<s>
VenueGen	B-Protocol
is	O
a	O
browser-based	O
web	B-Protocol
conferencing	I-Protocol
service	O
created	O
and	O
marketed	O
by	O
The	O
Venue	O
Network	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
3D	O
virtual	B-Protocol
meeting	I-Protocol
software	O
that	O
enables	O
users	O
to	O
interact	O
with	O
each	O
other	O
using	O
avatars	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
can	O
host	O
and	O
attend	O
meetings	O
,	O
conferences	O
,	O
and	O
training	O
with	O
other	O
colleagues	O
and	O
upload	O
rich	O
media	O
into	O
virtual	B-Protocol
meeting	I-Protocol
rooms	O
for	O
real-time	O
collaboration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
avatars	B-Application
in	O
VenueGen	B-Protocol
are	O
created	O
using	O
a	O
licensed	O
technology	O
developed	O
at	O
the	O
University	O
of	O
Southern	O
California	O
that	O
converts	O
a	O
photo	O
into	O
a	O
3D	O
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
realistic	O
photo-generated	O
3D	O
avatar	B-Application
face	O
features	O
a	O
set	O
of	O
morph	O
targets	O
that	O
convey	O
facial	O
expressions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
entering	O
a	O
meeting	O
,	O
users	O
can	O
upload	O
images	O
of	O
their	O
own	O
faces	O
to	O
create	O
their	O
photo-realistic	O
avatars	B-Application
and	O
choose	O
from	O
a	O
built-in	O
selection	O
of	O
hairstyles	O
,	O
clothing	O
and	O
accessories	O
to	O
resemble	O
themselves	O
as	O
they	O
are	O
in	O
real	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
a	O
virtual	B-Protocol
meeting	I-Protocol
,	O
avatars	B-Application
make	O
conversational	O
gestures	O
that	O
are	O
automatically	O
driven	O
by	O
a	O
user	O
's	O
own	O
voice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
also	O
have	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
control	O
the	O
mood	O
,	O
body	O
posture	O
,	O
and	O
nonverbal	O
language	O
of	O
their	O
avatars	B-Application
to	O
communicate	O
as	O
they	O
would	O
in	O
a	O
real	O
meeting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
avatars	B-Application
movements	O
and	O
gestures	O
are	O
intentionally	O
limited	O
to	O
those	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
useful	O
in	O
a	O
meeting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
VenueGen	B-Protocol
has	O
over	O
36	O
different	O
virtual	B-Protocol
meeting	I-Protocol
spaces	O
including	O
a	O
board	O
room	O
,	O
executive	O
office	O
,	O
lecture	O
hall	O
,	O
theater	O
,	O
sailboat	O
,	O
campfire	O
,	O
coffee	O
shop	O
,	O
amphitheater	O
and	O
talk	O
show	O
studio	O
where	O
users	O
can	O
conduct	O
their	O
online	B-Protocol
meetings	I-Protocol
,	O
conferences	O
,	O
interviews	O
,	O
or	O
trainings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
with	O
a	O
headset	O
and	O
a	O
broadband	O
connection	O
can	O
communicate	O
through	O
VoIP	B-Application
or	O
dial-in	O
from	O
a	O
phone	O
line	O
using	O
one	O
of	O
VenueGen	B-Protocol
's	O
designated	O
conference	O
phone	O
numbers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Voices	O
of	O
participants	O
are	O
heard	O
in-world	O
through	O
3D	B-Application
positional	I-Application
sound	I-Application
audio	O
that	O
enables	O
users	O
to	O
locate	O
and	O
identify	O
users	O
speaking	O
around	O
the	O
room	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
viewer	O
may	O
display	O
several	O
forms	O
of	O
content	O
simultaneously	O
,	O
including	O
documents	O
,	O
or	O
streamed	O
feeds	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
webcam	O
or	O
Desktop	B-Device
sharing	I-Device
session	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
VenueGen	B-Protocol
is	O
a	O
software	B-Architecture
as	I-Architecture
a	I-Architecture
service	I-Architecture
(	O
SaaS	B-Architecture
)	O
that	O
is	O
built	O
on	O
a	O
MMO	B-Application
engine	O
and	O
runs	O
3D	O
graphics	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
browser-based	O
plug-in	B-Application
that	O
is	O
available	O
as	O
a	O
download	O
once	O
logged	O
on	O
the	O
VenueGen	B-Protocol
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
software	O
application	O
runs	O
on	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
,	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
,	O
Windows	B-Device
7	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Mac	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
operating	O
systems	O
and	O
is	O
compatible	O
with	O
browsers	O
Mozilla	B-Language
Firefox	I-Language
2.0	I-Language
or	O
above	O
and	O
Microsoft	O
Internet	O
Explorer	O
6.0	O
or	O
above	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2007	O
,	O
VenueGen	B-Protocol
was	O
founded	O
by	O
business	O
entrepreneur	O
David	O
Gardner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
virtual	B-Protocol
meeting	I-Protocol
software	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
The	O
Venue	O
Network	O
in	O
Research	O
Triangle	O
Park	O
,	O
North	O
Carolina	O
and	O
became	O
commercially	O
available	O
in	O
early	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
VenueGen	B-Protocol
business	O
application	O
has	O
been	O
compared	O
to	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
's	O
virtual	B-Protocol
meeting	I-Protocol
spaces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
main	O
web	B-Protocol
conferencing	I-Protocol
competitors	O
are	O
WebEx	O
,	O
Fuze	O
Meeting	O
,	O
and	O
Dimdim	O
.	O
</s>
