Topic: Video
Conference- Evolution and Future.[1]
1st year student, Lee Kong Chian School of
Business, Singapore Management University.
Executive Summary
Video conferencing
is such a technology, which enables people to communicate with each other,
face-to-face, without actually being present there. This paper consists of a
description of videoconferencing, its invention and the technology used in this
process.
Videoconferencing
has evolved and come a long way from its invention, and the development and
current use of it has been described further. The use of videoconferencing in
education, medical and business sectors has been discussed in detail.
Videoconference has environmental benefits as well; it helps to reduce the
emission of carbon footprints and various green house gases into the
environment by reducing the use of petrol and other polluting gases.
This paper also talks about the trends in the future of videoconferencing as well
as the various applications of this technology in the future. Various
developments are being made by researchers from different countries on how to
further enhance the process of videoconferencing, which makes the future of
videoconferencing sound very exciting and interesting.
Why I chose this topic
The concept of video
conferencing is a fascinating one as it has literally broken all barriers
between people. I am interested to see how this technology will help us further
down the road. In the present day, our lives are heavily dependent on
technologies. Some technology or the other influences every aspect of our
lives. In this paper, I would like to explore the role of video conferencing in
our lives and how this amazing invention can help to improve the standard of
our living.
Introduction
What is video conferencing?
‘Video
Conference is a conference in which participants in different locations are
able to communicate with each other in sound and vision’, as defined by the
Oxford Dictionaries. (Ref: Definition of videoconference in English). It allows audio and
video communication between people with the use of computer networks. Each
participant has a video camera, microphone and speakers mounted on his or her
computer or phones. Video conferencing allows three or more people to sit
together and communicate virtually, as if they were present in the same room.
It is sometimes called visual collaboration and it is a form of groupware. AT&T
deployed this intermediate form of videotelephony commercially in the United
States in the early seventies, as a part of their plan to develop Picturephone
Technology. (Videoconferencing, Wikipedia) Until the mid nineties, hardware costs made
videoconferencing pretty expensive, but with the introduction of relatively low
cost, high speed broadband services, complemented by powerful computing
processors and video compression techniques, video conferencing is making
successful development in various areas like medicine and education.
What is the technology used?
Videoconferencing
functions with the combination of a few different technologies; some are
hardware, while other software. Videoconferencing programs are a combination of
Web page tools and Internet communication, encompassed into one interface to
enable the establishment of an interactive meeting environment. Such tool are:
· ASP mark up, XML and HTML
· Java scripts,
· Instant messaging,
· Audio and video streaming. (Spencer, W. 2012)
Video
conferencing of the simplest kind just needs two people who have a computer,
each with an internet connection and a microphone, along with a webcam/digital
video camera and a video capture card.
Audio
and video input from the camera and the microphone are converted to digital
data. Videoconferencing depends a lot on the software. A lot of space and time
is taken to transfer Audio and Video data. Data is compressed using Software so
as to enable it to travel more quickly via ISDN (Integrated Services for
Digital Networks) lines, broadband Internet or WiFi. (Spencer, W. 2012)Once the
data reaches its final destination, it is decompressed so that it can be viewed
on a television screen/computer monitor and can be heard through speakers. The
Acoustic echo cancellation software is another important software that removes
sound interference and delays so that the audio and video are in sync.(Spencer,
W. 2012). This allows the parties to talk without distractions in real time.
Video
conferencing software can be purchased by itself, or the software and server
space can be provided by a hosting service.
Historical perspective
Invention
of videoconference
The invention of videoconferencing can be
traced back to the time, when the television was invented. Initially, it was
known as simple analog conferencing. It was a very simple system, comprising of
two closed circuit television systems connected by cable. German Reich
Postzentralamt (post office) video telephone network serving Berlin and several
German cities via coaxial cables between 1936 and 1940 was an example of the
simple analog conferencing. (Ref: Nefsis, Video conferencing history). In fact,
NASA used two radiofrequency UHF or VHF links, in both directions. (Ref:
Nefsis, Video Conferencing history). Such a system is still used by television
stations to report live from distant locations.
Videoconferencing was
introduced in 1964 in the World Fair in New York. (Ref: Nefsis, Video
Conferencing history). It was highly
futuristic and no one could even imagine that one day it would replace the
standard telephone. AT&T introduced the Picturephone a few years later, in
1970. (Ref:
Nefsis, Video Conferencing history). However, this Picturephone was impractical and cost the
consumers $160 per month for each fixed end point. However, when Ericsson
demonstrated its first trans-Atlantic LME video telephone call, companies saw
the immense scope for the success of this technology and began to develop their
own videoconferencing technology. (Ref: Nefsis, Video
Conferencing history)
The 1990’s saw the
development of the videoconferencing system due to several factors, like
technical advances in Internet Protocol, more efficient video compression
technologies allowing even desktop or PC based video conferencing. (Ref: Nefsis, Video
Conferencing history).
