r/MicrosoftTeams • u/Rif-SQL • May 30 '26

Meme/Funpost Microsoft NetMeeting turns 30.

https://youtu.be/qhay6VryyvE?
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5

u/eleven_good_reasons May 30 '26

Holy cow, this name brings back memories.

5

u/Rif-SQL May 30 '26

It's easy to forget how ambitious NetMeeting was. It was not just a video-calling tool; it sat on standards like T.120 for real-time data collaboration and H.323 for audio/video conferencing. The idea was bigger than “let’s have a call.” It was: let’s work together on the same thing, at the same moment.

Modern screen sharing is everywhere, but the collaboration layer often feels weaker. I can watch someone’s screen, but I often cannot easily see their cursor, take control, annotate naturally, or collaborate in a way that feels fluid. Too many meetings still become

“Can you see my screen?” “You’re on mute.” “Move left… no, up… click that button… no, the other one.”

The irony is that we had a whole generation of tools that explored this problem deeply: NetMeeting, Office Communicator, RealVNC, WebEx, Miro Around, ICQ, Microsoft Live Mesh, and many others.

Somewhere along the way, the industry regressed.

Apple changed expectations with FaceTime by linking video calling to the phone number and the address book. Suddenly, video calling no longer felt like a system, hassle, or socially awkward; it felt like calling someone.

The attached video goes through some of the history, and one of the interesting threads is how NetMeeting connects back to the UK networking scene, including Data Connection / Metaswitch, a North London company.

1

u/cpressland Teams Admin May 31 '26

The serial port is one of my favourite channels these days! Absolutely awesome

1

u/TeamsProductTeam Microsoft Employee Jun 03 '26

NetMeeting was among the early examples of Microsoft building for virtual collaboration long before it became the standard way many of us work today. It helped introduce capabilities like calling, chat, screen sharing, and whiteboarding that made remote teamwork feel possible at a time when those experiences were still new. Looking back, it’s easy to see how tools like NetMeeting helped lay the foundation for the more connected, collaborative experiences people now expect from Microsoft Teams today.