Multimedia Products and Services

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MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTS AND SERVICES


E R I K

N O E L

B E R N A D E T T E

E R I K A

R O B E R T

N E I L

STUDENT

INFO

M A E

F R U T O

G A L I M B A

G U A Z O N

G U E V A R R A


TABLE OF

CONTENTS 3 5 8 9 11 17 23 35

W H A T

I S

M U L T I M E D I A ?

I N V E S T I G A T I N G M U L T I M E D I A

E V A L U A T I N G

P R O D U C T S

M U L T I M E D I A

P R O D U C T S

T H E

M U L T I M E D I A

D I F F E R E N T

A S P E C T S

M U L T I M E D I A

T H E

E X P E R I E N C E

S E R V I C E S

M U L T I M E D I A

D I A L O G I C

Featured 2007 White Paper

R E F E R E N C E S

O F

M A R K E T


18

WHAT IS MULTIMEDIA?

IMAGE: FREEPIK.COM


18

Multimedia is 'media in which spatial data (text, image and sound) are merged with temporal data (voice and video), by means of a unifying object - the computer' (Lafrance, 2000). Multimedia also can be said to be a result of the merging of "traditional" industries (i.e. computer science and communications) and the "content" industries (i.e. audiovisual, publishing, sound recording, and media industries). Multimedia is constantly expanding and developing. Its development results from

"Multimedia application is defined as a product or service designed for entertainment, information, communication, promotion, education or transaction, which combines text, sound and image (fixed and moving) in the form of digitized media."

three types of media: computers, digital video,

- Lafrance, 2000

and network superhighways carrying Internet traffic and the information of the future.

HYPERMEDIA Hypermedia is much like hypertext, but

'MULTIMEDIATION' OF DATA

extends to all types of data (graphics, fixed

Raw content such as audiovisual materials

images, videos, animations, sound).

undergo individual synchronization

Hypermedia is but a part of multimedia as the

processes before coming together as one

latter also includes non-interactive and off-

product. Multimediation of data makes it

line products.

easier to not only collate but also create content/materials because of digitization.

Hypermedia was made possible by three basic processes:

INTERACTIVE LANGUAGE Interactivity allows for humans to navigate

DIGITIZATION

around knowledge anytime and anywhere.

Original media products undergo digital

This allows for more possibilities to open

processing for mass consumption.

up as users have the ability to act at all times.


INVESTIGATING MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTS MULTIMEDIA PRODUCT A combination of different components that gives the user a multisensory experience. They make use of video, audio, images and animation as well as text. Used widely in: education virtual reality entertainment and leisure. Businesses and commercial organisations also use multimedia to promote their products and services.

FEATURES OF A MULTIMEDIA PRODUCT Video Good for: showing action, taking you to different locations, and helping you to visualise a story or event. Less suitable for: scenes where there is little or no movement, and scenes where the action is very quick and hard to capture.

Audio It is used extensively in multimedia products. Interviews, digital narratives and stories, commentaries and music are some examples.


INVESTIGATING MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTS

Images Still images, such as photographs, are great for websites, video, presentations and simulations. Still images can be linked together to create a movie.This is a technique often used by writers of documentaries and one you will find very useful. Good for: getting across a message or telling a story, especially if the message has a strong emotional content, creating a particular mood or atmosphere, and highlighting key points.

Animation Interactive or animated graphics are often used on websites .

They can be really useful and informative, especially if you want to explain a complicated idea or show how something works.

Text Text is often the most effective way of setting the scene. Used in combination with other types of media, it can be a powerful way of describing a process. Interactivity When you watch a feature film, you need to watch it from the beginning to the end. If you were to watch the scenes jumbled up it wouldn’t make sense. In many computer games you decide what happens next. This is an example of interactivity.The pages or screens in a multimedia product can be organised in different ways: Linear – requires the user to view pages/screens in a pre-set order Hierarchical – provides a number of different paths for the user to choose from Cluster – provides most flexibility by allowing the user to move freely between all the pages/screens.


INVESTIGATING MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTS

Other Features Colour It is an essential ingredient in an effective multimedia product. It can be used to: group similar items together draw attention emphasise important information enhance the user experience and create the right impression Even white space plays an important part in the design of a screen. Navigation If a product is interactive, the user must be able to move around it easily. Navigational aids such as buttons and links are an important feature of multimedia products.

WHY USE MULTIMEDIA? It can be entertaining and exciting. Compare a traditional board game with its computer version. Movies and animations add excitement to learning. Imagine this book without its on-screen activities. Simulations can develop high-level skills such as flying an aircraft. Multimedia provides accessibility for people with disabilities by providing information in a number of formats. Multimedia can allow communication with a wider audience even if they speak a different language.


