More than any other aspect of computer technology, desktop audio/video conferencing is the most likely to bring the remaining 'dinosaurs' through the 21st century gateway to global connectivity. For families and individuals with friends and loved ones spread far and wide, the immediacy and intimacy of this type of communication offers an utterly compelling reason to hop on-line. For long-distance telephone consumers the financial savings potential presents a must-have demand that is far too easily accomplished to be delayed. Many talk of the future of communications - a time when we will be able to see as well as hear our telephone partners - but few realize that such a time is already here.

Right now, with a 28,8 modem, free and beta versions of audio conferencing software can be downloaded in 16 minutes or less. A ten dollar microphone gives you audio communications at the cost of a local telephone call. Go shopping this evening for a two hundred dollar 'eye-ball camera' and you can have a color video-phone-call this very night. It's almost too simple and cost-saving not to do.

The feature that all of the audio and video products and packages share is the technology of Internet telephony. The primary goal of these systems is to provide simultaneous (real-time) communications through voice audio at a minimum and through smooth full-motion color video at the ideal. The Internet has already been shown to allow simultaneous text communications through 'chat-rooms, MOOs, MUDs and bulletin boards'. The following are features offered by many conferencing packages that apply Internet telephony technology.

Full Duplex voice communication operation with automatic voice detection - allows two or more people to talk simultaneously over the Internet, just like over a regular phone, reminiscent of a 'party line' conversation.

Text Chat tools let speakers type in their contributions even while they or someone else is speaking. Chat text transmission ensures delivery of the speaker's exact words and gives all participants a written record of the proceedings.

Streaming Video exchange allows real-time viewing of conversation partners. The quality of the moving images depends upon the speed of the connection, but since video conferencing generally entails seated people viewing other people who are also seated in front of their computer monitors, the amount of action is minimal. The movie, therefore, appears smooth and natural. Facial expressions and gestures can be transmitted in sync with the audio. Most importantly, video communication allows the participants to see when their partners are busy typing, or looking away from the monitor, etc., which saves the constant questioning: "are you still there?"

Whiteboard Sharing allows users to collaborate on a single worksheet with text tools, drawing tools and other graphic media.

File Transfer through an Internet telephony system means that the sender can immediately verify receipt of the transferred files and objects. Participants can send each other graphics, sound files, executable files, code, etc., while still in voice/video contact.

Application sharing means that users can share software programs even when only one of the participants actually has that application installed on their computer. This features enables participants to surf the Internet in tandem when one user acts as the leader.

Using the Internet for any and all functions of a normal telephone includes real-time synchronous audio, answering machine, speed dial, caller ID, call forwarding, automatic dialing, voice mail, etc., and it combines those capabilities with video, graphic, text and other data transfer protocols. Few of the existing conferencing packages strive to achieve all of those results, but between them, the complete technology is already in use and functioning well.

Two of the premier applications for A/V conferencing are NetMeeting from Microsoft and Internet Phone from Vocaltec. They are considered premier not just because they have big parent companies, but because of the range of features they offer and the ease with which those features may be integrated with other (existing and coming) applications and hardware. A third product, Internet PhoneJACK from Quicknet is a hardware package included as premier because it allows existing telephone equipment to be adapted for new techological functions.

• NetMeeting What Microsoft offers, as a telephony service provider, is a small network, or huge Intranet, if you will (WAN), that callers dial into and log-on to one of the many interconnected mail-servers. Connected callers may then speak, see and share applications in pairs or in large group conferences. Their software, NetMeeting provides full duplex audio, video and text chat conferencing for private, pair and group meetings. Whiteboard and full application sharing capabilities expand the usefulness of this application to nearly any field or function.

• Internet Phone Release 4 for the PC. Like Netmeeting, the features of Vocaltec's Internet Phone include text chat, file exchange, real-time document sharing and audio/video streaming. Unique features include:
• Voice Mail to get in touch with others who are off-line.
• Cross-Platform Capabilities lets Macintosh and PC users talk to one another.
• All the amenities of a full-featured phone; Call Holding, Call Waiting, Muting, Blocking, Caller I.D., Call Screening, and Directory Assistance Direct Calling.
• Animated Assistant brings the screen to life and lets you know whats going on every step of the way.
• Automatic Voice Activation optimizes voice transmission quality automatically, maximizing the performance of each call.

