Video conferencing tools such as CuSeeMe[HREF 6] have utilised Kline's work to develop a program capable of providing audio visual conferencing over the Internet from personal computers. Discussions to provide CuSeeMe as a helper application to various web browsers was made public with calls for help in the development of a self launching MIME.
The possibility of a live audio and video session at a Web address is sure to come to fruition in the next few months. The challenge for the Internet community is how to best utilise this new opportunity. For businesses, one question is how to best capitalise on live audio and visual possibilities afforded by recent advances in desktop conferencing technology. This paper reviews the impact of new technologies on the Internet, the use of the Web as medium for live AV sessions, and possible applications of live AV on the Web by businesses and institutions.
While the facility for having a full "real time person" experience, eg. full live audio and visual, on the Web is not yet available, the ability to see and hear recorded images and sound boosts the viability of the Web and the Internet in the eyes of many. Entrepreneurial businesses were quick to pick up on the potential of instantaneous and on call multimedia presentations available to a steadily growing WWW population. Richard Shaffer, former technology writer for the Wall Street Journal and now the president of Technologic Partners a leading technology consulting firm in the United States explained the present situation with industry and the Internet during a recent interview while in Sydney, "1994 was the year corporations got hip to the Internet, to the information super highway, and this year may be the year they get wise.". Shaffer went on to say, "It's [the Internet/Web] the largest possible computer market, and it will have enormous opportunities for companies of every size in the computer business and elsewhere." (Shaffer, 1995). How can businesses make the most of this great opportunity? The key to the greatest successes may lie with the ability to overcome the impersonal side of computing by offering a "realtime person experience" (RPE) over the Internet through links afforded by the WWW.
In August 1993, a break through for RPE exchanges took place with the arrival of a desktop AV conferencing tool named CuSeeMe. Created by Cornell University's Tim Dorcey on a team lead by Dick Cogger, CuSeeMe opened the door for millions of personal computer users and industries to utilise point to point and conference mode RPE's over the Internet. Originally developed on the Macintosh platform, CuSeeMe moved across to IBM compatible platform in early 1994. Since its inception CuSeeMe provides an option for AV RPE's over the Internet. Early versions of this AV technology left a lot to be desired for picture and sound quality. However, for the first time a low cost alternative for point to point or group AV conferencing from the desktop computer was available.
Early versions of CuSeeMe software lacked sound capabilities, a problem solved by the latest versions available for alpha (Windows) and beta (Macs) testing. The ability to send sound over the Internet at the personal computer level came to fruition for Macintosh users by Charlie Kline's audio program Maven and more recently with the appearance of the Electric Magic Company's Netphone[HREF 7]for Macintoshes. CuSeeMe's developers combined Kline's audio capabilities with their video program to produce an Internet AV tool for personal computer users. Versions of CuSeeMe compatible for use with IBM/Windows platforms have been developed with recent alpha versions of the software providing audio capabilities. Audio for Windows based machines through a program called IPhone[HREF 8], the Internet Phone developed by Vocaltec provides IBM(TM) compatible users the benefits of real time audio over the Internet. Both Netphone and IPhone use protocols that are system specific, eg they can only communicate to other machines utilising the same system.
The recent alpha version of CuSeeMe allows the exchange of both audio and visuals across platforms (Caillet, 1995[HREF 9]). Ubique's Virtual Places Web navigating software "Doors"[HREF 10], has built in audio conferencing capabilities at this point confined to MBONE and Windows versions, with a Macintosh version scheduled for release later in the year. Where AV over the Internet was once limited to a few institutions with large AV equipment budgets, today's users are directly accessing AV capabilities with their personal computers and browser software.
Given the ability to communicate in various mediums, text, visuals, audio, and video over the Internet, the progression of live AV empowering technologies to the Web is inevitable. In a world that is rapidly changing, the Internet and the Web appear to be leading the way toward the future of communication between organisations, communities and RPE's via desktop computers. This evolution in the communication process and how people will be communicating in the near future should be setting off warning bells to business and industry alike. In both cases there are opportunities and threats to contend with if the future is to be one of harmony and success.
Current uses of the Web by business and institutions see home pages providing information and links to files and services for the public at large. Links to various Web sites provide a variety of electronic mediums for use by the public including the down loading of images, movies, and audio files. Most links currently on the Web do not require or support the use of realtime applications other than a few experimental sites. With the arrival of realtime AV on the Internet, the Web and millions who use the Internet have an opportunity to change the way they communicate and do business. According to the Wall Street Journal "Desktop videoconferencing systems are expected to grow by 100,000 this year and 300,000 next year. It will be the CD-Rom of 1996".
