–AP Wire–
–Artificial Press Intentional–

In the 1970′s, the press was full of the promise of video phones.  The technology had been developed, and was expected to become inexpensive and practical.  The problem was, at the time, consumers were insufficiently motivated to rent the more expensive phones, and AT&T, then essentially the sole provider of telephone service to the United States, decided not to risk the infrastructure investment.

With the recent surge in VOIP (Voice Over IP) usage, to the point where large phone companies are offering the service, further standardization of practices already common on the Internet is to be expected.  Just as VOIP grew from computer hobbyists who would “voice chat” using their sound cards and chat programs into a shrink-wrapped, standardized technology incorporating standard analogue telephones, the next step, sending audio-visual content over the Internet, may also grow from home-based technologies already in use.

The “webcam” is the next device the big telecommunication companies hope to standardize into a mass-market product.  These inexpensive video cameras are commonly used with Internet chat programs by users who now need considerably less computer savvy than early VOIP users.  Webcams generally have no audio capabilities, but some users will have their webcams and voice chat going at the same time.  The current standardization effort will be aimed at combining existing VOIP technology with webcam technology, again using a shrink-wrapped device that stands between a broadband network portal and a computer.  As with current VOIP devices, the computer will not need to be on for the user to make and receive calls.  Enhanced features, such as larger video and image capture, will generally be available via USB connection to a computer.  A computer will be required for the use of these features, which will vary with the hardware and software providers.

The devices will vary, but the protocol, dubbed Audio-Visual Over Network (AVON), is already developed and in limited use for corporate teleconferencing.  AT&T plans to make AVON available to consumers as early as the third quarter of 2008, and AOL/Time Warner plans a proprietary offering with AOL Broadband.  AOL has used the same voice recordings to announce system events (such as the famous “You’ve got mail!” announcement)  since their start in the early 1990′s, and they’ve added one new voice recording by the same voice-over artist, in the year 2000, announcing “You’ve got pictures.”  It is unclear at this point whether or not they will use the same artist again for their newest announcement, “AVON calling!”

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 16th, 2007 at 1:20 PM and is filed under Finished Works. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.