Handbook of Local Area Networks, 1998 Edition:Applications of LAN Technology Click Here! Search the site:   ITLibrary ITKnowledge EXPERT SEARCH Programming Languages Databases Security Web Services Network Services Middleware Components Operating Systems User Interfaces Groupware & Collaboration Content Management Productivity Applications Hardware Fun & Games EarthWeb sites Crossnodes Datamation Developer.com DICE EarthWeb.com EarthWeb Direct ERP Hub Gamelan GoCertify.com HTMLGoodies Intranet Journal IT Knowledge IT Library JavaGoodies JARS JavaScripts.com open source IT RoadCoders Y2K Info Previous Table of Contents Next DATACONFERENCING Dataconferencing, also known as document conferencing or audiographics, is an extension of today’s business practices. In 70% of audioconference calls, paper documents are sent to participants before the call starts. Dataconferencing replaces paper with computing power. Following are several situations in which conference calls are supplemented with documents: •  The national sales manager sends out a preliminary forecast to the regional sales offices. Sales personnel in all offices use a conference call to discuss the forecast and make necessary changes. •  Two corporations and their attorneys are located in four different cities. One of the parties drafts a contract and sends it overnight to the others. They hold a conference call to discuss and make changes to the contract. •  A company releases a new version of its software. A class on the new software includes a PC-based presentation highlighting the product changes. The company sends a printed copy of the presentation to remote locations and conducts an audioconference to review the material. In each of these situations, an audioconference call focuses around a document and could be enhanced with dataconferencing. Dataconferencing is a virtual connection between two or more computers where: •  All computers in the conference display a common graphical image to text, graphics, or a combination of both. •  Each computer in the conference displays any changes to the common image in near real-time. •  Participants have the ability to interact with the displayed document. MULTIMEDIA CONFERENCING STANDARDS Standard Description Status (as of 1/8/96) H.320 An “umbrella” standard that covers audio, video, videoconferencing, graphics, and multipoint Ratified H.221 Frame structure for a 64 to 1920K bps channel in audiovisual teleservices Ratified H.230 Frame-synchronous control and indication signals for audiovisual systems Ratified H.231 control unit for audiovisual services using digital channels up to 2M bps Ratified H.233 Confidentiality systems for audiovisual services Ratified H.242 System for establishing communication between three or more audiovisual terminals using digital channels up to 2M bps Ratified H.243 Procedures for establishing communication between three or more audiovisual terminals using digital channels up to 2M bps Ratified H.261 Video code for audiovisual services at P × 4K bps Ratified G.711 3.1 kHz at 48, 5, and 64K bps (normal telephony) Ratified G.722 7 kHz at 48, 56, and 64K bps Ratified G.728 3.1 kHz at 16K bps Ratified T.120 Another “umbrella” standard for dataconferencing and works either inside H.320 or independently Draft T.121 Generic application template: a guide for data conferencing and works either inside H.320 or independently Draft T.122 Multipoint communication services (MCS) for audiographic and audiovisual systems Ratified T.123 Protocol stacks for audiographic and audiovisual teleconference applications Ratified T.124 Generic conference control (GCC): The application protocol supporting reservations and basic conference control services for multipoint teleconferences Ratified T.125 MCS: Protocol specification Ratified T.126 Collaborative data sharing, including “whiteboard” image sharing, graphic display information, and image exchange Ratified T.127 Multipoint binary file transfer Ratified T.128 Audio video control: high-level control protocols for the multimedia meeting Draft Source: IMTC, Inc. Dataconferences require an audioconference to allow discussion of the documents and changes viewed on the computer monitors. Previous Table of Contents Next Use of this site is subject certain Terms & Conditions. Copyright (c) 1996-1999 EarthWeb, Inc.. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of EarthWeb is prohibited. Please read our privacy policy for details.