INTERNET PROTOCOL: Virtual Business Address

Internet Protocol-based de-vices and applications are
be-coming more and more available today. It will not be very long before
vendors, partners as well as customers start using an IP address instead of a
physical address, for their business purpose. IP is becoming a very powerful
means of communication.

THE VoIP TECHNOLOGY

Partners who make regular international phone calls, would already be used to
IP telephony. Better known as VoIP, it is used for transmission of telephone
calls over a data network. This is allowed in India only to make ISD calls,
though it can be effectively used to make local and STD calls, as well.

VoIP technology uses packet-switching method to provide several advantages
over circuit switching used in ordinary PSTN networks. For example, several
telephone calls will use the space occupied by only one call in a
circuit-switched network. Hence, a 10-minute phone call blocks the connection
for 10 full minutes of transmission time. With VoIP, that same call may occupy
only two to three minutes of transmission time, saving almost 80% time.

IP phones can be directly plugged into a PSTN phone-line socket. The
telephone instrument itself has a computer inside to dial-up the service
provider and make an Internet connection. Partners just have to press the ‘Dial-up’
button; wait for the Internet connection and then start dialing international
numbers.

OTHER IP AREAS

Similar to the Internet phone with an embedded computer,
there are many devices on the market using the embedded technology to
communicate over IP. The same protocol (TCP/IP) is also used in the LAN. So,
partners can use IP-based devices even on the LAN.

With the development of network and telecommunication technologies, advanced
communication infrastructure has rapidly spread to various sectors of the IT
industry. As a result, many attempts are being made to introduce Ethernet and
TCP/IP in facility management areas and industrial control as well as telemetry
and access control. This is done by combining industrial communication
technologies and information technologies, covering voice/data and video.

CAMERAS ON IP

Like the VoIP technology, webcams also need a PC to send
video data over the IP. A simple webcam consists of a digital camera attached to
the computer.

These cameras can be attached with ease to PCs through a USB
port. A piece of software grabs a frame from it periodically, which then
converts images into a normal JPG file and uploads it to your web server. The
JPG image can be placed on any web page. Using a Meta tag, a JavaScript function
or a Java applet, partners can create a system that automatically refreshes the
image for the customer, while accessing the web page.

Another version of the webcam comes with an embedded web
server, which is a full-fledged Internet Camera. This is a digital camera and a
web server both, built into one product, ready to be plugged into a RJ-45
socket. Using this integrated web server, the Internet Camera eliminates the
need to connect the camera to your PC. Once installed, partners can use the IP
address to gain access to the camera, view live video and also make necessary
changes to camera settings.

THE RIGHT SOFTWARE

By using a suitable software package, you can control all PC cameras on the
LAN from one location. Such software packages allows a partner to view images
from as many as 16 cameras on a single screen.

The video data stream can be saved to the hard disk as an AVI file. Motion
detectors can be used to trigger automatic recording and e-mail notification.
Streaming video up to 30 frames per second is possible on a fast ethernet
connection using Motion-JPEG technology.

Internet cameras compliant with the 802.11b wireless standard are also
available. These cameras can be effectively used for security surveillance and
for broadcasting events live over the Internet.

THE FINER POINTS OF IP

IP broadcasting is also possible with high-quality audio. The
advanced technologies and audio codec and QoS algorithms allows even classical
music to be broadcast with its original quality over an IP network.

The embedded Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) also offers
resistance to hacking and viruses. Traditionally, factory automation systems
have necessarily been real-time control systems. However, the standard Ethernet
and TCP/IP technologies are likely to combine with industrial bus standards and
make it possible for the channel to switch over to Ethernet-based systems.

GET YOUR ADDRESS

As the embedded RTOS get more and more advanced, all these exciting
applications will one day switch to IP-based technologies. Partners will no
longer require to go through monstrous efforts for intimating a change of
address. All they will need to get on with their business from a single location
is an IP address. So, what´s your address going to be?

Ashok Dongre
is an independent consultant