In recent years rapid Internet growth has pushed the development of new multimedia applications in all aspects of life such as entertainment, communication, collaborative work and electronic commerce. Future applications will make use of different technologies like voice, data and video, but in order to make such a wide variety of multimedia applications successful, a number of technology and management issues must be addressed. Multimedia Networking: Technology, Management and Applications addresses the dynamic and efficient uses of resources ? a fundamental aspect of multimedia networks. Geared toward professionals, educators and students alike, this exciting new book will detail current research and the future direction of multimedia networking.

The transportation of multimedia over the network requires timely and errorless transmission much more strictly than other data. This had led to special protocols and to special treatment in multimedia applications (telephony, IP-TV, streaming) to overcome network issues. This book begins with an overview of the vast market combined with the user’s expectations. The base mechanisms of the audio/video coding (H.26x etc.) are explained to understand characteristics of the generated network traffic. Further chapters treat common specialized underlying IP network functions which cope with multimedia data in conjunction which special time adaption measures. Based on those standard functions these chapters can treat uniformly SIP, H.248, High-End IP-TV, Webcast, Signage etc. A special section is devoted to home networks which challenge high-end service delivery due to possibly unreliable management. The whole book treats concepts described in accessible IP-based standards and which are implemented broadly. The book is aimed at graduate students/practitioners with good basic knowledge in computer networking. It provides the reader with all concepts of currently used IP technologies of how to deliver multimedia efficiently to the end user.

A comprehensive resource on multimedia communications. Covers recent trends and standardization activities in multimedia communications, such as layered structures, underlying theories and the current best design techniques. Describes the convergence of various technologies including communications, broadcasting, information technology, and home electronics, and emerging new communication services and applications resulting from the growth of the Internet and wireless technologies. Please go to www-ee.uta.edu/dip for additional information.

Advances in multimedia communication systems have enhanced the need for improved video coding standards. Due to the inherent nature of video content, large bandwidths and reliable communication links are required to ensure a satisfactory level of quality experience; inspiring industry and research communities to concentrate their efforts in this emerging research area. Multimedia Networking and Coding covers widespread knowledge and research as well as innovative applications in multimedia communication systems. This book highlights recent techniques that can evolve into future multimedia communication systems, also showing experimental results from systems and applications.

We are living in a world of mobile multimedia. The field of mobile computing and multimedia is expanding in an unprecedented pace. Indicators are the rapidly increasing penetration of the smart phones and other mobile devices market around the world, which is growing nearly twice as fast as the desktop market. Mobile multimedia is the set of protocols and standards for multimedia information exchange over wireless networks. It enables information systems to process and transmit multimedia data to provide the end user with services from various areas, such as the mobile working place, mobile entertainment, mobile information retrieval, user-generated content and context based services. Innovations in Mobile Multimedia Communications and Applications: New Technologies provides an in-depth coverage of next-generation mobile computing paradigm, including mobile wireless technologies, mobile services and applications, and research and development challenges surrounding backend systems, network infrastructure, and mobile terminals including smart phones and other mobile devices.

"This book offers an in-depth explanation of multimedia technologies within their many specific application areas as well as presenting developing trends for the future"--Provided by publisher.

Forecasting is one of the most important activities that form the basis for strategic, tactical, and operational decisions in all business organizations. Recently, neural networks have emerged as an important tool for business forecasting. There are considerable interests and applications in forecasting using neural networks. This book provides for researchers and practitioners some recent advances in applying neural networks to business forecasting. A number of case studies demonstrating the innovative or successful applications of neural networks to many areas of business as well as methods to improve neural network forecasting performance are presented.