EVALUATING MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTS

EVALUATING MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTS Evaluate carefully what works and what does not. When looking at products, keep asking yourself: What is it for? Who is the product aimed at? Does it target more than one audience? Is it really suitable for its target audience(s)? Is it fit for purpose? Does the multimedia enhance their experience or does it actually detract from it? Which types of multimedia have been used? How effective is the multimedia? What other features have been used? What type of interactivity does it have? Is it the right choice for the product?


the multimedia experience

MULTIMEDIA IN EDUCATION

Multimedia makes learning easier and more fun, through interactive materials, digital narratives or stories, and movies. Online encyclopaedias have many advantages compared with paper-based versions (or even CDs). Wikipedia is a good example. It has easy-to-follow hyperlinks that let you find out what you want to know and more besides.The pages are easy to read with lots of links and pictures. It can be updated on a daily basis to take account of things that are happening right now. Multimedia quizzes can test so much more than a text-based quiz.The user can be asked to view pictures and videos and to listen to sound.


THE MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENCE

Modern museums have ‘hands on’ exhibits. These vary from interactive quizzes using touch-screen displays to complete simulations that surround you in a ‘virtual reality’ experience. Museums often have websites with lots of extra information. The websites help you plan your day before you visit, or feature interactive activities that help you learn more about the things you have seen. A good example is the award-winning Conservation Central from the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.

VIRTUAL REALITY

Multimedia is used to simulate how things happen,

MULTIMEDIA IN ENTERTAINMENT AND LEISURE

to allow people to practise new techniques and to see how something might look. In medicine, multimedia simulations can show how the body works in ways that would not be possible in a book. Other multimedia products allow doctors and medical students to practise procedures without endangering real patients and at a relatively low cost. Estate agents use multimedia to provide virtual reality tours of houses. These let you ‘walk through’ all the rooms interactively and view the interiors from different angles.

Multimedia and the arts - Many artists and musicians use multimedia to showcase their work and make it available to a wider audience. Computer games are very popular multimedia products. They can include anything from ‘shoot ’em up’ games or driving simulations to adventures in virtual worlds, such as Myst. Multimedia games often feature the latest technology as manufacturers have to invest heavily in development to maintain sales.You can find games online and on CD and DVD, as well as games designed specifically for games modules such as the Sony PS2. Multimedia is also now commonly found in everyday devices such as mobile phones and MP3 and DVD players. Many people like to be able to carry their media and information around with them and ‘portability’ is becoming increasingly important.


DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MULTIMEDIA SERVICES

-DRIVERS -TECHNOLOGY -TOOLS -INTEGRATION


The factors that shape the multimedia arena nowadays are new and completely different from what the telecommunications industry is used to. The price-to-performance ratio makes multimedia accessible to a wider audience both for creation and for consumption. Additionally, the availability of broadband access and computer technology creates a global market with a growing user base. Everyday, something shiny and new pops up on the Internet. Sometimes starting small and growing rapidly, while sometimes fully grasping a monopoly on a market. Majority of these new applications have a short and nonprofitable lifespan. As it stands, it is difficult to predict success.

Conversely, web-based services also improves availability. Hence, the structure and architecture of applications are now being adapted to achieve availability through the internet. Online bills payment, online shopping, online etc. With the decline of the costs of technology specifically the hardware and software, the cost of providing services are also decreasing. There is a focus on making it easy to create, deploy, market, manage, and collect revenue from services, which is necessary given the short life cycle of most services.

DRIVERS

DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MULTIMEDIA SERVICES


DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MULTIMEDIA SERVICES

TECHNOLOGY

The themes of multimedia services technology are flexibility, friendly integration, and efficient implementation.

How user data is maintained and shared is an important issue. Various forms of technology can be applied to assist with this.

Several components must be selected, adapted, or developed to create a set of tools that supports multimedia services applications. Additionally, external interface standards must be set in place to ensure smooth integration with technology.

For example, Sony Ericsson applied 3 layers: Data grid, data engine, and data vault. Data grid (top layer) handles transformation, mediation, data coherence, access and caching services. Data engine (middle layer) contains file, relational, directory, synchronization, replication, and business-to-business services functionality. Data vault (bottom layer) is based on other current technologies like the storage area network and the network-attached storage.


DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MULTIMEDIA SERVICES

TOOLS

A service network is no good without an efficient service development environment to support it. Tools for software development in all areas, and support resources in the form of documentation, developer communities, and test environments must be in place to provide that development environment that supports the service network.

