New features in Sametime 12

The current version of HCL Sametime and HCL Sametime Premium includes new features and enhancements.

Version 12.0

Company branding
Business customers can use their own branding for meetings. Administrators can configure the Sametime server to use a business logo which is displayed on screens that display during the join process.
Virtual backgrounds
Meeting participants can set a background image that others view during a meeting.
Meeting reports and recordings
Meeting owners have access to reports for the owned meetings. You can access these reports by opening the Recent tab and then tapping the More menu icon. You can view two reports: Summary Report and Full Report. If the meeting was recorded, the More menu includes the recordings.
Click to Call
With this feature you can connect directly with a contact or group by clicking the call icon in the upper right of the chat window. When you place a call, a new browser tab opens with a new meeting. Those you call receive a join message and are placed into the meeting when they join the call.
File transfer
In version 12.0 you can send files in a chat. The files are uploaded and saved as a link in the chat that you or a chat partner can download later.
Pinned and muted chats
You can select chat sessions to be listed at the top of your session history list. This feature can be used to place frequently used or important chat sessions at the top for quick access. The chat session can be unpin which then places the chat into the list by date.
Chats can also be muted. When muted you do not receive notifications of new messages for the chat session. This feature is helpful when you don't want to be distrubed by an active chat session.
Microphone Background noise detection
Users are notified when background noise is detected and when users are speaking when muted.
Meeting modes
When you create a meeting, you can select a mode for the type of meeting. Each mode has a set of options with the most common mode setting already selected. You can choose from three modes:
  • Collaboration: Flexible and fully customizable
  • Confidential: Maximum level of security
  • Lecture: Ideal for large moderated meetings
Member management
The meeting owner can create a meeting member identifying who can participate in a meeting.
Waiting room
When you join a meeting that was configured with a waiting room, you enter the waiting room until you are either admitted or denied access to the meeting. Messages from the meeting owner are displayed in the waiting room.
The meeting owner can set an option allowing meeting members direct access meaning they bypass the waiting room.
Mobile client policy improvements
New policies and default policy changes to improve the HCL Mobile client functionality are included in V12. By default, policies defining mobile features are turned on. For example, the following features are available by default:
  • Sharing or saving images that are received
  • File transfer for sending and downloading
  • Sending and saving images in Chat
In previous releases, policy defaults were turned off.
Video layout enhancements
Excluding your own tile which always appears on the upper left, the video tiles are sorted from left to right and arranged in the following group and order.
  • Participants with active cameras
  • Participants who are presenting or sharing their screen
  • Participants in audio-only mode
The display changes depending on the participants' activity. As participants join the meeting, they are added to the end of the grouping, in the order of arrival.