Release 5 (August 1997) adds the very attractive feature of "PC to Phone" capability. That means the software user can call any phone number in the world and have real-time conversation with a user of a simple telephone. (Yes, that means virtually free long-distance calls with only one party in possession of a computer.) Release 5 is available to download for a free 2-week trial. It's over 8 meg and it expires automatically.

• Quicknet is a software and hardware company focused on increasing the quality of internet telephone calls in addition to enabling businesses and individuals to reduce their long distance charges.
• Their product, Internet PhoneJACK, an inexpensive telephony card ($199), integrates with above mentioned software to allow your familiar phone to make and receive Internet phone calls. Plug a standard analog telephone, handset or headset into the Internet PhoneJACK and the audio portion of the Internet call is as private and quiet as a regular call. The attached telephone will ring when a call arrives and automatically launch a favorite Internet phone application when the handset is lifted. A microphone and speakers will turn a standard telephone call into a real-time teleconference at an Internet rate (i.e. local call price). If you are a home PC user with a single telephone line and modem, being able to receive regular calls via the Internet through PhoneJack means your regular phone line is open even while you are on-line.
• 'Hop-Off' Services Services that let you make a call to a regular telephone using the Internet are called "Hop-Off Services". When you use these with Internet PhoneJACK you can make a call from a normal phone to a normal phone using the Internet as your connection, bypassing all but the local phone service.

The following is an example of a Hop-Off service that integrates to create PC-to-Phone telephony.

• Net2Phone developed by IDT Corporation makes it possible to place domestic and international calls from a personal computer to any telephone in the world. Net2Phone enables any Internet user with a sound-equipped PC to initiate calls from a computer and transmit them over the Internet to IDT's central telephone switch. The switch instantly and automatically relays the call to its final destination - any telephone. Users are not limited to PC-to-PC technology which requires both parties to have access to multimedia equipped computers running identical software. It is no longer necessary for both parties to be online at the time of the call either by coincidence or pre-arrangement. Only the caller needs a PC with an Internet connection.

There are many products and packages that enable audio and/or video conferencing. Some of them provide necessary hardware (sound card, microphone, etc.) and some offer only the software that integrates with hardware presumably installed in the user's PC or workstation. Some systems operate as service providers which means that they route communications data through their own central switch. Here follows a list of software packages with descriptions of their unique features and capabilities.

• CoolTalk A Netscape Helper Application tool utilizing real-time audio and data collaborationfor the Internet. Full-duplex audio conferencing, chat tool and whiteboard sharing.

• Digiphone is the conferencing software designed to work with VideoTalk hardware to form a complete Internet telephony package. (see below)

• Intel Internet Video Phone Several products from Intel combine to provide an extensive integrated telecommunications environment especially suited to graphics, photo and video sharing: Intel Create-and-Share Phone pack contains hardware (digital imaging camera, video capture card, and 56,6 modem) along with software including the Intel Video-Phone. Features unique to this system involve collaborative creation and sharing of video and graphic imaging applications.

• Free Phone is an audio-conferencing tool for the Internet developed by members of the High-Speed Networking group at INRIA (video-conferencing) within the MERCI (Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration) project.

• FreeTel from FreeTel Communications High-quality sound audio conferencing. Text chat and file-transfer. The software is free if you will put up with advertising or $39.95 if you want to disable the ads.

• Gather Talk Multi-party voice conferencing support - GatherTalk supports private, point-to-point and group conferencing of up to 5 people using 28.8kbps modems and more through ISDN and LAN connections. All connections are direct and an asynchronous mixer is used to allow all people able to speak at anytime. Although Gather Talk does not currently support application sharing, it does have whiteboard and OLE sharing, chat and most recently (9/18/97) video conferencing. Beta versions are free to download for two-week trials and registered versions are inexpensive (2 licenses for $29.95).

