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History of conferencing | WhichVoIP

Video conferencing, what is now called teleconferencing, has a long history. Video conferencing has been around since televisions were first created. Today, video conferencing has developed in new ways. These new developments have led to web-based conferencing.

Video conferencing started with the development of the television. It began as a closed-circuit, two point conference. People were at either end of the telephone/television and used a dedicated circuit to have a video conference with each other. The German postal service is the first known company to use video conferencing and they began in 1936.

From this early type of video conferencing, have come other types of two-way, closed-circuit video conferencing. Space agencies regularly use radio waves to have closed-circuit video conferences with their astronauts; this is how NASA talks to astronauts on the space station. In a similar manner, television stations use closed-circuit, two-way video conferencing to allow reporters in the field to speak with, and answer questions of, the reporters in the studios.

Conference History

After these early developments in videoconferencing, satellite link-ups were used. These satellite link-ups allowed point to point communication between two units. However, this technology was very expensive, and had the same results as videoconferencing. Additionally, satellite connections could not be used for business meeting, teleconferences, and telemedicine.

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Before 1990, video conferencing used expensive technology. This technology was not available to the general public. The technology often used analog signals that produced low-quality images and audio. With the advent of the Internet in the 1990’s, videoconferencing changed.

After 1990, video conferencing was still used for business meetings, telemedicine, and two-way connections. However, the technology available for video conferencing became more common, less exclusive, and less expensive. Instead of needing dedicated equipment to hold a video conference on a closed-circuit, video conference could now include multiple parties using normal, readily available equipment.

In 1995, the first public video conference took place. This was a video conference between North America and Africa which connected a fair in San Francisco with a party in Cape Town, South Africa. This was the first, public example of what video conferencing could accomplish with the new technology and infrastructure of the Internet.

With the long history of conferencing, it would seem that there is no where else to go. However, video conferencing has taken on a new life, due in most part to the Internet. Instead of merely using closed-circuit, two-way communications, video conferencing now can include multiple people doing many things. Some video conferencing technology allows you to share what is on your computer screen with the others logged into the conference, other video conferencing technology allows you to simultaneously edit documents with the video conferencing participants. New technology, especially readily available and affordable Internet plug-ins and computer platforms, has allowed video conferencing to reach new heights that were unimaginable in the history of conferencing.

With such a long history behind it, conferencing is sure to be around in the future.

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