Intel® Unite™ Solution: Introduction and Using Plugins

Contents

• Introduction
• Features
• Deployment Options and Components
• Applications for the Intel® Unite™ Solution
• Hardware and software requirements
   
  • Server
  • Hub
  • Client
• Where to get software components
• Getting started
• Install the Intel® Unite™ Application on hub
• Install the Intel® Unite™ Client Application
• Install the Skype* for Business Plugin
• Install Protected Guest Access Plugin
• Troubleshooting and Q&As
• References
• About the Author

Introduction

When you start a meeting in a conference room, do you ever have the following problems?

• You cannot find a cable to connect to your laptop and the display equipment.
• Your laptop does not have an available interface.
• The current display cable isn’t compatible with your computer.
• Only one person at a time can present.

The Intel® Unite™ solution is an easy-to-use collaboration solution that can help you solve these problems in a traditional meeting room. Using the Intel Unite solution, you can quickly connect to the display in a conference room through a wireless connection. No cables, connectors, or adapters are needed. Both an in-room connection and a remote connection are supported. Multiple attendees can present the screen at the same time and easily annotate and transfer files.

Features

The Intel Unite solution has the following features:

• Fast deployment and fast connection
• No cables needed
• Ability to share displays
  • In-room and remote viewing
  • Application sharing
  • Extended display
  • No cable needed for the client side
• Peer-to-peer sharing
  • An Intel vPro technology-based client can share content with other clients; no hub is needed
• Annotation capabilities for the presenter and other attendees
• Split-screen view
  • Up to four users can share content per room display
• File transfer
• Support for plugin extensions

Deployment Options and Components

There are two deployment options for the Intel Unite solution.

Option A：Enterprise environment (applicable to enterprise environments that have multiple working and network environments)

Components

Server. The enterprise web server that runs the PIN service and provides an admin portal for admin to configure and download pages for the client application.

Hub. The specified Mini PC equipped with Intel vPro technology. This PC runs the Intel Unite solution hub application and connects to the display in the conference room. Any client can connect to the hub PC, then start their presentations or view content from the hub display.

Client. The user’s device that will connect to the hub. The client can be a Windows* or Mac*device. For client devices, Intel vPro technology is not mandatory. A mobile device is also supported. An Android* client application will be provided in the future. The end user controls the hub through the client application.

Plugin. The software components installed on the hub (for example, Skype for Business plugin, Guess Access plugin). The plugin can enrich the functionality and extend user experience of the Intel Unite solution. 

Option B：Standalone mode (applicable to a single business network environment)

Components

Hub. The specified Mini PC equipped with Intel vPro technology. This PC runs an Intel Unite solution hub application that displays a PIN and hosting plugins. The hub is connected to a display in the conference room.

Client. The user’s device that will connect to the hub; it could be Windows or Mac. Intel vPro technology is not mandatory for the client device. A mobile device is also supported. An Android client application will be provided in the future. The end user controls the hub through the client application.

Plugin. The software components installed on the hub (for example, Skype for Business plugin, Guest Access plugin). The plugin enriches the functionality and extends the user experience of the Intel Unite solution.

Applications for the Intel® Unite™ Solution

A group of applications needs to be installed on each component:

Hardware and software requirements

You’ll need to meet the following requirements before you start to use the Intel Unite solution.

Server

• Microsoft Windows Server* 2008 or greater
• Microsoft Internet Information Services* with SSL enabled - This will require a trusted web server certificate with an internal or public root of trust
• Microsoft SQL Server* 2008 R2 or greater
• Microsoft .NET* 4.5 or greater
• 4 GB RAM
• 32 GB available storage

Hub

To see the list of supported devices, go to: http://www.intel.com/buy/us/en/audience/unite

• Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10
• Recommended latest patch level
• Microsoft .NET 4.5 or greater
• A Mini PC based on the 4th generation Intel® Core™ vPro™ processor or newer (Note: The hub must be an Intel vPro technology-based computer, but not all Intel vPro technology-based computers can be used as the hub. Only an authorized Mini PC can run the hub application.)
• 4 GB RAM
• 32 GB available storage

Client

• Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10
• Microsoft .NET 4.5 or greater
• OS X* 10.10.5 or greater
• iOS* 9.3 or higher
• Wired or wireless network connection
• 1 GB RAM
• 1 GB available storage

NOTE: A client application for Android will be available in 2017.

Below is the basic hardware combination of the Intel Unite solution.

• Hub computer attached with display, audio, mic-phone, or other devices.
• Client device (laptop or mobile device)

Where to get software components

The Intel® Unite™ client software can be downloaded for free here:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25280/Intel-Unite-app

For other installations (server, hub, plugins, and so on) and related documents, go to: http://msp.intel.com/unite

Running the Intel Unite solution on an authorized PC does not require a license fee. Trying to run the hub on an unauthorized PC will fail. For software download and installation instructions, please contact Intel Unite solution integrator or technical support.

