CUSEEME is an acronym for "CU-SeeMe", which is a videoconferencing software that allows real-time audio and video communication over the Internet. Developed in the early 1990s by Cornell University, CU-SeeMe was one of the pioneering applications in the field of internet video communication.
CU-SeeMe enables individuals or groups to see and hear each other through video streams and audio channels, facilitating remote face-to-face communication. It uses a client-server model in which participants connect to a central server, which then relays the audio and video data between the participants. Users can control the quality of their video streams based on available bandwidth, adjusting the frame rate or resolution to ensure smooth transmission.
One of the significant aspects of CU-SeeMe was its ability to handle multiple participants in a conference, allowing for multi-party video calls or online meetings. It offers features like text chat, screen sharing, and the ability to record sessions or streams.
Initially developed for the Macintosh platform, CU-SeeMe later expanded to other platforms, including Windows and various Unix-based systems. It played a vital role in advancing videoconferencing technology and contributed to the growth of the field in its early years.
Although CU-SeeMe is less common today, it served as a foundation for subsequent videoconferencing software and technologies, paving the way for the widespread use of applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Skype.