Imagine the possibilities of a global virtual mall [HREF 11], with specialty shops in every country. Customers can browse the aisles, find a product of interest, consider purchasing the item, but there is a nagging question as to the availability of the product and resistance to commit to an order over the net. At this point the current Virtual Mall falls down in personal service or RPE as noted earlier. With new AV capabilities available on the Web, a click of the button could allow a "realtime person" to answer questions, provide reassurance that the business is legitimate, and take the order if necessary. Don't want to browse the mall? Call the supplier direct, click on the customer service button to get a RPE by way of a company representative, to help locate the item or provide technical or warranty service "on line".
The concept of an AV on line provision of service could take on various forms. A virtual auction, with realtime audio video coverage of items on the auction block or interactive electronic software training sessions while sitting at a remote workstation. The idea of desktop meetings is a possibility as is the idea of shared classrooms when linked to Web sites that utilise live AV links on their home page. Universities, already active in promoting coursework and institutional images through the Web, can take the concept a step further by providing direct links to lectures or lecturers via home pages. The use of AV applications to support innovative teaching over distance has been proven by the Global School House project [HREF 12]and NASA Select TV[HREF 13] and was a key feature in a recent Merrow Report shown on the U.S. Public Television Broadcasting System.
Entrepreneurial businesses have tested the waters of interactive AV over the Internet and via the Web. Special events such as a recent Rolling Stones concert made available for broadcast over the Internet marked the beginnings of wide scale audio broadcasts to net. The idea of the Internet as a source of revenue for AV based events was quickly seized upon by Eden Matrix [HREF 14], a US based company that recently provided live coverage of a sporting event held in Houston, Texas. The pay to view event was accessible to Internet users world wide, providing Eden with a potential viewing market of millions. CNN, the U.S. Cable News Network, announced live access to their news broadcasts, enhanced by hypertext links to allow selection of the news bulletins to viewed. ( Higgins, 1995)
Radio stations and commercial broadcasters now have the option of providing pay to hear/view or free to air coverage of important events or broadcasts of their programs. (See KJKC, WXYC and or in Australia TripleM [HREF 15]). For organisations advertising with virtual broadcasters, advertising coverage crosses national boundaries and potentially covers the globe. As AV technologies become more common and useable, organisations entering the global market should find barriers to trade, created by distance and access to local markets in distant locations, overcome by use of the Internet and the Web. A recent interview the director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's media lab pointed out that by the year 2000 more people will be navigating the net than will be watching television. The Webs' growth at 10% per week makes it a bigger invention than the printing press when considering distribution of information and materials. The ability to transfer cash in digital formats via secure electronic methods and the shrinking of the globe through better communications systems could see the end of the need to maintain a presence in many global locations by large multinational companies (Higgins, 1995). Through commerce on the Web cottage industries worldwide could literally become international companies without becoming multinational.
While the masses are embracing this technology there are hiccoughs along the way to full realisation of AV possibilities on the Web. Bandwidth restrictions due too low carrying capacity of links utilised can cause whole networks to crash, links to "melt" under the strain and in general ...for people to become more than a little bit agitated. North America with access to reasonable flat rate ISDN lines, commercial providers, and cable networks all offering Internet network services at minimal cost, have set the pace for an expanding Web. With infrastructures to support high volume transfers of data, North American users are well positioned to seize pole position in the business race to provide full AV services on the Web. A criticism of many for the use of AV technologies on the Internet stems from the excessive use of bandwidth by these technologies. The ones making the most noise about the use of AV on the Internet are those without adequate bandwidth, unfortunately the case in most of Australia.
Contrast Australia's situation with the U.S.'s where "For US $12/month I can run a 28.8 modem around the clock. For US $200/month I can run 128 KB [Internet connection via a flatrate ISDN] around the clock." (Sattler, 1995 [HREF 16]). A recent article in the Australian reported that ISDN services can be purchased in North America for as little as US $23.00 per month (Robotham, 1995). The Australian version of ISDN available through Telecom is certainly no bargain when compared to North American costings. At A$4.35 per hour (Robotham, 1995), the charge for Australian businesses to maintain a live "round the clock" ISDN line is about A$3200.00 per month, plus monthly line charges. With the technology at their finger tips, North American businesses will use AV technologies to sell products, support clients, and provide services at home and away. If Australian businesses are going to compete in a global economy that has embraced AV technologies, some innovative marketing and sales plans are required to recoup the cost of competing in a market that has a 10-1 price differential for accessing the global village. This may be the ultimate test for businesses in the "clever country".
Johnston, C. 1995, Meet the global venue - Video adds new angle to academic conferences, Campus Review 16-22 March 1993, page 13-14
Merrow Report, Computers in Education, U.S. Public Broadcasting System, January 1995.
Robotham, J. 1995, Blasting the speed bumps, The Australian , 21 March 1995, page 37-40.
Shaffer, R. 1995, Industry guru predicts this year's winners, The Australian - PC Buyers Guide, 7 March 1995, page 8.
Wall Street Journal 8 February 1995, page B6
AusWeb95 The First Australian WorldWideWeb Conference