Khalid IBEN YAICH

IMS perspective

2007-12-07T09:54:23Z

IMS opens up new perspectives for network operators. Nevertheless, some challenges need to be faced to make it a widely adopted technology.

]]> IMS opens up new perspectives for network operators. Nevertheless, some challenges need to be faced to make it a widely adopted technology.
From a business point of view, If IMS gives the network operators a more central role to play in the business chain of value, they need to make or obtain content for their services (M. Tadault, 2004). And they need to fix new business models to base their role of in the billing of services on. New actors came to the scene with IMS like content providers and content aggregators, which means for the operators: new competitors from the internet world. The decision to deploy IMS is more a strategic decision than a technological decision.
On the technical side of the issue, IMS introduces new networking paradigms, provides only specifications, not implementation-ready solutions, and uses some recent protocols like Diameter that have not been widely deployed. Moreover, the interoperability problems aren’t fully solved.
The TISPAN IMS aim to be access agnostic. Consequently, IMS has to manage the different access related constraints imposed by different access technologies, and this makes the establishment of end-to-end QoS guarantees difficult.
Several promising technologies (e.g. P2P, VPNs, SMS and IPTV) will join IMS architecture to provide more complete multimedia services with unified network architecture.

Why IMS??

2007-12-07T09:51:15Z

One aim of IMS is to make the network management easier, because an all-IP integrated network is easier to manage and leads to network administration savings. Therefore, it separates control and bearer functions to support kinds of networks and become “access agnostic” or in other words, service delivery should be independent of the underlying access technology.

]]> IMS guidelines.
One aim of IMS is to make the network management easier, because an all-IP integrated network is easier to manage and leads to network administration savings. Therefore, it separates control and bearer functions to support kinds of networks and become “access agnostic” or in other words, service delivery should be independent of the underlying access technology.
The QoS is a critical parameter; it determines the services that can be deployed in such networks. Consequently, QoS management functionalities are integrated in the IMS architecture.
The traditional service implementations are generally “stovepipe systems”. IMS opts for a modular (easy to improve) horizontal architecture: The service enablers which are common functions are accessed and used by several services. This resources sharing perspective ease the implementation, give more flexibility to the system and allows services interaction. (Ericsson, 2004)
Business motivations
The story of IMS started with genius idea of using the underused signaling channel to send short messages. The unexpected success of SMS service proved that the market for data-based services on mobile phones is promising. Now while the average revenue per user is decreasing for network operators, these operators need to a more empowering role in service delivery, and bundle attractive services with their basic access offer. The IMS is intended to be a solution.
IMS helps the creation and deployment of new services by either the operators themselves or third parties. Therefore IMS creates new business perspectives and stimulates innovation. The revenue opportunities for an IMS operator will dramatically increase by giving the client a better set of services, which are all combined in one session, with a single sign on and unified billing.
The investment threshold will decrease, thanks to the infrastructure savings provided by the uniform service delivery platform, which will give birth to new better and richer services, specially real-time IP based communications (M. Tadault, 2004).

introduction to IMS

2007-12-07T09:50:09Z

The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is a network functional architecture that is seen as a promising solution for facilitating multimedia service creation and deployment as well as supporting interoperability and network convergence. It was originally designed by the wireless standards body 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) as an architectural framework for delivering internet protocol (IP) multimedia to mobile users over GPRS, and then expanded to support other networks like Wireless LAN, CDMA2000 and fixed line.

