TABLE OF CONTENTS Videoconferencing uses synchronized audio and video signals to permit two-way communication between distant locations. As any telephone user can attest, a lot of the communication that takes place between people is non-verbal, involving gestures and facial expressions that simply can't be seen when using a telephone. Videoconferencing attempts to address this shortfall by allowing users to both see and hear each other.
For many users, videoconferencing over IP networks is the ideal marriage of video technology and advanced networking. Many frequent business travelers have thought (at least on occasion) how nice it would be to replace some of their less important business trips with a videoconference. As high-performance networking becomes more widespread in the business world and more affordable for residential connections, the demand for videoconferencing services will continue to increase. This rapidly growing market is being driven both by company cost-saving efforts (reduce those travel budgets!) and by employee demand (do I have to leave my spouse and kids for another trip this month?). So, it should not surprise any practitioner of video over IP networking to receive at least an occasional request for an IP videoconference.
Videoconferencing became feasible in the early 1990s because international standards (H.320, among others) were approved and compliant equipment emerged from a variety of vendors. However, high costs of implementation limited the market penetration of this technology. Many end-user companies created specialized conference rooms equipped with cameras, microphones, video displays, and all of the other equipment needed to make videoconferencing feasible. H.320...
