Internet Locator Server ( ILS ) is a dynamic directory solution for NetMeeting. ILS supports LDAP conferencing servers and directory servers. ILS is an optional component of Internet Information Server. You use ILS to enable NetMeeting users to locate each other on the Internet or corporate intranets. These servers create a directory of NetMeeting users. Users can select participants for real-time conferencing and collaboration. The ILS product replaces the ULS (User Locator Service) which Microsoft developed for NetMeeting 1.0. ILS supercedes ULS. Obviously you don't need ILS to use Netmeeting - just keep your own list of ip addresses. Not reasonable for Internet use or enterprise Intranets.

ILS has the following features:

• Support for industry standard protocols.
  ILS provides both a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) interface for NetMeeting support
• Transaction logs to collect usage statistics, track messages and transactions.
• Server functionality
  • ILS uses thread pooling and connection management to enable efficient handling of system resources.
  • ILS uses binary data packets to optimize performance.
  • ILS uses a spanning tree architecture to support many concurrent users in a single server configuration.
• Customization available through Active Server pages.
  Administrators can combine HTML and scripting components to customize the ILS interface. You can create scripts to display a specific group of NetMeeting users currently online, enable user searches, and initiate real-time communication sessions with other users. For example, administrators can create "buddy pages" that limit the directory to a list of specific users that share a common interest. For Intranet, you can create unit pages, site pages, ...
• Microsoft product support.

For XP users, NetMeeting is installed as part of the full install of Windows XP, but it won’t appear on the Start menu until it's activated. To activate NetMeeting:

• Click Start
• Click Run
• Enter Conf
• Click OK.
• In the NetMeeting Wizard, supply the necessary information, and then select the Put a shortcut to NetMeeting on my desktop (or on my Quick Launch bar) check box.

Netmeeting links:

• www.microsoft.com/windows/netmeeting
• Creating a Web-Based Call Center
• MSDN's Using Netmeeting
• NetMeeting Quick Tutorial
• NetMeeting 3 Resource Kit Tools and Utilities
• NetMeeting Session Invitations Available Through Instant Messaging
• Internet Connect Sharing blocks incoming NetMeeting calls Windows ME
• NetMeeting APIs
• Which NetMeeting directory server should I connect to?
• NetMeeting Clients Cannot Connect to an ILS Server Running Windows 2000 (Q245621)
• NetMeeting Cannot Connect to ILS Server (Q163444)
• Disabling ILS Mode
• Site Server 3.0 as an ILS Server and the Windows 2000 Site Server ILS Service (Q256285)

New Riders has good NT texts.