]]> It is commonly admitted that Internet Protocol (IP) is ubiquitous, provides interoperability at a very large scale. These characteristics are driving the internet mutation: If IP was mostly dedicated to the transport of non real time data, it is becoming the foundation of most real time application and services. IMS is using Internet protocols to merge Internet and cellular worlds, and enable rich multimedia communications.
The first version of IMS, written by 3GPP, was about the development and deployment of new services in mobile networks. The specifications were then extended by the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) (or to be more accurate by the Telecommunications and Internet converged Services and Protocols for Advanced Networking (TISPAN) standardization body) as a subsystem of the Next Generation Networks (NGNs) project.
It is important to understand that 3GPP describes the support of new applications for mobile operators, while TISPAN adds the wireline operators convergence capabilities, TISPAN defines as well other subsystems like Network Attachment Subsystem (NASS) and the Resource Admission Control Subsystem (RACS). Most of the IMS protocols are standardize by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) (E.g. the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)).
Other actors are involved in the development of IMS. For example, the Open Mobile Alliance publishes, for interoperability related operation, additional service related requirements (e.g. Push to talk over Cellular (PoC)) (Greenwell, 2007).
IMS is still being defined, and the different standards use different terminologies. If this tutorial won’t explain everything about the several interfaces, and the complex functional entities, it will set a clear overview of the complete NGN/IMS architecture.

Information Renaissance

2007-12-07T09:47:53Z

The similarities between the European renaissance and what we are experiencing nowadays can be too obvious if we take time to think about it. The Information Renaissance is not a concept that has been concretely defined nor is a known event in history, but still the word renaissance makes us think about knowledge sharing, about cultural and social changes, and about empowering people. All these elements are precise adjectives for what Information Technology is doing: Creating an Information Renaissance.

]]> The similarities between the European renaissance and what we are experiencing nowadays can be too obvious if we take time to think about it. The Information Renaissance is not a concept that has been concretely defined nor is a known event in history, but still the word renaissance makes us think about knowledge sharing, about cultural and social changes, and about empowering people. All these elements are precise adjectives for what Information Technology is doing: Creating an Information Renaissance.
As the internet popularity increases, the access to knowledge is democratized, people no more rely on one authority controlling this access, and they can hear different points of view, learn different thinks and discuss different ideas.
The power of innovation in our life is so big that it shapes our society, new customs adopted or rejected in a higher pace. Even our relationships are affected, TV, mobile phones, e-mails… They all change the way we communicate with each other.
We reached a point where, not only technology helps us to deliver information to people, but have everyone deliver its own contribution to the whole world.

Defining web 2.0

2007-12-07T09:22:52Z

Web 2.0 refers to a second generation of web-based hosted services, as social-networking sites, wikis… It aims to facilitate creativity by helping users collaborate, and share. The term originated from O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004. It is important to understand that web 2.0 does not give an update to any technical specifications, it more like guidelines to how developers and end users should use web.

]]> Web 2.0 refers to a second generation of web-based hosted services, as social-networking sites, wikis… It aims to facilitate creativity by helping users collaborate, and share. The term originated from O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004. It is important to understand that web 2.0 does not give an update to any technical specifications, it more like guidelines to how developers and end users should use web.
"Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform." Tim O’Reilly.
The main idea behind "Web 2.0" is to change websites from isolated information sources to interactive platforms that function like locally-available program.
Web 2.0 promotes a social element where users generate and distribute their own content, which enables users to do more online and consequently rises the economic value of the web.
Examples of web 2.0 websites are: eBay, Facebook, Wikipedia, youTube, MySpace, iGoogle...

European renaissance -Art-

2007-12-07T09:02:27Z

It is no surprising to hear the word “Art” almost each time you talk about European Renaissance. If the European renaissance was a cultural movement that marked drastic changes during the Middle ages, Art is an area that was completely revolutionized. Artists incorporated perspective, using oil based paints they concentrated on light and shadow effect. We can notice the touch of ancient art on the work of some renaissance artists like Donatello, but the introduction of personality and behavior in the oeuvres was a new aspects. An aspect that was later developed by other artists like Da Vinci and MichelAngelo: the emotional expression and the physical balance.
Sculpture, painting and architecture revolution started in Italy but moved towards France, Spain and then the rest of Europe. They were the first cultural changes that broke up with the Church traditions, and by focusing on Man they empowered people, gave them back confidence and help a social break-up.