The Service Development Studio (SDS) is a toolset for developing client and server-side applications. It also provides built-in capabilities for highfidelity end-to-end testing which further supports the service network.

Support software are continuously being developed that build the notion of sharing, composing, and extending functionality to support different kinds of development styles.

IMAGE: FREEPIK.COM


DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MULTIMEDIA SERVICES

INTEGRATION

Delivering and deploying new multimedia services is about making it work. Products and technologies must be integrated, leading to multimedia solutions that work end to end for all involved parties: consumers, different operator departments, and operator business partners.

Consumers must be satisfied with the total experience. They must be able to find new services easily, the services must be easy to install and use, payment options must be simple to understand. When the services are used, it must leave consumers with a positive impression.


DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MULTIMEDIA SERVICES

IMAGE: FREEPIK.COM


THE MULTIMEDIA

MARKET


THE MULTIMEDIA MARKET

THE BLURRED BOUNDARIES OF THE MULTIMEDIA MARKET INTERACTIVITY There is difficulty in setting clear

However, with the industry

boundaries in this industry and there

constantly developing, applications

are multiple reasons for that. One of

with varying degrees of interactivity

which is interactivity. The

make it hard to distinguish between

functionality and interactivity of

interactive and non-interactive

multimedia made it possible to

content.

penetrate existing industries and markets.


THE MULTIMEDIA MARKET

ISSUES IN METHODOLOGY Multimedia's added value in gaming, reference works, promotional tools, bank and commercial transaction, training and communications have called for innovation from their respective industries throughout the years. These industries now have the inevitable duty to keep up with the changes by identifying trends and methodology.

Identifying methodologies pose a challenge, however, because of unreliable statistics; there is difficulty in product classification. For example, a CD can be classified as a product of the computer industry, the leisure industry (games, movies, etc.), and/or the educational sector. Where does one draw the line? IMAGES: FREEPIK.COM


THE MULTIMEDIA MARKET

MULTIMEDIA REVOLUTION Traditional methods for producing, processing and disseminating constantly undergo developments through multimedia. It revolutionizes both the content and the vehicle of other industries making it hard to generate technological forecasts. Due to this, we almost always ask similar questions like: when will networks be able to support truly multimedia applications? or in the long term, what would be the scope of the everdeveloping interactivity of multimedia? DESCRIPTIVE MODEL OF MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION The diagram below is a summation of the descriptive model of multimedia production. Industries are impacted by the influence of multimedia making them "technology-driven."

Vehicles are the results of telecommunications and computer technologies. Integration acts as a packager or distribution intermediary (i. e. computerized system and networks). Content are media, new media and cultural industries. This process flows from one end to the other.The market targets three main sectors of end-users: individuals and consumers, companies and economic organizations, and institutions (national government, LGUs, and the public sector).

Examples of activities: ICT laboratories (Vehicles) -> publishing and distribution of printed material, audio products and software (integrators) -> audiovisual production / radio / creation of on-line content

CUSTOMER

VEHICLES

CONTENT INTEGRATORS assemblers / intermediaries

END-USERS

individuals, customers, public institutions

DOWNSTREAM

UPSTREAM

TECHNOLOGY - DRIVEN ADDED VALUE PROCESS

MARKET

PRODUCTS/SERVICES

(content)


THE MULTIMEDIA MARKET

THE COSTS OF PRODUCTION AND MARKETING

Factors that influence the total costs and how these costs are broken down are as follows: the quality of the finished product (high or low quality) type of product and the market sector for which it was designed (consumer, educational, or corporate product) the scale of the finished product. IMAGE: FREEPIK.COM


THE MULTIMEDIA MARKET

Production costs vary according to different components which in turn vary according to the type of product. Say if a product costs $4 million, 60% of it represents the cost of the production itself, while the rest are divided between pre-production, postproduction and miscellaneous costs.

To give you an idea, dictionaries and encyclopaedias cost from $1 million to $4 million to produce, if the years of research necessary for finalizing the content are accounted for.

The multimedia industry, now more than ever, is constantly transforming cultural industries (as regards production and distribution), the world of business and industry (e-commerce, intranets, telecommuting) and the world of public and private services.


AN INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA SERVICES

FEATURED 2007 WHITE PAPER

IMAGE: FREEPIK.COM


DIALOGIC | WHITE PAPER

THE DEMAND FOR MULTIMEDIA

4,700,000,000

4,200,000,000

ACTIVE INTERNET USERS IN THE WORLD

UNIQUE MOBILE INTERNET USERS IN THE WORLD

as of April 2020.

as of April 2020.

