Media Server

Originally the term media server meant a server involved in the sharing and broadcasting of multimedia information such as video and audio data as well as the usual HTML text as received by standard web browsers, such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft s Internet Explorer. Any web server could be converted into a media server if the files and standards followed were self contained (didn t need special server software) such as AU, MOV, WAV and MPEG files. More sophisticated forms of such a media server involved the streaming standards promulgated by companies such as RealAudio and Xing Technology Corp., which enables a browser to start playing a file before it s download is finished.

At the close of the 20th century, however, the definition of a media server changed somewhat, particularly when associated with computer telephony.

All CT applications generally include a mixture of media processing and call control. Media processing is concerned with playing and recording voice files, detecting touchtones, sending and receiving faxes, and, in general, handling any type of data that may be carried on the line (phone line or IP-enabled wiring). Call control refers to activities such as placing, answering, transferring, holding, and conferencing calls.

Many times, applications solely providing media processing services are connected directly to the PSTN or IP network. Examples of such applications include dedicated IVR systems, fax-on-demand systems, fax servers, and fax broadcast applications. Such applications, in general, provide value-added services and do not replace nor require integration with an organization s internal...