]]> It is no surprising to hear the word “Art” almost each time you talk about European Renaissance. If the European renaissance was a cultural movement that marked drastic changes during the Middle ages, Art is an area that was completely revolutionized. Artists incorporated perspective, using oil based paints they concentrated on light and shadow effect. We can notice the touch of ancient art on the work of some renaissance artists like Donatello, but the introduction of personality and behavior in the oeuvres was a new aspects. An aspect that was later developed by other artists like Da Vinci and MichelAngelo: the emotional expression and the physical balance.
Sculpture, painting and architecture revolution started in Italy but moved towards France, Spain and then the rest of Europe. They were the first cultural changes that broke up with the Church traditions, and by focusing on Man they empowered people, gave them back confidence and help a social break-up.

Few words about European Renaissance

2007-12-07T07:39:14Z

The word ‘Renaissance’ is a French word, and it means ‘rebirth’. European renaissance was the time when Europe moved from the ignorance, unfairness and the feudal system to a new era where knowledge starts to be shared, arts blossomed and the luminance of science and logic spread and paved way for new inventions and social changes.

]]> The word ‘Renaissance’ is a French word, and it means ‘rebirth’. European renaissance was the time when Europe moved from the ignorance, unfairness and the feudal system to a new era where knowledge starts to be shared, arts blossomed and the luminance of science and logic spread and paved way for new inventions and social changes.
After the fall of Roman rule, Europe knew wars, epidemics, social unfairness, superstition and ignorance. During this era (commonly called the Middle Ages) the church hold the power and took advantage of people illiterateness, and made it worst. The major economic activity was agriculture; farmers had to give away their yields to feudal tyrants.
The environment was convenient for people to question their society. They just needed some guidance, which was provided by eastern scientists and philosophers escaping the Othmani empire, books were brought from the big library of Istanbul and other places to Italy. A new movement started, a vivid interest in knowledge pushed the Italians and very soon the whole Europe to seek answers, discuss and rebelled against the social rules. They realized that the society should be Human-centric, and they started admiring the potential of human beings. This cultural movement called “humanism” is the first aspect of Europe rebirth, sorry renaissance.

Summary of "Generating buy-in"

2007-11-20T06:03:36Z

Mark Walton, a former senior correspondent and anchorman at CNN, explains how leaders can generate “buy-in”, and by “buy-in” he means developing an understanding, commitment and action from your people to support you, your idea, and your organization. It is the personal and emotional feeling that may generate motivation and help the collaborative work succeed.

]]> Mark Walton, a former senior correspondent and anchorman at CNN, explains how leaders can generate “buy-in”, and by “buy-in” he means developing an understanding, commitment and action from your people to support you, your idea, and your organization. It is the personal and emotional feeling that may generate motivation and help the collaborative work succeed.
In order to renew commitment, generate enthusiasm, or just get the job done, Walton provides step-by-step procedures. He explains that we think in stories filled with images of life and that the most effective way to address the mind is to communicate with it throughout a story, a story that projects a positive future and follows a specific development process:
o Goal Setting: Determine your buy-in objective.
o First Step: Establish your strategic story line, the vision or the “big picture”.
o Second Step: Develop your story line in a way that targets your audience's agenda.
o Third Step: Call your audience to action and ask for a commitment.
There is different ways to promote buy-in: spoken, written, printed or any other media or formats. Walton gives examples of great advertising, packaging and promotional materials for successful storytelling.
The key to maximizing the impact of a strategic story is to repeat it very often and for a long time, but Walton explains that perpetual adjustment need to be done, because of the changing nature of people.

Summary of China Inc.

2007-11-20T06:02:04Z

Veteran journalist and former commodities trader Ted C. Fishman is certain that China is destined to become the next superpower. Which is not surprising when we know that in 2003, China "bought 7 percent of the world's oil, a quarter of all aluminum and steel, nearly a third of the world's iron ore and coal, and 40 percent of the world's cement," and was the world's leader in attracting direct foreign investment. The same China that few decades ago was hobbled by poverty and Communist ideology.