Getting started

This section discusses how to set up Intel Unite solution 3.0 in standalone mode and how to install and use the plugins. Some common issues will also be discussed. We will install two plugins: Skype for Business and Guest Access. To set up using enterprise mode, please refer to the Intel Unite Solution Enterprise Deployment Instructions, which can be downloaded from http://msp.intel.com/unite.

First, we need to prepare the installation package.

You should install the hub application first, and then install the client application and plugins.

Install the Intel® Unite™ Application on hub

1. Install the hub application on an authorized Intel vPro technology-based Mini PC. For a list of supported PCs, go to http://www.intel.com/buy/us/en/audience/unite.
2. Select Standalone mode during the installation process.
   
   
3. At the next several screens, click Next until the installation is finished. You will see two exe files on the desktop:
   
   
4. Launch IntelUnite.exe (it is the default and located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel Unite\Hub).
   • Enter the shared key on this hub. The shared key is used to identify the hub, and the client application should use the same shared key with the hub to communicate with it.
     
     
5. If your PC is not an authorized machine (even if it’s an Intel vPro technology-based computer), when you try to launch the application, you’ll get an error message like the one below:
   
   
6. After setting up the shared key, you’ll see the following screen.
   
   
    

   Selecting Yes means that once you start this computer, it will log on automatically and start the Intel Unite application in full-screen mode. At this time it is inconvenient to check other applications or windows. Selecting No means you must open the Intel Unite application manually. If you are just testing or studying the application or need to access other applications, it is recommended that you choose No. If your computer is ready to be used as an Intel Unite appliance, choose Yes. Once you choose Yes, the following changes will be made to your system:

   1. A new non-administrative user will be created:
      User name: UniteUser
      Password: P@ssw0rd
   2. The computer will be set to automatically log in as UniteUser and start the Intel Unite application when the system boots.
   3. A Windows firewall exception will be added to allow the Intel Unite application.
   4. The power settings will be set to Always On
      Notice: This can be undone by using the Intel Unite Settings application or uninstalling the Intel® Unite™ software.
7. After the configuration is finished, launch IntelUnite.exe; it will display in full-screen mode.
   
   
8. Change the hub settings: Open “Intel Unite Setting.exe” and then make changes according to each item’s prompt information.
   
   
9. The hub setting is finished. Next connect a big display (such as a monitor or TV) to the hub machine and connect it to your enterprise network.
10. Press ALT+F4 to exit full-screen mode and close the application.

Install the Intel® Unite™ Client Application

1. Install the Intel® Unite™ client application “Intel Unite Client.mui.msi” on any windows PC (OS X or iOS is supported; we only discuss the Windows client here).
2. The client device should connect into a same subnet with the hub in standalone mode.
3. When launching for the first time, you should fill in the shared key, which is from the hub side.
   
   
4. After entering the shared key, you’ll launch the main menu of the Intel Unite client.
   
   
5. To join a session, enter the PIN displayed on the hub screen.

   Note: if your client fails to connect to the hub, please do the following:

   1. Make sure the client uses the same shared key as the hub.
   2. Verify the PIN.
   3. Make sure the hub and client are in the same subnet in standalone mode; otherwise the connection will fail.
   4. Check the Windows firewall policy; please add Intel Unite into your allowed app list. For detailed steps, please refer to “Intel_Unite_Firewall_Help_Guide.pdf”. This document is can be applied and downloaded from http://msp.intel.com/unite.
6. You’re ready to start using the Intel Unite solution on your client.
   • Quick connection for new attendees.
   • Present content or view content from the hub display.
   • Annotation capabilities by both presenters and attendees.
   • Up to four users can present their content on the hub display.
   • File transfer capabilities.
7. You’re ready to start using the Intel Unite solution on your client.
   • Quick connection for new attendees.
   • Present content or view content from the hub display.
   • Annotation capabilities by both presenters and attendees.
   • Up to four users can present their content on the hub display.
   • File transfer capabilities.

Install the Skype* for Business Plugin

The Skype for Business plugin is installed and deployed on the hub side. It allows people on a Skype online meeting to join an Intel Unite solution session; it also allows attendees in the Intel Unite solution-enabled meeting room to join and control the Skype online meeting. The Skype online communications are operated by the Intel Unite client application, but actually the meeting is implemented on the hub computer. The Intel Unite client does not need to install this plugin or the Skype for Business application.