In 1991, DARTnet made
history in videoconferencing by successfully connecting a transcontinental IP
network, consisting of more than 12 research sites in the US and the UK using
T1 trunks. Another videoconferencing system that made history and altered and
impacted he future of commercial videoconferencing is CU-SeeMe, which ran on
Apple Macintosh and became available to the public in 1992. (Ref: Nefsis, Video
Conferencing history)
Figure 1-Global Schoolhouse students communicating via CU-SeeMe, with a video framerate between 3-9 frames per
second. Reproduced from Andres, Y. M. (1993)
High-speed Internet became
widely available at low prices by 2003. The cost of video captures and display
technology also decreased. The masses were able to afford web cams and PC’s
like laptops and notebooks became available at very low prices. Also, the
availability of free software from leading IM service providers made video
conferencing technologies more readily available to the consumers.
Current situation
Impact on society
Videoconferencing has
greatly enhanced communication and removed barriers all over the world. It is
an effective way to communicate when people cannot talk to each other face to
face. It helps in live virtual conversation. It has also helped in reducing the
cost of travelling and other expenses involved in long-distance communication.
Videoconferencing is such a technology that is readily available to people of
all different segments of society, due to the very low prices of laptops and
mobile phones and cheap, high-speed Internet. Videoconferencing is used in
various sectors of the economy like education, health, business etc.
Education
Videoconferencing has
changed the education sector in a huge way. It is used in education for
personal communication, collaborative work, presentations, research and so on.
It has helped bring students in distant areas, where in physical availability
of teachers is not available, in contact with teachers located at different
places. It also provides an opportunity for students to go on virtual tours to
different places, where travelling otherwise would be expensive and time
consuming. Students can effectively communicate with experts located in
different parts of the world and can obtain guidance and assistance, and can
also interview these experts and gain more knowledge about them without
actually meeting them. General education in most schools involves the learning
of new languages, which students can efficiently practice by communicating with
students in different countries. It helps to complement traditional teaching.
The students get to experience and understand what they have theoretically
learned. Students in California were given the chance to explore the facility
of NASA from the videoconferencing system in their school, as part of their
science and engineering project. (Horton, J. 2008). They were given a chance to
ask questions and observe the workings of NASA. Such a trip could not have been
possible without videoconferencing owing to heavy expenditure on travelling to
the NASA facility. (Horton, J. 2008)
Figure 2- A NASA
astronaut talks to students about being in a space station Atlantis. Reproduced
from Chowdhury, D. (2007)
Medical Field
Videoconferencing has
changed the medical world in miraculous ways. There has been a great increase
in demand for services of both public and private healthcare organizations
driven by change in demographic structure, aging population, greater awareness
among people of various diseases and their cures, need to access remote
populations from a centralized facilities. Videoconferencing enables doctors
and medical service providers to extend expensive and expert health care
services to people who cannot access it directly. It has greatly benefitted
hospitals by increasing their geographical coverage. It has increased
accessibility to such hospitals. A large proportion of the population lives in
the rural area and health care provided is not sufficient. Videoconferencing
provides an easy solution to such populations. Videoconferencing helps in
monitoring of patients. It is not possible for people to travel regularly to
the hospitals to get check ups done, especially if they are old.
Videoconferencing provides an easy solution to that by bringing the doctor to
the patient. All that is needed is a laptop or a cell phone. Videoconferencing
also helps in counseling and consultation of patients from the comfort of their
homes and from countries all over the world. A patient in Singapore can easily
consult a specialist or expert doctor anywhere in the world through a laptop.
Even though physical check up is not possible, the patient can still obtain the
opinions of such an expert, as the expert can easily see the patient’s
condition. Videoconferencing saves the patient a lot of trouble and money.
Lot of doctors raises
objections against videoconferencing, especially the ones who depend on
face-to-face consultations. Many doctors are old and are not particularly
technology friendly. They like to stick to the traditional ways. However once
these obstacles are overcome, videoconferencing has a tremendous potential to
grow further in the medical field.
Figure 3- Doctors
having discussions with other doctors through videoconferencing. Reproduced
from Sauer, S.
