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Real time communications: telephony and video (screen 18 of 20)
Internet telephony: call local, talk global
An area of the Internet which is expanding is in its use as a substitute telephone. You can use your computer as a telephone, talking into its microphone and hearing from its speakers. The voice quality is not very good, and you need to arrange calls with the other party in advance, but it does work.
You require 
special telephony software(1), and your computer needs a microphone and speakers.
The cost benefits can be enormous as you can use the Internet to make international calls for the cost of your local call to your ISP. Of course there's still the cost of your online time and if you're paying a high cost per hour for it, it may not be worth it.
The possibilities of Internet telephony are developing rapidly.
Videophone
A step up from the telephone is the videophone. With the right hardware (a small video camera and microphone) and software, and with sufficient bandwidth, two people can both see and hear each other over the Internet.
This technology is used already for video conferencing in business and in education, enabling business people and students to 'attend' presentations or lectures.
You could also use it to show someone on the other side of the globe a part of your exhibition, or even a single exhibit that you want some feedback about.
It could even be possible for aspiring actors to give auditions over the Internet.
The technology can be used also to send live video of a performance or exhibition out over the Internet (called a 'Netcast') for all to see, or allow people to sample your video holdings or to enable live Net broadcast of historical events, concerts and performances of various kinds.
Ask yourself this...
- What could real time communication do for my organisation?
- What services could I provide in real time over the Internet?
- What obstacles are there to creating a real time presence on the Internet?
- Why would my audience/clients want to use real time communication with me?
- What do I want from real time communication with other cultural organisations?
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References
- Telephony software http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Telephony/Software/
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