Before installing the Skype for Business plugin, please make sure the software below is installed on the hub side:

• Intel Unite application hub installed and configured
• Microsoft Exchange 2010 or greater
• Skype for Business installed and logged in

If you don’t have a Microsoft Exchange and Skype for Business account, it is recommended that you purchase Office 365* series software: https://products.office.com/en-US/business/compare-office-365-for-business-plans?legRedir=true&CorrelationId=a9d3fc01-6514-425e-91d9-3533b2a597f1

Double-click the installation package “Intel Unite Plugin for Skype for Business Installer.mui.msi”, and then configure the exchange server:

The address in this snapshot is the exchange web server address for Office 365. And the username and password are the Office 365 username and password.

If you are not using Office 365, please find out your exchange server information by doing the following:

1. Launch Outlook. (Note: Outlook is not required to run on the hub; you can run this on any machine.)
2. Press and hold the Ctrl key and right-click the Outlook system tray icon.
3. You will see two new options in the context menu: Connection Status and Test E-mail Auto Configuration.
4. Click Test E-mail Auto Configuration and then test to check the email server configuration.
5. In the Results tab note the OOF URL to use as the server URL for the plugin (for example, https://exchange.domain.com/EWS/Exchange.aspx).
6. To check whether the exchange information is correct, click Test Connection. It must pass the test before it can go to the next step.
7. Click Next until the installation is finished.
8. Before using this plugin, please set the Skype for Business to automatically launch and sign in. Otherwise once the hub computer is restarted, Skype for Business will not launch and the plugin cannot work.
9. Begin to use Skype for Business plugin.
   The usage scenario is:
   • The Intel Unite Hub is deployed in an Intel meeting room with the Skype for Business plugin installed. The hub computer has an Outlook* email account and the Skype for Business account is already signed up on this computer. Ten Intel employees will attend the meeting in this room; they have installed the Intel Unite client application but do not have to have a Skype for Business account.
   • User A is an Intel employee but is out of the Intel office and connects to the Intel network through VPN. User A has a Skype for Business account.
   • User B is an external user at a location outside of Intel; user B has a Skype for Business account.
   • User A, user B, and those in the Intel Unite application hub meeting room (10 in-room participants) will have a meeting online. As user B is an external user, he or she cannot connect to the Unite meeting room directly. In this case, the Skype for Business plugin can help the Intel Unite application hub join the Skype for Business online meeting and connect user B to the meeting, too.
   
   

   Schedule and join a meeting:

   • Anyone who has a Skype for Business account can schedule the meeting in Microsoft Outlook. But the hub must be invited, and then the plugin can accept or decline this meeting request. Please refer to the figure below before sending out the meeting invitation:
     
     
   • If the hub’s calendar doesn’t have conflicts, the plugin will accept this invitation and display the meeting information on the bottom status line 10 minutes in advance of the meeting.
   • Before the meeting starts, the participants in the meeting room open their Intel Unite client application. Anyone can click on the Skype for Business plugin icon. The Join button will be available 10 minutes before the meeting start time. User A can also connect to the meeting room and open the Intel Unite client application to join the meeting.
     
     
   • Clicking the Join button will display a toast message on the upper-right corner of the hub display indicating that the room is joining the Skype online meeting, and within 5 seconds the Skype for Business window should be full screen and in front. The meeting room joined the Skype for Business online meeting successfully.
   • User A and user B can join the Skype online meeting by clicking the Join Skype Meeting link in the email body. Although user A can connect to the Intel Unite application hub, after the hub joins the Skype online meeting, the hub’s screen will display Skype’s online meeting content, and the hub’s screen cannot be pushed to the client local screen. Since user A is not in the meeting room, he or she must join Skype online meeting to view the Skype meeting content. User B just follows the Skype online meeting instructions.

   Operations in the meeting

   • Share content
     The Intel Unite client in the meeting room clicks Start Presentation or Present Application. The hub computer will display the shared content (client to hub through the Intel Unite technology), and after several seconds users A and B will display this content in the Skype online meeting window (Hub → User A and B through Skype collaboration server).
     
     See below the different screens that display for in-room attendee’s personal screen, user B’s screen, and the hub’s attached display:
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     User B’s sharing will be presented on the hub’s screen, but in-room attendees can view it through the display attached to the hub.
   • Video and audio chat
     If the Skype for Business-enabled camera and mic-phone and audio devices are attached to the hub computer, the users in the meeting room can chat and talk to users A and B through Skype for Business.
     
     
   • Leave the meeting.
     Click the Skype for Business plugin icon, and then select Leave or another choice. These operations affect the hub computer.
     
     

Install Protected Guest Access Plugin

You can use the Protected Guest Access plugin to add a guest to the Intel Unite solution session when he or she cannot connect to your enterprise network. This plugin allows the guest client to connect to the hub directly without connecting to the enterprise network. The hub will create an ad hoc access point to this guest, and the guest device can download, install the Intel Unite client application, and connect to hub successfully. This plugin is available from the Intel Unite solution 3.0 version and installs and deploys on the hub side.

Please make sure the Intel Unite application is deployed on the hub computer before you start to install “Protected Guest Access” plugin.