• Internet Call From the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Internet CALL is a very easy-to-use Internet phone software supporting long distance calls without long distance call charges. Full-duplex/half-duplex support. Beta versions are free to download.

• IRIS Phone IRIS Phone emulates a normal phone call without long-distance charges. It does offer live video exchange, but at 28.8 bps it is only 5 fps. The real draw of this system is the range of telephonic features: Global white pages search, personal speed-dial phonebook, full-duplex real-time conversations, conversation recording, caller ID, photo and info display, answering machine, send and receive voice and video mail, accept a second call while conversing, Web based calling, and the telemarketer's joy, call queue with auto redial. Download for 2-week free trial or pay from $5 to $14 for registered licenses.

• Net Talk is a full commercial package of hardware and software creating a tightly controlled sound and audio communications system. It is mainly for music and sound engineering projects but it is included here because among all its other functions, the system provides full duplex audio-conferencing with a high degree of sound quality and control.

• PGPfone, which stands for Pretty Good Privacy Phone, is a software package that turns a computer into a secure telephone. It uses speech compression and strong cryptography protocols to offer real-time private, point-to-point telephone conversation via Internet or LAN connection. Beta versions are distributed by MIT and commercial versions are available through Phil's Pretty Good Privacy, Inc.

• PowWow offers a WAN for text chat and voice communications, text and graphic file transfer and synchronized web surfing. PowWow is free, and has the following unique features: text to speech, multiple private chat modes and a search engine for other users within the WAN based on geographic location, age, sex, profession, specific interests, and other profile information.

• VideoTalk is a complete video conferencing and Internet telephony package comprised of four major components - a plug and play video capture card; a color video camera; the DigiPhone software, and a mike and speaker handset that functions just like a traditional telephone receiver but is specially developed for use with Internet telephony systems. The unique and most impressive feature of this system is in the design for future adaptability. Although the system is packaged with all necessary components, it is compatible with all standards based conferencing equipment. The design resists obsolescence because it allows users and developers to add new software functionality and external hardware devices as they become available.

• ViewNet VS700S Series from Fujitsu and Latitude Communications offers MeetingPlace, a package of Windows NT-based graphic, audio and video presentation conference software that integrates with an organization's web server. Participants can schedule conferences and access conference recordings from any web browser. Special features include speaker-activated camera positioning which automatically directs the ViewNet’s pan/tilt/zoom camera to locate and focus on the conference speaker. ViewNet’s composite screen feature allows you to incorporate dynamic, real-time graphics (eg. character generator, digital photos, etc.) with a close-up view of a presenter, using a single monitor to deliver both context and communication.

• Virtual Offices is a service through which businesses, organizations and individuals can communicate as if it were "their own private intranet". The system provides live audio and full motion video conferencing, chat rooms, message bases, etc. Virtual Office's unique feature is the ability to adjust the video image size. Service membership is free when you fill out an application and the 4 meg. interface software is also free to download. Setup is very simple.

While the above list represents a myriad of ways to use Internet telephony for conference and private communications, it also represents the infancy of the technology. Nearly every system relies on its participants being joined into an Intranet or WAN or to be linked through a central switching server. Most of the assorted products offer equivalent features but, rather than attempt a joint effort at standardization, each product is jockying to be in the most popular position when the field gets narrowed down. No two software applications will, as yet, 'talk' to one another. Since most of the applications are offered free or at minimal expense, it is an easy matter to make a connection through any system, but without a common protocol for audio/video transmission, the participants must agree on a single system and restrict their 'telephone books' to users who possess the same conferencing packages. It is inevitable that, with such technology available, the telephone and the Internet will become irreversably entwined. A caller will be able to initiate communication from a telephone, a workstation, a PC, a laptop, a cellular phone, or some as-yet-to-be-invented device and to send and receive live or delayed audio, video, text, graphic or other data transmissions restricted only by the hardware at the participant's end and not by the network through which the data is sent. At that time, Internet telephony will be able to stand and make its first real steps toward the maturity of communications technology.