Teleconferencing

According to the Travel Industry Association, business travel rose 14% between 1994 and 1999, with nearly half of the 44 million travelers in 1998 attending a meeting, trade show, or convention. So what?

Teleconferencing A shorthand term used to represent an array of technologies and services ranging from a three-way telephone conversation to full- motion color television to highly interactive, multipoint web-based electronic meeting “spaces” – each varying in complexity, expense, and sense of immediacy.

Teleconferencing Continuum

Types Audio Teleconferencing Videoconferencing Computer-Mediated (Web conferencing)

Audio Teleconferencing Participants gather to communicate over the telephone. Reservationless or conference-on-demand Operator-Assisted (introduce, mute, screen) Other services:  Customized management reports  Taping/Rebroadcast  Transcription/Translation

Videoconferencing Communication across long distances with video and audio contact that may also include graphics and data exchange. Digital video transmission systems typically consist of camera, codec (coder-decoder), network access equipment, network, and audio system.

Videoconferencing Standards Allow different technologies to “talk” to one another H.320  Allow videoconferencing equipment from multiple vendors to talk to each other (1990s) H.323  Developed for desktop videoconferencing H.324  Low bit-rate desktop teleconferencing via telephone lines

Videoconferencing Terms Compressed Video Codec Full-motion video Bridge Full-duplex audio ISDN

Web Conferencing Share content Have real-time interaction Audio teleconference and videoconference meetings with web interface and online archives No Travel required

Web Conferencing Features Online collaboration Multi-point data conferencing Text chat Whiteboard File transfer Application sharing Point-to-point audio and video

Whiteboard Review, create, and update graphic information. Drag and drop items onto or within the whiteboard with the mouse. Different-colored pointers to easily differentiate participants' comments. Save the Whiteboard contents for future reference. Load saved Whiteboard pages

Chat Communication with one or more people in real time Send messages to other people during a conference  Text  Audio  Video. "Whisper" mode to send private messages during a group session. Save the contents to a file for future reference.

File Transfer Send a file in the background to conference participants. Send the file to everyone in the conference, or to one or more selected participants. Accept or reject transferred files.

Application Sharing View shared applications in a frame Minimize shared application frame and do other work Switch between shared applications Choose to allow one person to work in the shared application at a time Approve conference participants' requests to work in the application you introduce. Allow or prevent others from using the application

Web Conferencing Requirements 4 MB of free hard disk space 56,000 bps or faster modem (broadband suggested) Sound card with microphone and speakers (sound card required for both audio and video support). Video capture card or camera that provides a Video for Windows capture driver (required for video support)

Which to Use Most popular is the type that shows a web page while people talk Need to produce a decision  Videoconferencing Need to do informal work or presentation  Webconferencing

Additional Benefit

Webconfercing and Distance Ed