]]> Veteran journalist and former commodities trader Ted C. Fishman is certain that China is destined to become the next superpower. Which is not surprising when we know that in 2003, China "bought 7 percent of the world's oil, a quarter of all aluminum and steel, nearly a third of the world's iron ore and coal, and 40 percent of the world's cement," and was the world's leader in attracting direct foreign investment. The same China that few decades ago was hobbled by poverty and Communist ideology.
To explain how China became a supercharged center of global capitalism after the fall of communism, Fishman tackles the multiple aspects of the Chinese market development, from the sock and ramen business to the Shanghai sex business and the automobile manufacturing. The Book China Inc. covers the everlasting communist marks, the outsourcing debate, Taiwanese independence, and some other hot issues like the commercial counterfeiting laws and compliance, the exaggerated low value of Chinese currency, and the Chinese educational system.
Fishman explains how the exponentially increasing Chinese manufacturing steamroller benefits from the notorious “low cost” advantage, and the impact of having 1.3 billion of cheap workforce and avid customers. The vicious circle is completed by the historically unprecedented infusions of foreign capital and technological know-how. This circle is a tornado that, by approaching the hi-tech industry, becomes a serious threat to the traditional world powers (USA, Europe and Japan) and forces them all to make big changes.

Summary of: The search: how Google and its rivals rewrote the rules of business and transformed our culture.

2007-11-20T05:59:13Z

]]> The search: how Google and its rivals rewrote the rules of business and transformed our culture.

John Battelle, one of the founding editors of Wired and the founder of The Industry Standard, starts his book with two preliminary chapters. In the first, he sets an inclusive explanation of search nature and function, and in the next he narrates the very beginning of the story: Search engines before Google.
Battelle reveals several facts about Google business, for example how Google was not the first to create the pay-per-click advertising model. Also how the smart use of this idea and many others, made the humble search algorithm a business giant called: Google.
As mentioned in the subtitle, Battelle explains how Google ‘transformed our culture’ by setting very persuasive examples of daily life. And he shows how every business has to surrender to Google or stay out of people’s reach (the example of The Wall Street Journal).
Google's official mantra, 'Do no evil’ is a response to the fast spreading picture of Google as a threat. Privacy issues, government and even its own performance are the Google’s biggest problem, people doesn’t like the idea of having their personal information available for each Google potential user (just few billion people), they don’t like as well that each one of their e-mails is read by Mister Gmail, who is kind enough to propose Ads and make you feel that a bunch of companies know what your personal e-mail is about and are taking advantage of the situation. And thanks to the Patriot Act, and the fiasco of News service to China, Google, instead of celebrating a PR success, is getting bad press. Battelle finishes his book by discussing Google’s IPO, Google’s different services, and by speculating on the “perfect search engine”.

Introduction of content aggregation businesses

2007-11-20T05:56:33Z

A content aggregator is an individual or organization that gathers content (and/or sometimes applications) from different sources for reuse or resale. (searchSOA.com, 2002). Most content aggregators simply gather material from multiple sources and make it available on their personal website, but there is a special category who gather and distribute content to suit their customer's needs, and they are called “Syndicators”.

]]> A content aggregator is an individual or organization that gathers content (and/or sometimes applications) from different sources for reuse or resale. (searchSOA.com, 2002). Most content aggregators simply gather material from multiple sources and make it available on their personal website, but there is a special category who gather and distribute content to suit their customer's needs, and they are called “Syndicators”.

