Approach for accessing third-party content collaboration services on interactive whiteboard appliances using cross-license authentication

Abstract

An approach for managing collaboration on IWBs allows users of different third-party collaboration services to participate in collaboration meetings on IWBs. The approach allows the users to use collaboration functionality provided by IWBs, such as annotation, and to communicate with each other, even though the users are using different third party collaboration services. The approach uses a collaboration manager that provides a 'single wrapper' application program interface (API) and centralized management of collaboration meetings, including license key and token management, cross-license collaboration, user management and meeting management. The collaboration manager acts as a mediation layer that handles the APIs of different third-party collaboration services and allows users using heterogeneous collaboration clients to participate in collaboration meetings.