1. Double click the installation package “Intel Unite Plugin for Protected Guest Access.mui.msi” on hub computer
2. Click Next until the installation is finished.
3. Open UniteSetting.exe on the hub machine. If Verify Certificates on Plugins is set to Yes, please make sure the Guest Access plugin is trusted.
   
   
4. Start Unite.exe on the hub machine.
5. Open an Intel Unite client application, connect to the hub, then you will see the Guest Access icon.
   
   
6. Click the Guest Access button, and then Start Guest Access.
   
   The hub will display the guest access information at the bottom of the status line.
   
   
7. On the guest computer, search SSID: IntelUnite_82M and connect it. Then type http://192.168.173.1/guest and follow the instructions to download the Intel Unite client application.
8. Start the Intel Unite client application on the guest computer, and then type the PIN displayed on the hub to join the Intel Unite solution session.

By using Intel® Unite™ plugins, ISVs can extend their reach into the conference room and provide rich functions combined with the meeting room. With plugins integrated, the Intel Unite solution is more powerful and brings a user better experience.

Troubleshooting and Q&As

1. “ID666666” error when launching on an Intel vPro technology-based PC.
   Solution: The PC you are using is not an authorized PC that can act as an Intel Unite application hub.
2. Client connects to the hub successfully, but when the client tries to presents, the desktop has a black screen.
   Solution: Please update your display driver to the latest version.
3. If the hub connects to two monitors, can the client present to both of them? Can the client present to a specified monitor?
   Solution: When the hub in is duplicate mode, the client can present to both monitors and has no display choice. When the hub is in extend mode, the client can present to one of the two monitors, and the user can choose which monitor to present to.
4. If there is one hub in meeting room 1 and another hub in meeting room 2, can both hubs display the same content?
   Solution: As of Intel Unite solution version 3.0, this function is not supported. This feature will be supported in the Intel Unite solution version 4.0 in 2017.
5. The Skype for Business plugin icon does not appear.
   Solution:
   1. Open the Hub Setting.exe - Plugins tab and set Verify the certificates in plugins to No.
   2. Ensure Skype for Business is installed and logged in before the Intel Unite application starts on the hub.
   3. Uninstall/Reinstall the plugin, and use the Test Connection button to ensure you have the correct settings.
6. The Skype for Business plugin icon appears, but the Join icon does not appear since there is an available meeting at that time.
   Solution:
   1. Verify that the hub is invited in the meeting invitation. If it isn’t, the Join icon will not appear.
   2. Verify that the hub has accepted this invitation. If it didn’t, the Join icon will not appear.
   3. Verify that the Join Skype Meeting link is included in the email message. If it isn’t, the Join icon will not appear.
7. The Skype for Business plugin Join icon appears, but fails to join the Skype meeting.
   
   Solution: On the hub computer, manually click the Join Skype Meeting link in the email message to verify whether Internet Explorer* can be opened and connect to the meeting successfully.
8. After clicking the Guest Access plugin icon, it always says, “There was an error starting Guest Access”.
   
   Solution: Please do the following:
   1. Disable the firewall to check whether the firewall is preventing the plugin from talking on the local host. If yes, set this program to “Allowed”.
   2. Check whether the Intel Unite Guest Access service is started on the hub. If No, restart this service, and then retry.
9. Is the Intel Unite solution free?
   There are no software licensing fees from Intel for the Intel Unite solution.
   The software is only available when purchasing authorized Mini PCs from Intel or OEM partners. But there may be a fee if you get the software from a third-party solution integrator.
10. Does the Intel Unite solution support Linux*?
    No.
11. How do I check the logs if I encounter an issue?
    1. In a command line, run “regedit”.
    2. Set regkey HKCU\Software\Intel\Unite\LogFile=‘c:\temp\log.txt’
    3. Run “Intel Unite.exe /debug” for popup debug window.
    4. Check logs in ‘c:\temp\log.txt’.
12. Is Intel vPro technology mandatory to support the Intel Unite solution? How can I add the Intel Unite solution into an OEM product?
    
    Yes, Intel vPro technology is mandatory. The Intel Unite solution has hardware, software, productivity, and form factor requirements. Please contact Intel support to get further information.
13. How many Intel Unite solution-enabled meeting rooms are there at Intel? How do I find these rooms?
    Please check for available rooms at: http://fmsitf01eot01.amr.corp.intel.com/uniterooms

References

1. Intel Unite overview: http://intel.com/unite
2. Intel Unite applications and plugin SDK: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/software/software-applications/intel-unite-app.html
3. Intel Unite solution community: https://soco.intel.com/groups/it-unite-info

About the Author

Qian, Caihong is application engineer in the Client Computing Enabling Team, Developer Relations Division, Software and Solutions Group. She is responsible for client business enabling such as security technology and Intel Unite solution technology.