Defense Connect Online to be upgraded this week with new features

Defense Connect Online (DCO) will upgrade to version 8.2 starting Aug. 10, according to an announcement from the Defense Information Systems Agency. The process is expected to be completed Aug. 19 and will only affect unclassified accounts.

According to DISA, DCO 8.2 will provide operational and functional enhancements that include:

* Drag and drop sharing: Presenters can select files and drag them to a share pod to allow all participants to view selected files in a full-screen format.

* Private chats: Meeting attendees can initiate private chats with other attendees in conversation specific tabs.

* PDF hosting: PDF files can be uploaded and shared without having to convert the PDF to an alternate file format.

* Question and answer pod: The Q&A pod can now be seen by all participants, which will display all questions and answers addressed during a session. The presenter view allows management of all questions asked, making it easier for multiple presenters to address questions.

During the upgrade, all functions of DCO will be available, however, users will not be able to save new meetings or recordings created in DCO from Aug.10-19. Users who create new recordings during this period should save the file to a local drive for future use on DCO. Any new meetings created during the upgrade must be recreated after Aug. 19, says DISA. All meetings and recordings created prior to Aug. 10 will remain unaffected during the upgrade period. Changes to usernames, passwords, profile information, and/or chat accessibility will not be impacted.

DCO 8.2 requires Flash Player 10.1 or later and the Adobe Connect version 8 plug-in, which is installed by local administrators.