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DATACONFERENCING
Dataconferencing, also known as document conferencing or audiographics, is an extension of todays 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
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Standard
| Description
| Status (as of 1/8/96)
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H.320
| An umbrella standard that covers audio, video, videoconferencing, graphics, and multipoint
| Ratified
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H.221
| Frame structure for a 64 to 1920K bps channel in audiovisual teleservices
| Ratified
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H.230
| Frame-synchronous control and indication signals for audiovisual systems
| Ratified
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H.231
| control unit for audiovisual services using digital channels up to 2M bps
| Ratified
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H.233
| Confidentiality systems for audiovisual services
| Ratified
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H.242
| System for establishing communication between three or more audiovisual terminals using digital channels up to 2M bps
| Ratified
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H.243
| Procedures for establishing communication between three or more audiovisual terminals using digital channels up to 2M bps
| Ratified
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H.261
| Video code for audiovisual services at P × 4K bps
| Ratified
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G.711
| 3.1 kHz at 48, 5, and 64K bps (normal telephony)
| Ratified
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G.722
| 7 kHz at 48, 56, and 64K bps
| Ratified
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G.728
| 3.1 kHz at 16K bps
| Ratified
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T.120
| Another umbrella standard for dataconferencing and works either inside H.320 or independently
| Draft
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T.121
| Generic application template: a guide for data conferencing and works either inside H.320 or independently
| Draft
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T.122
| Multipoint communication services (MCS) for audiographic and audiovisual systems
| Ratified
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T.123
| Protocol stacks for audiographic and audiovisual teleconference applications
| Ratified
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T.124
| Generic conference control (GCC): The application protocol supporting reservations and basic conference control services for multipoint teleconferences
| Ratified
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T.125
| MCS: Protocol specification
| Ratified
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T.126
| Collaborative data sharing, including whiteboard image sharing, graphic display information, and image exchange
| Ratified
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T.127
| Multipoint binary file transfer
| Ratified
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T.128
| Audio video control: high-level control protocols for the multimedia meeting
| Draft
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Source: IMTC, Inc.
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Dataconferences require an audioconference to allow discussion of the documents and changes viewed on the computer monitors.
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