Collaborative Communications

Also called collaborative computing, involves various forms of teleconferencing, such as the following:

• Application Sharing the ability to conference with someone with an application even though the other person may not have the same application software installed on their computer. One person initiates the process by launching an application and users can view the running application s screen simultaneously. Both users can input information and control the application using keyboard, mouse, voice, etc. Files can also be shared or transferred.

• Audioconferencing is the oldest form of teleconferencing, originally performed over standard circuit-switched PSTN phone lines. The first full-duplex audioconferencing bridge was introduced in 1986. Today, IP based technology employing the Internet and intranets are becoming more popular for voice teleconferencing. If more than one person is participating at one of the conferencing locations, then speakerphones or special audioconference terminal equipment (such as Polycom s) is used. If more than two locations are tied into the conference, then multipoint network bridging equipment or Internet servers and software are used.

• Audiographics teleconferencing interconnects users separated by great distances using some kind of graphic display device, generally computer monitors. Participants can view the same high resolution still-frame visual at each site. Some systems allow the image to be manipulated by annotation, writing or drawing on the screen. Sophisticated systems allow collaboration on a single file or document. Audiographics is often used in distance learning since it enables students to interact with lecturers and each other (The...