Mainstream Videoconferencing: A Developer's Guide to Distance Multimedia

Prepare yourself for the communications future! No longer relegated to the realm of science fiction, videoconferencing is now a reality and is destined to become all-pervasive within the next decade as a foundation of enhanced global communication.This eye-opening analysis offers clear explanations of both "group" videoconferencing and the emergence of "desktop" videoconferencing. Potential applications, such as everyday meetings, recruiting, tech support, manufacturing, classrooms, medical clinics, and entertainment, are all explored. The technological challenges and wizardry behind multipoint videoconferencing (with more than two sites communicating video, audio, and data simultaneously) are featured as well.For managers leading organizations into the future or technical professionals developing products for this rapidly emerging industry, Mainstream Videoconferencing will help you attain a thorough understanding of the underlying technology, evaluate and make full use of current and future videoconferencing systems, and create strategies on potential usage.For readers with a more technical background, the book includes a section containing a detailed look at the technology, as well as providing insight into what is required in addition to audio and video compression. Here you will find explanations of how digital teleconferencing has evolved from analog television, the telecommunications infrastructure and internets that must support videoconferencing, and basic algorithms for managing audio and video. One major chapter presents the International Telecommunications Union T.120 standard for multipoint data conferencing, and another explores the technological barriers to videoconferencing that are now beginning to come down.