he product unique in the marketplace? (look beyond the gimmicks to true business-oriented features and functionality). Is the product customized for vertical market environments? Which ones? Is the core technology licensable by third-party vendors such that they can create product enhancements? Video communication Product Capabilities If a given application will benefit from videoconferencing ask the following: Can the system support face-to-face personal videoconferencing? Is compression performed in software only or is it hardware-assisted? If the manufacturer includes hardware, can it be used to capture, compress and store video and audio for multimedia applications? In what file formats can video and audio be stored? If the product allows motion video images to be viewed in a PC window, what size is the window? Is the size adjustable? Can the user move the window between screen quadrants? How many video frames per second can be sent (maximum & average)? What is the image resolution range (in pixels)? How can users make resolution/motion handling trade-offs during a conference? Evaluating and Buying a Personal Conferencing System How does a user initiate a video call? Does the product offer an on-line directory? Can video be added during a voice-only call? Does the product provide dynamic channel management and allocate available bandwidth depending on the type of communication being supported (data, audio, still-image, motion video)? Does the product depend on a separate telephone line for audio? If so, how is audio synchronized with video? Does the product offer an external speakerphone or a headset, to permit hands-free operation? What types of cameras does the product support (e.g., digital proprietary, analog NTSC, PAL, S-Video). How is the camera's focus adjusted (e.g., manually, a mouse, auto-focus)? How does the camera pan, tilt and zoom? Can the camera swivel to be a document camera? Does the product include simultaneous local and remote viewing capabilities? How are multiple windows managed on the PC