System and methods for running conference applications before, during, and after a network conference

1. A method for running a conference application before joining a network conference, the method comprising:

activating a client application;

selecting a conference application from a plurality of conference applications;

running the conference application from the client application before joining a network conference;

joining the network conference using the client application;

using the conference application during the network conference;

leaving the network conference;

selecting a second conference application from the plurality of conference applications; and

running the second conference application from the client application after leaving the network conference.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation of joining comprises participating in the network conference to communicate with one or more attendees over at least one of a wired and wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation of selecting comprises selecting the conference application from a plurality of installed conference applications.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising installing the plurality of installed conference applications from a network server.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation of selecting comprises:

selecting an application selector to view a list of the plurality of conference applications; and

selecting the conference application from the list.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conference application is configured as a web application that can be executed by a web browser.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the client application includes a version of a web browser and the operation of running comprises running the client application as a web application using the version of the web browser.

8. An apparatus for running a conference application before joining a network conference, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to:

activate a client application;

select a conference application from a plurality of conference applications;

run the conference application from the client application before joining a network conference;

join the network conference using the client application;

receive user input to use the conference application during the network conference;

leave the network conference;

select a second conference application from the plurality of conference applications; and

run the second conference application from the client application after leaving the network conference.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor runs the client application to communicate with one or more attendees over at least one of a wired and wireless network during the network conference.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor receives user input to select the conference application from a plurality of installed conference applications.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor installs the plurality of installed conference applications from a network server.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor receives an application selector as user input and in response displays a list of the plurality of conference applications, and wherein the processor receives additional user input to select the conference application from the list.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the conference application is configured as a web application that can be executed by a web browser.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the client application includes a version of a web browser and the processor runs the version of the web browser to running the client application as a web application.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which are stored program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations of:

activating a client application;

selecting a conference application from a plurality of conference applications;

running the conference application from the client application before joining a network conference;

joining the network conference using the client application;

using the conference application during the network conference;

leaving the network conference;

selecting a second conference application from the plurality of conference applications; and

running the second conference application from the client application after leaving the network conference.