Integrating Synchronous and Asynchronous Collaboration with Virtual Network Computing

The trend in computing models has changed from thin-client (text terminals) to thick-client (graphics terminals) to standalone personal computing (PCs), and then back to thick-client (client/server applications) and thin-client (Web-based applications) again. This trend is now leading us to the so-called stateless-client computing, which is an ultra-thin-client model that frees the client completely from preserving any application state. This paper explains how we integrate synchronous and asynchronous sharing of workspace with Virtual Network Computing, a stateless-client computing technology developed at the AT&T Laboratories Cambridge. Experiments and applications have demonstrated that our collaborative system is feasible for operation in current and future computing environment.