Multi-site conferencing system and method

In a system having a plurality of different sites, each site having a local multipoint control unit, each local multipoint control unit associated with one or more endpoints and having a connection parameter, a multi-site conferencing method comprising:

• defining an identifier for a multi-site conference;
• establishing at least two local conferences associated with the identifier for the multi-site conference and associated with local multipoint control units at different sites;
• storing information on the at least two local conferences, the information indicating the local multipoint control unit and the identifier associated with the local conference;
• polling the stored information for the at least two local conferences;
• and
• establishing the multi-site conference by cascading the local multipoint control units of the at least two polled local conferences.

A system for establishing a multi-site conference between local multimedia conferences, the multi-site conference having an identifier, the system for communicating with a plurality of local multipoint control units at different sites, the system comprising:

• one or more databases for storing information on the local multimedia conferences, the information indicating the local multipoint control unit associated with the local multimedia conference and indicating the identifier if associated with the local multimedia conference;
• and
• a server configured to:
• poll the stored information for at least two local multimedia conferences associated with the identifier and associated with local multipoint control units at different sites, and
• cascade the local multipoint control units of the at least two polled local multimedia conferences to establish the multi-site conference.