Adobe's ConnectNow Steps Up Meetings

Adobe's usually finicky Flash software made ConnectNow safe and robust. It would be very difficult for an outsider to hack the event since you would need an identity and a login. As long as the meeting host recognizes who's logging in, security is easy to control.

Once we got the system installed and everyone up to speed, we found the product manageable.

What you don't get: A perfectly smooth meeting tool.

ConnectNow's elegance and security come at a price, and using it can suck up the processing power of the host's computer. Expect thirsty apps like LiquidPlanner or big Excel docs to run slowly during meetings.

You must also start and stop your meetings with the proper commands. It's too easy to leave meetings logged in and ongoing after everyone is gone. That means nobody will be able to meet on that account until the system times out. I blew a meeting that way last week.

And while the video conferencing is a nice touch, it's reminiscent of Skype. Lips are out of sync. Color is blobby.

Here we are in the 21st century, trying to add value with Playskool cameras. It makes me nuts.

Bottom line: ConnectNow is a nice tool for your summer travel pocket. If you set up a demo account, you will probably start using it regularly.

You can expect an easy-to-use, professional-looking collaborative space at the best price -- free. The pay versions are comparable to its rivals' tools, which cost about $10 more per month. But the experience is on par, if not better, with Adobe.