Telecommunication & Networking

1. Telecommunication & Networking Rashedul Hasan

2. What is it? • Telecommunication is the transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. • telecommunication typically involves the use of electronic transmitters such as the telephone, television, radio or computer.

3. Copy of Alexander Graham Bell’s original telephone

4. Different usages • In cities throughout the world, home owners use their telephones to organize many home services ranging from pizza deliveries to electricians. • In Bangladesh's Narshingdi district, isolated villagers use cell phones to speak directly to wholesalers and arrange a better price for their goods. • In Cote d'Ivoire, coffee growers share mobile phones to follow hourly variations in coffee prices and sell at the best price.

5. Application • Video conferencing & Video phone • Conference call • Telecommuting & virtual office.

7. videoconference • A videoconference is a set of interactive telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously. It has also been called visual collaboration. • It differs from Video Phone in that it is designed to serve a conference rather than individuals.

8. Video conferencing • Is the use of television video and sound technology as well as computers to enable people in different location to see, hear and talk with one another. • For a video conference, equipments can be set up on people’s desk, with a camera and microphone to capture the person speaking and monitors and speakers for the person being spoken to.

9. Dual plasma display videoconferencing system. The screen on the left is primarily used to show people during the conference or the user interface when setting up the call. The one on the right shows data in this case but can display a 2nd 'far site' in a multipoint call.

10. Video Phone

11. President George W. Bush conducting a video conference at a Air Force Base

12. Components required for a VTC system include: • Video input : video camera or web cam • Video output: computer monitor , television or projector • Audio input: microphones • Audio output: usually loudspeakers associated with the display device or telephone • Data transfer: analog or digital telephone network, LAN or Internet

13. There are basically two kinds of VTC systems: • Dedicated systems have all required components packaged into a single piece of equipment, usually a console with a high quality remote controlled video camera. • Desktop systems are add-ons to normal PCs, transforming them into VTC devices. A range of different cameras like web cam and microphones can be used with the board, which contains the necessary codec and transmission interfaces.

14. Useful in Business when….. • a live conversation is needed; • meetings on short notice. • visual information is an important component of the conversation; • the parties of the conversation can't physically come to the same location; or • Time and money that used to be spent in traveling can be used to have short meetings.

15. Advantages for business • Video Conferencing Increases Productivity • Improves Communication • Video Conferencing Saves Time • Video Conferencing Saves Money • Improves Effectiveness

16. Video Conferencing Increases Productivity • The ability to be in several places at once without leaving your office is the prime advantage of video conferencing. Managers will be able to keep in closer contact with customers. This closeness will lead to new ideas on how to speed up the development of new products and services.

17. Improves Communication • During a videoconference you can see the facial expressions and body language of conference participants. These are both important aspects of communication that are lost with a basic telephone call. • From the customer’s perspective, the only person ever seen is the salesperson from your company. Wouldn’t it improve your business relationship with your best customers if they got to meet more of your internal employees?

18. Video Conferencing Saves Time • Videoconferencing lets you put together a meeting of various people, from different locations, for a common discussion. Participants can be across the country or on the other side of the globe. For example, you can have sites in London, New York and Tokyo, all with multiple personnel, participate in the same videoconference. Otherwise you have to go physically the above mentioned three cities.

19. Video Conferencing Saves Money • There are, however, numerous situations where you can save a lot of money on airfare and hotel costs, not to mention saving the loss in productivity from being out of the office.

20. Improves Effectiveness • We all know that "a picture is worth a thousand words." • A live video call is much more effective than a phone call in many situations. For example, your engineering staff needs to show one of your vendors a problem with a purchased component. Visually seeing the part during a videoconference is far more effective and meaningful than trying to describe it over the phone.

21. Impact on education • faculty member keeps in touch with class while away for a week at a conference • guest lecturer brought into a class from another institution • researcher collaborates with colleagues at other institutions on a regular basis without loss of time due to travel • faculty member participates in a thesis defense at another institution • faculty committee auditions a scholarship candidate • student interviews with an employer in another city • Connects educational facilities worldwide for distance learning and employee training

22. Impact on medicine and health • Videoconferencing is a very useful technology for telemedicine and telenursing applications, such as diagnosis, consulting, transmission of medical images, etc. Using VTC, patients may contact nurses and physicians in emergency or routine situations, physicians and other paramedical professionals can discuss cases across large distances. Rural areas can use this technology for diagnostic purposes, thus saving lives and making more efficient use of health care money. • Special peripherals such as microscopes fitted with digital cameras, video endoscopes, medical ultrasound imaging devices etc., can be used in conjunction with VTC equipment to transmit data about a patient.

23. Problem • Appearance Consciousness: The problem with videoconferencing is that one is on camera, with the video stream possibly even being recorded. The burden of presenting an acceptable on-screen appearance is not present in audio-only communication. • Research found that the addition of video camera actually impaired communication, possibly because of the consciousness of being on camera.

24. Problem • Quality of service: In some countries it is difficult or expensive to get a high quality connection that is fast enough for good-quality video conferencing. • Technologies such as ADSL have limited upload speeds and cannot upload and download simultaneously at full speed. • As Internet speeds increase higher quality and high definition video conferencing will become more readily available.