Videoconferencing, although it has been a well-developed technology for quite some time now, is just now being realized as a powerful communication tool. There are many reasons why companies are installing videoconferencing on an increasing basis. Over the past few years, worldwide availability of ISDN and other broadband networks has increased, as has the possibility to communicate over IP. Secondly, installation costs have decreased and standards have improved system interoperability allowing more users to experience the systems benefits.
             Videoconferencing in its most basic form is the transmission of video and audio back and forth between two or more physically separate locations. This is accomplished through the use of cameras (to capture and send video from your local endpoint), video displays such as TV monitors (to display video received from remote endpoints), microphones (to capture and send audio from your local endpoint), and speakers (to play audio received from remote endpoints). (1)
             The brain of this whole operation, or the equipment that actually handles the processing of all this information is called the CODEC (Coder/DECoder). The CODEC takes analog signals from the various pieces of equipment (most of them listed above), digitizes and compresses them, and sends them via a network connection (such as ISDN or IP) to other meeting locations. Similarly, it receives the same type of signal from other CODECs and reverses the process to display the visual images on monitors and deliver audio though speakers.
             As was first mentioned, videoconferencing actually began over a decade ago with the introduction of expensive group conferencing systems designed to send and receive compressed audio and video over network connections that could guarantee a dedicated rate of transmission and predictable service (i.e., point-to-point T1 or fractional T1 communication links, or switched connections using ISDN...