Businesses
Videoconferencing has
greatly helped small and middle-sized business owners in expanding their
business, increased exposure to new markets and compete with companies of
bigger size. These companies face the problem of understaffed IT departments
and are generally on tight operating budgets. (Ref: The business benefits of
videoconferencing). Videoconferencing has helped to overcome this problem. By
holding meetings through multipoint videoconferencing, the cost of travelling
and meeting expenses has been greatly reduced. Such small-scale companies can
effectively meet with potential customers through videoconferencing. They can
grow and develop without incurring any additional cost. The gas and petrol
prices are on a rise and videoconferencing will help to save on these costs.
Videoconferencing helps companies to achieve greater sales by enabling
communication with buyers from all around the world. It helps them to reap the
benefits of globalization. In today’s day and age, it is essential to have a
broad and wide customer base. Business companies can also take advantage of
outsourcing opportunities by holding online interviews with employees from
different countries, enabling them to obtain the most talented and the best
workers.
Videoconferencing also
helps to telecommute. This may help to improve employee productivity, as they
may feel more comfortable working from home. Also, work would not come to a
halt on days when travelling to the workplace maybe difficult or inconvenient
for the employee.
Environment
The need for small and
medium-sized businesses to become eco-friendly is growing. People are becoming
increasingly aware of the effects of global warming and pollution, and the
dangers it can create in the long run. It is essential for such businesses to adopt
greener methods of technology to appeal to the masses. It is also the corporate
social responsibility of businesses to give back to the society and the
environment by maintaining a healthy environment, free of pollution.
Videoconferencing makes this possible without impacting the productivity of the
business. It reduces the number of flights required for various meetings,
interviews and conferences. This leads to a reduction in the amount of carbon
footprints generated by companies. For example, 22.3 million tonnes of carbon
dioxide would be saved if 20% of business travel within Europe would be
replaced by videoconferencing. (Jones, F.)
Another environmental
benefit of videoconferencing is the reduced need and use of paper. If meetings
and classroom studies and discussions are conducted through videoconferences,
the amount of paper used up as notebooks, documents, contracts, prospectus and
so on, for these processes would be saved, leading to reduced cutting down of
trees. As a result, deforestation will decrease, and hopefully, we would move
towards a greener and cleaner environment. Also, the cost of producing paper in
factories and the pollution generated would be severely lessened, another step
to a sustainable and greener tomorrow.
Figure 4- Airline
expenditure is saved if videoconferencing is used. Reproduced from Capper, P.
(2006)
Military
The
military of the United States has also benefited from videoconferencing. It is
estimated that 1% of Americans are enlisted in the United States Armed Forces,
according to the CNN. (Ref: Military uses for conferencing technology). Videoconferencing enables all the soldiers,
away in foreign countries, to talk to their families. Seeing their loved ones
gives them comfort. Videoconferencing can also be used for briefing and giving
directions to the soldiers situated at various base camps from one head
quarter. In such cases, it is very difficult for the chief officials to move
around and instruct soldiers on policies and course for action to undertake.
The USAF is using videoconferencing efficiently to facilitate their functions.
(Ref: Military uses for conferencing technology).
Disadvantages
However, the current
videoconferencing system has some disadvantages too. The video conferencing
system can prove to be complex to operate. Users may find it difficult to
understand the procedure, especially those users who aren’t technology savvy.
There is also a lack of personal touch, as the people conversing cannot
understand each other’s environments and the other person’s situation. There is
a problem of time zones. It is very difficult to find a common and suitable
time, while holding meetings or conferences in two or more different parts of
the world. There is also the problem of unstable Internet connections.
Sometimes, in important meetings, there is a problem of getting disconnected, which
may cause irritation to both the parties, and
may lead to loss of business opportunities. Quality and expensive equipment is required to ensure such
problems do not occur.
In
videoconferencing systems like Skype, a certain charge is required to be paid
to enable conference calls. Though this charge is not too high, it still may
not be suitable or practical for a few companies. This may prove to be a
setback too.
Future Consideration
Trends in future
Mobile video
conferencing is the use of video conferencing technology on mobile phones,
smart phones, and tablets. Mobile video conferencing is an up and coming trend
in the world of videoconferencing. The sales of PC are on the decline, as the
popularity of these smart phones is rising. Apple has moved to 37 million
iPhones in the second quarter of 2013 while the Android OS phones sold a high
156 million devices in the next quarter. (Ref- What will the future of
videoconferencing looks like). The reason for the increasing popularity of
these smartphones is the convenient size; it can easily be carried around, as
compared to a PC or desktop. They provide practically the same kind of
benefits, as does a PC. Smartphones and tablets are here for the long run and
may soon replace PC’s in providing a better medium for videoconferencing.