The content aggregator business can be divided into 3 categories:
Web content aggregators: As the Web emerged, news/content providers such as Reuters, BusinessWire, and others began the migration to the Web and offering free Web-based news through portals like Yahoo!News. These Web-based opportunities gave birth to the Web content aggregator business: “By reaching a broader audience through syndication opportunities, providing a wider variety of content and customization, and introducing new business models and delivery formats, this type of content provider is creating a new environment for content.” (Funke, 2000) Marketwatch.com, Moreover, and YellowBrix are examples of leading companies of this highly competitive business (see next section).
Mobile content aggregators: In mobile business Content aggregators (aka portal providers) repackage available information and distribut it to wireless devices in the most appropriate way via mobile portals (Siemens, 2001).
Mobile service providers are developing new and different business models. Their personalized and extremely specialized information and services will be made for customers who are willing to pay for them, unlike the Internet where business models are based on advertising. Today, more and more service and content providers and aggregators are entering the market, and change the value chain and the cash flow. Both service and content providers and content aggregators want their part from consumers money in return for the services and content they provide. On the other hand, they will have to compensate network operators for providing the infrastructure.
Forecasts estimate that by 2010 besides airtime revenue, mobile services will be generating about 50% of operators‘ average revenue per user. (Siemens, 2001) Their new, additional role as content aggregators - often through alliances with content and service providers - allows them to offer their customers a new, more personalized and comprehensive range of information and services, and differentiate themselves from the competition. Besides the fact that they can acheive a higher customers retention through value-added services and attractive reward programs.
IPTV content aggregators: “It is rightly said that ‘content is king’ in planning and developing IP TV service offerings.” (Multimedia research group, Inc., 2005) The success of an IP TV service depends on the selection, packaging, and presentation of content. In-Stat found that the worldwide market for online content services is expected to expand by a factor of 10, growing from about 13 million households during 2005 to more than 131 million households by 2010. (Fischer, 2006) IPTV Content Aggregators will have a dramatic revenue-generating opportunity in the next five years, if we trust the growing number of consumer households connected to high-speed, broadband Internet connections worldwide. 3Vision and BNS are pioneer in this field.

Quick comparison

2007-11-13T04:12:32Z

Just trying to set an easy to understand panorama of the two biggest dilemna of todays network deployment. Set your mind in few minutes.

]]> I. Fiber Vs Coper:
a. Fiber solutions.
Optical fiber has a very large bandwidth. Actually, the throughput limitations of the existing optical transmission systems do not depend on the medium itself, but on the transmitter and the receiver. Besides, optical fiber has low attenuation and distortion, and it is not sensitive to external interferences.
The technologies available for the local loop are active Ethernet and Passive Optical Networks :
• Active Ethernet is made up of point-to-point fiber links between the local exchange (buildings gateway) and the local sub-networks (Access switches). This ensures a maximum bandwidth but needs large quantities of optical fiber.
• Passive Optical Networks (PONs) could be used to avoid installing active elements such as Ethernet concentrators which can be replaced by passive optical splitters, resulting in a point-to-multipoint topology which is well suited for broadcast applications such as TV and data.
b. Copper solutions
The main problem with copper transmission is the attenuation and crosstalk; we cannot achieve long range and high speed at the same time. While it is possible to deliver a few megabits per second to customers who are miles away from the local exchange, delivering 100 Mbits/s is limited to a couple of hundred meters.
Copper transmission is evolving to support higher rates. Basically, there are three different techniques to achieve this :
• Deep fiber roll-outs. Some of the new Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL) interfaces are specialized in higher bit rates, even if these interfaces have a reduced range. For these roll-outs, all network equipment must be installed close to the end user. Any external equipment is linked to the local exchange by means of optical fiber with active Ethernet or PON.

• Copper pair bonding. Bonding makes it possible to provide a single high-speed channel by combining the capacity of two or more pairs by using inverse multiplexing techniques. Of course, this technique can only be successful if spare pairs are available.
• Ethernet technologies: Fast Ethernet, Gigabits Ethernet and 10 Gigabits Ethernet using Cat5, Cat5e and Cat6.

The main question is how far we should go with the optic technologies; the standards jargon will say “do we need a FTTB (fiber to the building) or FTTH (fiber to the house) architecture.” The response to this question depends on the expected use of the deployed infrastructure. Having a multi-service network (voice over IP, TV over IP, Visio conferencing, Data…) requires having a large bandwidth. However, the main problem with FTTH is that it calls for a big initial investment, but there are some other issues as well, for example:
• Optical fiber is needs a higher level of expertise because it is more difficult to handle than copper, and requires specialized people.
• Deploying optical fiber usually involves long administrative procedures that can be a source of significant delays.

