Get Started

Now that you have IBM® Lotus® Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing (Sametime® 6.5.1), you can use your computer to communicate with your coworkers and conduct online meetings. Meetings can be broadcast (the audience only watches and listens) or interactive (participants work together using tools like screen sharing).

During Sametime meetings, you can communicate using chat, computer audio and video, and telephone conference calls.

Before you can use Sametime, you might need to:

Check Your Browser

To use Sametime, you need the correct browser. For a list of system requirements, refer to the IBM Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing Installation Guide.

You can also refer to "Making Your Browser Work with Sametime" in the IBM Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing User's Guide.

Register

Your system administrator might require you to register to use Sametime.

1. Click Register on the Sametime Welcome page. If no Register link appears on this page, you do not need to register.



2. Click "Register to use Sametime."



3. Enter the required information. The user name and password that you enter will apply to both Sametime and Sametime Connect. You might be able to choose your user name and password, or your system administrator might assign them to you.



4. Click Submit Request.



5. Click the Sametime logo to return to the Sametime Welcome page.

Download Sametime Connect

IBM Lotus Sametime Connect comes in two slightly different versions: Sametime Connect for the desktop and Sametime Connect for browsers. Contact your system administrator to find out which version(s) of Connect you can use.

If you use Sametime Connect for browsers, you automatically download the program the first time you click Launch Sametime Connect on the Sametime Welcome page and accept the security warnings that appear.

If you use Sametime Connect for the desktop, you must download it and install it on your computer. You can download Sametime Connect for the desktop by clicking Download on the Sametime Welcome page, and then clicking the link to download Sametime Connect. Follow the instructions to install Sametime Connect for the desktop on your computer.

Log On

You must log on to Sametime Connect, and you might be required to log on to the Meeting Center. If you register to use Sametime, you choose your user name and password. If no register link appears on the Sametime Welcome page, you must obtain your user name and password from your system administrator.

• To log on to Sametime Connect: To start Sametime Connect for the desktop, choose Sametime Connect from your computer's Start menu, enter your user name and password, and click Log On. To launch Sametime Connect for browsers, click Launch Sametime Connect on the Sametime Welcome page, accept any security warnings that appear, enter your user name and password, and click Log On.



• To log on to the Meeting Center: A logon dialog box might appear when you click "Attend a Meeting" or "Schedule a Meeting" on the Sametime Welcome page. You can also access the logon dialog box by clicking "Log on to Sametime" in the upper right corner of the Meeting Center. When the dialog box appears, enter your user name and password, and click OK.

Test a Meeting

Before attending your first Sametime meeting, attend a test meeting to make sure that Sametime is functioning correctly. While testing a meeting, you can ensure that your microphone, speakers, and video camera work properly so that you can attend audio/video meetings. To test a meeting, click Test Meeting in the Meeting Center and follow the instructions that appear. You can also test a meeting by choosing Options - "Test a Meeting" in the Sametime Connect window.

Accept Security Warnings

You might see security warnings related to Sametime at various times. The security warnings inform you that you are about to download a program to your computer. You must accept these warnings before you can use Sametime. The text in the warnings depends on the version of the browser that you use, but the text should be similar to the following:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer: The dialog box is called Security Warning. Select the check box in front of "Always trust content from IBM Corporation," and then click Yes. There are two warnings; follow this procedure for both.



• Netscape Communicator: The dialog box is a Java Security warning. Select the check box in front of "Remember this decision," and then click Grant. There are two warnings; follow this procedure for both.

Note If you do not select "Always trust content from..." (Microsoft Internet Explorer) or "Remember this decision" (Netscape Communicator), you see the security warnings every time you attend a meeting, test a meeting, launch Sametime Connect for browsers, or access your company's Directory.