The
change currently occurring in the industry, as evaluated by an August 2012
Forrester Wave report is that Videoconferencing technology is moving towards a
more affordable and efficient solution, because of an increase in the cost of
mobile video chat. People who make decisions in the IT sector now must compare
the value of cost and scalability as opposed to the value of realistic,
life-like quality. Moreover, they might want
to consider unified communications solutions, a form of cloud technology, as a
means to overcome the cost and skill barriers.(Ref: What will the future of
videoconferencing look like). The debate
on the future of videoconferencing will continue as long as there are new
solutions that offer unparalleled realism pitted against flexible mobile
solutions that lead to accessible video chat.
Future applications of video conferencing
Courts
and law enforcement agencies are also taking advantage of the videoconferencing
system’s multiple capabilities.Under a recently implemented video arraignment
system by the Madison County Sheriff’s Department of Mississippi, criminals are
allowed to appear before the judge without leaving the jail. (Ref: Courtrooms
use videoconferencing to cut costs). This system will cut labor as well as
transportation costs involved in transferring criminals. It will also improve
safety for officials while transporting prisoners and reduces the risk of the
prisoners escaping during transportation. Instances of video conferencing in
district courts in Detroit and Oakland were noted by a Homeland Security News
Article. The video arraignment project saved
approximately $8 million during the first five years of its implementation in Oakland.
(Ref: Courtrooms use videoconferencing to cut costs.). This may prove to be a
very beneficial step for courts if it works out well.
Another interesting
development in the application of videoconferencing is the one undertaken by
European researchers. They are trying to device such a telepresence
conferencing system that creates the impression that the communicators are
actually physically present. These researchers were inspired by the ‘Star Trek’
series that showed characters being physically transported from one location to
another. This led the researchers to start developing a “beaming’ system to
enhance telepresence communication. (Ref: what will the future of
videoconferencing look like.). EU Commission’s Community Research and
Development Information System (CORDIS) is in the midst of a four year plan to
combine robotics, cybernetics, neurology, and more to translate a person’s virtual
presence onto a physical avatar. Their aim is to develop an android stand that
provides the same kind of personal interaction as one would expect out of an
in-person meeting.CORDIS is also developing a system to recreate forms of
nonverbal communication and facial expressions for remote avatars.(Ref: what
will the future of videoconferencing look like.)
These plans, if they
succeed, will prove to be a new milestone in the development of
videoconferencing. It will add a much more personal touch to videoconferencing.
People would be able to project themselves in another place, while sitting on
their bed. The concept of virtual but
physical existence, and augmented reality is a fascinating one. However, this
may reduce face-to-face interactions between people. People would not like to
leave the comfort of their homes, and may become anti-social. At the end of the
day, nothing can surpass human interaction, which is real. So this development
has both advantages and disadvantages.
Despite these benefits
and advantages of videoconferencing, it is still difficult to predict the
widespread adoption of videoconferencing as a major mode of communication.
People’s unwillingness to use this technology will gradually fade away when
videoconferencing reaches a tipping point and becomes as common as switching on
the television, or writing an email. Videoconferencing needs to become more
accessible and a more convenient way to communicate to be adopted by people all
over.
The use and adoption
of this technology is being measure in terms of the units sold and the
availability in markets. However, it is important to measure the growth and
success of videoconferencing in terms of the hours and money saved by companies
on out-station meetings and conferences. It should be measured in terms of the
convenience it provides to teachers and students, who can teach and learn from
he vicinity of their homes and not incur difficulties in travelling. The
question is not whether videoconferencing will become a part of everyday life,
but rather when.
Conclusion
Videoconferencing is
an amazing innovation that has come a long way since it was first developed in
1964. It has broken all barriers of the world and helped in the process of
globalization by connecting people all across the world by means of a PC and
Internet connection. People in the rural areas are connected easily with people
in metropolitan cities. Initially, videoconferencing was possible only through
desktops and PC’s, but now it has evolved and is accessible through smart
phones, iPad’s, Tablets, projector screens and what not.
It is estimated that
the enterprise telepresence and videoconferencing equipment market will reach
5.4 billion by 2015. (Diana, A.). Videophone industry is the fastest growing
segment of the market with the strongest demand from North America, China,
India and Brazil. (Diana, A.)
Like most
technologies, videoconferencing has its pros and cons too. But the pros
outweigh the cons and hence, videoconferencing has emerged as an effective,
efficient, easy and cheap method of communication between people at different
parts of the world. It has been adopted by various segments of the country in
everyday proceedings. Many schools conduct classes through videoconferences,
major meetings take place over Skype, and now even courts are adopting this
technology for convenient and hassle-free legal proceedings. Videoconferencing
has immense scope for development and use by all. It may become the major mode
of communication between people in the future. All we have to do is wait and
watch!
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