THE OPPORTUNITY These numbers show us the great opportunity for adoption of video and multimedia to various services and businesses to improve customer service, increase worker productivity, create more effective training and reduce operating costs.


DIALOGIC | WHITE PAPER

WITH THE ROLLOUTS OF BETTER MOBILE INTERNET, HERE ARE EXAMPLES OF MOBILE VIDEO TELEPHONY APPLICATIONS THAT ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE.

MULTIMEDIA SERVICES MULTIMEDIA MESSAGING SERVICE Adds images and videos to traditional SMS services

VIDEO CALLER ID Plays an assigned prerecorded video before a call is answered from a caller.

VIDEO COLOR RING BACK TONES

VIDEO MAIL Voice mail or e-mail, but with video.

CONTACT CENTER ENGAGEMENTS

VIDEO PORTAL A portal for videos (YouTube, Tiktok, etc)

VIDEO SHARE Stream or playback a video while on a call.

Allows the caller to see a video instead of a default ring while calling.

While calling a call center hotline, see a video ad while waiting or while on hold.

MOBILE TV Watch TV on your mobile phone through a subscription IMAGE: FREEPIK.COM


DIALOGIC | WHITE PAPER

AS PART OF THE TRANSITION TO MULTIMEDIA DELIVERY, CELLULAR STANDARDS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, WITH NETWORKS AND CELLULAR PROVIDERS BEING COMPELLED TO SUPPORT THEM 3GPP (THIRD GENERATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT) HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF NETWORK STANDARDS - GPRS AND EDGE.

CELLULAR STANDARDS


DIALOGIC | WHITE PAPER

3GPP2 (A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN 5 TELECOM STANDARDS AND CONSORTIUM BODIES) HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR CDMA2000 – THE 3G IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CURRENT CDMA STANDARD.

CELLULAR STANDARDS


DIALOGIC | WHITE PAPER

3G-324M (A COLLABORATION OF 3GPP AND 3GPP2) IS A STANDARD WHICH DEFINES REAL-TIME STREAMING OF WIRELESS MULTIMEDIA OVER EXISTING CIRCUITSWITCHED WIRELESS NETWORK LINKS.

CELLULAR STANDARDS


DIALOGIC | WHITE PAPER

AS PART OF THE TRANSITION TO MULTIMEDIA DELIVERY, MOBILETV STANDARDS AND VIDEO STANDARDS HAVE ALSO BEEN DEVELOPED.

MOBILETV STANDARDS

IMAGE: FREEPIK.COM


DIALOGIC | WHITE PAPER

VIDEO STANDARDS

MEDIA STANDARDS


DIALOGIC | WHITE PAPER

COMPONENTS FOR DELIVERING MULTIMEDIA SERVICES

GATEWAYS Serves as entrance to another network. Provides interworking between cellular phones and VOIP, PSTN and IP content. Responsible for composing/decomposing of media – this results to simpler processes and greater interoperability with other devices


DIALOGIC | WHITE PAPER

MEDIA SERVERS Also known as Media Resource Function Processors in IMS networks. Provides media access to client application requests. They are also responsible implementations of standards to support the delivery of media. In addition, they need to also support transcoding multimedia streams for mobile delivery.

ENDPOINTS These are the clients that will request request/receive multimedia. Examples are PC and mobile devices.


DIALOGIC | WHITE PAPER

SUMMARY While this paper has been published in 2007 and might seem outdated, what’s true about this report is that multimedia has been a part of our mobile experience. It’s hard to think of having a mobile device with no multimedia capability. As of 2020, the faster speeds of 4G LTE (and the upcoming 5G technology) allowed faster internet access, allowing for more multimedia services development, usage and consumption. The recent pandemic has also been proof of how multimedia has been integral in our economy and community.

IMAGE: FREEPIK.COM




REFERENCES

Lafrance, Jean Paul. Chapter 10. Multimedia Products and Markets. Available at http://www.unesco.org/webworld/wcir/en/pdf_report/chap10.pdf Olsson, Ulf and Lars Dahlen. 2008. Multimedia services overview. Available at http://www.ericsson.com/res/thecompany/docs/publications/ericsson_review/2008/Multimedia.pdf Dialogic. An Introduction to Multimedia Services. Available at http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/products/docs/whitepapers/9734_Multimedia_Services_wp.pdf Investigating Multimedia Products available at http://81.108.222.242/resources/agce/G050/general/DiDA_MM_Unit01.pdf Howe, N. (2019, January 16). How Music Streaming Won Over Millennials. Retrieved July 04, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilhowe/2019/01/16/how-music-streaming-won-over-millennials/


MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTS AND SERVICES


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