ocuments. Regardless of geographic location or computer operating system, conference participants deploy an array of software- and hardware-based tools and utilities to simulate co-location. The emphasis of audiographic applications is on computer documents and data. For that reason, we will use the term data conferencing (it is also slightly more concise than the term audiographics conferencing that the ITU-T uses in the specification for applications, services, and protocols). Data conferencing eases the burden of preparing for a teleconference. Teleconferences are audio-oriented and are still quite common, notwithstanding the widespread acceptance of video communication. Linking distant teleconference Video Communications: The Whole Picture The International Multimedia Teleconferencing Consortium (IMTC) is a San Ramon, California-based non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of ongoing development and adoption of international standards for multipoint document conferencing (specifically the ITU-T's T.120) and videoconferencing (the H.32X series). Neil Starkey of DataBeam is the long-standing president of the IMTC, and has been instrumental in its success. The IMTC maintains an information-packed World Wide Web site, which can be reached at http://www.imtc.org. If you look around, you'll find an abundance of useful information on audiographic and video communication standards and applications. participants often requires a preliminary exchange of faxes, electronic mail messages, and overnight packages. Even with all the effort and expense that goes into preparation, teleconference participants often struggle to "stay on the same page" during a remote meeting. Document conferencing provides the missing link. People can coordinate their thoughts when they collaborate visually. Many instances exist in which a comprehensive videoconference is overkill, and a telephone conversation is inadequate. The missing element is focal, not facial. Data conferencing provides a place to focus, collect, and store the 