Video Communications The Whole Picture Author:James R. Wilcox, David Gibson Video communications has long been hailed as the next big technology, but it has been plagued by the shortcomings of proprietary videoconferencing systems and unmet promises of futurists such as the picture phone. Now, the growth in availability of IP communication networks has opened up the practical use of video communications in a tremendous ... more »array of applications, including desktop collaboration, training, college recruiting, hiring, finance, justice, distance learning, telemedicine, and more. In Video Communications, the authors detail how the proliferation of IP networks has driven quality improvements and cost savings in video, and has forced service providers and equipment vendors to pay more than just lip service to their ability to deliver video. Case studies demonstrate how businesses enable communications via videoconferences with broadcast quality reception. The book also provides background on the history of video communications and why balky ISDN systems have never been able to deliver on the promise of videoconferencing. The book includes extensive coverage of the mobile video revolution, as video communications and collaboration become practical with smartphones, PDAs, and IP-enabled phones over broadband networks such as GSM, EVDO, and WiMAX.« less