Previous | Table of Contents | Next |
Multimedia is a combination of voice, data, video, and image informationblended into a single, coordinated, and synchronized presentationwith strong emphasis on the visual. Multimedia systems consist of a combination of monitors, speakers, software, cameras, microphones, and very significant amounts of computer memory. Multimedia, in the purest sense, typically is supported on a standalone basis. Multimedia PCs are commonplace, supporting voice clips, data, video clips, and images for access to CD-ROMs. Although such multimedia systems are effective only in limited applications (training, education and research) the business market was estimated by Dataquest to have grown from $1.5 billion in 1993 to $3 billion in 1995. Dataquest further expects a continuing annual growth rate of 32%, with multimedia systems becoming commonplace by 1998 [14-21].
Multimedia networks, currently in their infancy, must support this demanding blend of data. The difficulty of multimedia networking is twofold. First, the data stream is highly bandwidth-intensive, due to the impact of video and image information. Second, multimedia is isochronous in nature, as the voice and video elements are stream-oriented. Therefore, the networks that support multimedia must provide substantial bandwidth. They also must accept and deliver the data stream on a regular, continuous, and reliable basis. Such network performance is found only in a few instances, including circuit switched (expensive), dedicated (expensive), or cell-switched (expensive) networks. In case you missed it, expensive is the operative word. While multimedia can be supported at lower cost through ISDN BRI, the bandwidth available is not sufficient to support high-quality video. Additionally, ISDN is relatively expensive (compared to analog circuits) and certainly is not ubiquitous. Multimedia networking in the LAN environment also is problematicLANs just werent designed for the task. To be truly effective, multimedia must be networkedand on an interactive basis. Therein lies the problem!
Multimedia LAN servers are now offered by a small number of firms. Such servers can store 6 to 12 hours of compressed video (low-quality) on 36 GB at a cost of $20,000 to $40,000. As always, better quality is more expensive, and more of a bandwidth hog.
Software must be in place to support electronic text, image, audio, and video information in a multimedia conference. While the voice and video aspects of the conference are supported in a fairly straightforward manner, the real and distinct advantage of multimedia conferencing is that of allowing multiple parties to collaborate on textual and graphic documents. Special software allows each party to contribute to such documents, in collaboration with the other partieshence the term collaborative computing. During such a collaborative session, the original text document is saved, while each party contributes changes that are identified by contributor. Once the parties agree to the collaborative edits and enhancements, the entire text file is refreshed and saved.
Similarly, a design or a concept can be developed graphically and on a collaborative basis through whiteboarding, much as the parties would do on a physical whiteboard (or blackboard) in a face-to-face meeting. Typically, each party to the conference would have access to a special whiteboard pad and stylus. Each party can then modify the initial drawing, with each individuals contribution being identified by separate color. Again, and once the group has agreed on the final graphic rendition, the graphic is saved and all screens are refreshed.
The clear benefits of such a collaborative process, conducted on a logical basis over a wide area network, include reduced travel time, reduced travel expense and increased speed of collaborative effort. Even in a LAN environment, shoe leather is conserved and productive time is maximized.
Previous | Table of Contents | Next |