In the 1920's the telephone was but a few years old, and still considered a rich man's tool. Widespread use of the telephone would not come about until some time in the 1930's, and still the hunger for more and better technology existed. It was in the 1920's that the idea to develop a telephone that could see came about. Although not advanced enough, technology had embarked upon its course to bring the world together, and diversify the human race by way of the satellite.
             In the 1930's the first videoconference took place in New York City. The conference took place using photocells instead of television and participants spoke through microphones in sound and lightproof booths. Then in 1964 AT&T introduced the first digital telephone at the World's Fair in New York. Now, it was off to the races as foreign countries began to develop their own picture phones. LM Ericsson, of Sweden created a product which offered better resolution than AT&T's picture phone. LME also used the phone for the first transatlantic demonstration in 1971. There were three French companies who also made the Vistaphone. Then in Japan Hitachi, Toshiba, and Fujitsu developed videophones of their own.
             In the 1990's with the widespread use of the Internet the information age began to manifest itself to the human race by way of the same. With the pioneering spirit of Microsoft's Bill Gates the world was connected through a medium that many had never dreamed of, much less believed could be true.
             During this time Picturetel had developed a technology improving picture quality at a reduced cost. This was just what videoconferencing needed in order to become used widespread in the world market. The costliness of videoconferencing had been eliminated as more large corporations could afford it now. Before the only way to take advantage of this technology was to lease a room from someone who could afford the equipment and h...