Trends in multimedia applications and the network models to support them

Leading corporations and federal agencies are beginning to recognize the great potential of multimedia applications. IBM and Apple have announced major commitments to develop equipment and software for multimedia applications. Current trends in multimedia applications are examined. A summary of the network implications in view of broadband ISDN (B-ISDN) is included. Multimedia database systems; audio, video, and graphics multimedia mail; teleconferencing; video extension to the X window (VEX); and an audio server under development at Olivetti Research Center (VOX) are outlined. Handling multimedia requests, distributed computing and shared resources, media conversion, and issues of network design are discussed.<
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