Internet connection. Two of the schools were connected to the Internet with MediaOne's cable modem technology, while the third shared a partial T-1 connection with New Hampshire Technical College.

"It amazes me that we're talking across the Internet," Bush told the students, adding the Internet wasn't even a thought when he was growing up in Midland, Texas. "Our society has got to understand that technology is going to drive education and the ability to get jobs in the future."

According to Joe Jackson, White Pine's MIS director, the audio portion of the conference ran at 100K bits/sec while the video operated at around nine frames per second. (Standard television runs at 30 frames/sec.) While some of the audio had echo issues, the quality was relatively good as students asked Bush who was his favorite president (besides his father) and what his plans were to protect the environment.

The conference was also streamed live across the Internet to 100 viewers using RealNetwork's RealPlayer software. White Pine limited the streaming to 100 to ensure broadcast quality. Jackson said 100 people had signed on within three seconds of the event's beginning.

"This is a system that needs people to participate, if the Internet helps that's great," said Bush, when asked how the Internet has affected his campaign, adding that his Web sites had received thousands of hits to date. "It's a great way to get the input [from the voters]."