PROSPECTS FOR VIDEO TELEPHONY

Noll overstates the case for the failure of video telephony, This pape r reviews research on the use of video in business and at home. Improv ements in algorithms, costs, standards and data transport are overcomi ng technological barriers. Recent field trials show sustained use of v ideo phones and the emergence of novel applications that extend the me dium beyond conventional interpersonal communication, Including the us e of video as data, to access multimedia services and to sustain organ izational awareness. In residential settings the dominant use of video telephony is likely to be for routine social calls, for which video i s especially suited.