| The purpose of the Encyclopedia of Multimedia Technology and Networking is to offer a written
compendium of human knowledge related to the emerging multimedia digital metamarket.
Multimedia technology, networks and online interactive multimedia services are taking advantage of a
series of radical innovations in converging fields, such as the digitization of signals, satellite and fibre optic
based transmission systems, algorithms for signal compression and control, switching and storage devices,
and others, whose combination has a supra-additive synergistic effect.
The emergence of online interactive multimedia (OIM) services can be described as a new technological
paradigm. They can be defined by a class of new techno economic problems, a new pool of technologies
(techniques, competencies and rules), and a set of shared assumptions. The core of such a major shift in the
evolution of information and communications services is the service provision function. This shirt occurs even
if the supply of an online interactive multimedia service needs a wide collection of assets and capabilities
pertaining also to information contents, network infrastructure, software, communication equipment and
terminals. |
