There are many features that make JETS a more accessible system compared to other telecollaboration systems. First, JETS is platform independent: users can use any operating system or platform, such as Windows NT, IBM, SUN, SGI, and so on, as long as they use a basic Java-enabled Web browser such as the Netscape Navigator or the Internet Explorer. Second, there is no downloading or any system installation required from the client side; once the package is installed on the network, all that users have to do is to go to a certain URL in order to join a live collaboration session.

The interesting issue here is that theoretically, JETS can be accessed not only by computers, but also by Internet-ready devices such as Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) equipment, Network Stations, and future Internet phones and WebTV's. This makes JETS even more accessible and assures its continuous usage in the future.

Currently, a few sample applications have been built on top of JETS. One of them is a shared whiteboard which supports real-time sharing of images, interactive PowerPoint presentations, on-line drawings and H.263 Video. The whiteboard also includes a chat space. Another application is a shared 3D VRML viewer which enables users to manipulate 3Dobjects.

New features in the latest release JETS 2000: Live and shared audio and video through JMF, capture of all whiteboard interactions in SMIL format, playback over any SMIL player (e.g., Real Player, Windows Media Player).

Video clip of JETS 2000