Towards Computer Supported Audio Conferencing

Audio conferencing is only efficient if the right tools are used and if the flow of task-inherent work processes is not disturbed by unsuited technology. Therefore, we suggest to structure the original task into two asynchronous preparation phases, one without and one with a link to the audio conference. This is followed by the actual conference and the assessment phase, which ends one itineration of processing the original task. The object-oriented audio conference software is written in C/C++ and runs on Sun workstations under SunOS 5.3 The audio mixing part is based on IBM compatible PCs running DOS. The PCs are equipped with ISDN interfaces, an analogue telephone interface, a digital signal processor board, and Ethernet interface cards allowing network access over TCP/IP. The audio conferencing service can be fully accessed and controlled over the Internet. The system is realizable with existing low-cost workstation technology, but still provides a good audio conference signal and a user-friendly interface.