Interactive multimedia the technology and its applications

In nineties, multimedia technology is changing the world of computers the way personal computer technology changed it in eighties. The ideas presented by technology visionaries decades ago now seem realizable. The technology is narrowing the communication gap between human and computers by enabling computers to provide information in audio-visual forms. A new range of applications such as video-on-demand, interactive home-shopping, etc., have become possible. These advancements have brought new opportunities and challenges for industry. The report provides an introduction to multimedia technology and examines its applications in various areas. It briefly describes some of the representative applications emerging world wide and also covers the applications being developed in India. Further, it identifies some potential applications in Indian context where significant benefits can be obtained using this technology. It is hoped that the information presented in this report would interest those who need to assess the potential of the technology for creating software solutions in their domains.