Read this great article about the history of video conferencing.
Video conferencing is something that has been possible since the creation of the television. It’s not become popular for use as a tool of communication until recently with travel expenses going through the roof, but since there’s been the ability to display graphics and sound through a tube for entertainment, that same technology’s been in place for use as a means of communication.
A video conference can be a simple meeting between two participants or it can involve several people from several differing locations. When the ability to have this type of communication was first made available, it was very expensive; therefore could not be used for the things we use it for today. First attempts at making the communications through video had very poor video quality and were almost useless for use as a tool of means for communication.
In the 1980’s this type of communication became more of a possibility as technology continued its advances. Through test trials and the creation of more advanced technology, the first videoconferencing services became available in the 1990’s. Internet protocols and advanced compression software made these videoconferencing systems available through the use of the desktop computer as medium. In 1992 Tim Dorcey designed technology that soon made things like MSN messenger and the like possible through the use of the computer. These mediums can produce low quality video conferencing services, but are not typically used in a business setting for conferencing purposes.
