Network Applications

 

Some exciting multimedia applications,such as collaborative computing, desktopconferencing, corporate broadcasts, and LAN TV, require the ability to deliver the same data stream to multiple locations. Multi vendors in networking solutions has been very active in developing standards such as IP multicast to support multipoint communications.

 

Today, many LANs can provide the bandwidth necessary for simple multimedia applications. In cases where sufficient bandwidth is limiting, several alternatives are available to increase it. Each of these options have different price/performance values. Multimedia network applications such as videoconferencing, distance learning, interactive kiosks, and workgroup information exchange can provide significant value in complex business environments.To meet the demands for multimediacomputing, a new industry is forming thatcomprises four tiers: content providers, applicationsvendors, platform vendors, and networkvendors.All multimedia applications call for someamount of bandwidth—but in most cases, ahigh-volume data pipeline is unnecessary.

 

By implementing advanced quality-of-service techniques, network managers can reduce bandwidth requirements for multimedia applications.The proliferation of multimedia-enabled desktop machines has spawned a new class of multimedia applications that operate in network environments. These network multimedia applications leverage the existing network infrastructure to deliver video and audio applications to end users, such as video conferencing and video server applications. With these application types, video and audio streams are transferred over the network between peers or between clients and servers.

 

Distance Learning

 

Computer applications increasingly accommodate multimedia

content in the form of text, images, audio, and video.

These high impact applications are becoming availablefor

standalone desktop computers. Now,business users want to

combine the benefitsof multimedia power with enterprise-wide

communication by making multimediaapplications available

over the Internet.Examples of networked multimedia applications

include:

 

Distance-learning courses offered as livebroadcasts or as

video-on-demand. Withtraining programs that can be offered

atconvenient times and without regard todistance, organizations

can reduceemployee training and travel costs.

 

Electronic documents with attached voiceand video annotations,

such as multimediaelectronic mail and workgroup applications.

With their ability to include more completeinformation in each

message, theseapplications make communication among

employees, customers, vendors, and businesspartners easier and more efficient. Television broadcasts over local-area networks(LANs).

 

A live broadcast can betransmitted over the LAN to individual

workstations. Often called LAN TV, thisapplication is valuable for

financial servicesand other businesses that are dependenton

real-time news updates.

 

Multimedia databases that store traditionaltext as well as images, audio, and videoclips. These databases make rich informationabout products and processes availableto all parts of the organization.

 

Videoconference

 

Videoconferencing, unlike broadcast television, has a lowrequirement for motion. That is, videoconferences are not sporting events, so motion prediction algorithms can assume relatively slow and restricted movement. For example, H.261, the ITU videoconferencing standard, assumes movement of plus or minus 15 pixels from frame to frame. If there is quicker movement, there is some picture loss, which is manifested as jerky movement. Also, sound quality is generally less thantelephone toll quality. H.261, Picturetel, Compression Labs, and Indeo are basicallyvideoconferencing protocols and are generally useful for remotemeetings but not for broadcast quality. The vendor protocols do not interoperate, but rather, use H.261 as a least commondenominator to interoperate with each other’s equipment.

 

Desktop conferencing among two or more participants connected through the internetwork. Participants can use small video cameras on top of their computers and can view each other in windows on their monitor screens. Because the network can link participants in remote locations, desktop conferencing can substantially reduce travel costs and yield greater productivity for organizations. Desktop conferencing frequently includes the ability to work on shared applications such as electronic whiteboards.