II. Wifi Vs Wimax
a. WiFi
There are two architectures for WiFi implementation as Metropolitan network:
a. Wi-Fi with directional antennas:
A directional antenna transmits and receives RF (radio frequency) energy more in one direction than others, which limits coverage on the sides of the antennas. Directional antennas work best for covering a large distance in narrow areas or for supporting point-to-point links between buildings .
b. Wi-Fi with a mesh-network topology:
In a mesh-network topology, each node is connected and communication protocols are shared across the nodes. A Wi-Fi mesh infrastructure is formed when a collection of nodes are interconnected . This topology can increase the coverage range of standard Wi-Fi’s 100-meter limit to over 10 km. Besides; performance can be increased from the Wi-Fi’s 54-Mbps limit to over 100 Mbps .
B. WiMAX
WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) is a newer standard of wireless networking used as the last mile of high speed internet access to the end user. WiMAX base stations will have the ability to provide approximately 60 businesses with T1 access and hundreds of homes with DSL/Cable speed access for a range of 4-8 mile working radius.
WiMAX (MAN) deployments are similar to a WiFi based network, but present several improvements for wireless communication, the key benefits of WiMAX are:
• Built-in Quality of service (QoS) management.
• High performance (robustness, delay spread…)
• Standards-based (insured interoperability)
• Smart antenna support.
The most significant challenge is that WiMAX is a new technology with emerging support. The rate of WiMAX networks deployment shows that it’s going to be the next universally used wireless technology. And Laptops will be equipped with WiMAX receiver by the end of the year.
WiMAX can be used to aggregate Wi-Fi networks (such as mesh-network topologies and hotspots) and Wi-Fi users to the backend. As Figure 3 illustrates, each wireless metro-access solution has common and unique benefits.

Today, a Wi-Fi mesh-network offers mobility, while WiMAX offers a long-distance backhaul and last-mile solution. The best solution is a combination of the two. Indeed since the WiFi technology is a must-have, new equipments supporting both technologies appear, so that we can deploy a network taking advantage of each technology points of strength.

Some thoughts about Human communication

2007-11-13T04:09:57Z

Starting with a simple fact:
A large part of science discipline, and more specifically social sciences are human-centric, they study the behavior and interaction with the surrounding environment. A careful survey of their different theories shows that they all have a common point: “communication”. They all talk about communication from different points of view, which makes us think about is what is our own conception of human communication.

]]> Starting with a simple fact:
A large part of science discipline, and more specifically social sciences are human-centric, they study the behavior and interaction with the surrounding environment. A careful survey of their different theories shows that they all have a common point: “communication”. They all talk about communication from different points of view, which makes us think about is what is our own conception of human communication.
What about human communication?
We are always affected by our communication with others, and by messages we deliver or receive daily from people we know or not, alive or not. Littlejohn in his book “theories of human communications” says : “Communication is one of the most pervasive, important and complex aspects of human life”. (Littlejohn S.W. (2002)).
Human communication had a growing scientific importance, starting from WWI. It is now a standalone discipline, many universities and colleges now have departments of communication, speech or mass media. This consequently leads to a proliferation of theories.
Human Communication theories:
A theory can be defined in many ways some of my favorites is: “A theory is not just an explanation; it is a way of packaging reality, a way of understanding” (Littlejohn S.W (2002)). Theories identify patterns of events so we know what to expect, and “help saving time” as my professor Dr. Gillette said one day.
The problem is: Human communication is a subject that remains largely eclectic and multidisciplinary, and for the general purpose of this paper, there is no reason to choose and expand one specific theory. Then what about having a single definition?
A single definition of Human communication:
My scientific background (exact sciences) urges me to look for an accurate universak definition of “communication”, soon enough I realized how hard this task is, Tom peters in his management book said: “Listening, like so many of these apparently simple ideas, turns out to be anything but simple” (Peters T. (1987)). In fact a colleague Sean May used to say: “It is a very complex phenomenon that has many factors and levels of understanding”.
If I say: “communication is an interchange of ideas” I am supposing that the communication process is successful, and if I say: “It is trying to send a message to a receiver”, I am afraid that it implies a will and an intention that maybe absent for some verbal communication for instance. The idea behind that is: We need to fix common accepted hypothesis or axioms as a preliminary step of our “defining” process.
Frank Dance outlined this point by defining three points of “critical conceptual differentiation” (Frank Dance, “the concept of communication” (1970)):
- Level of observation: being inclusive or restrictive.
- Intentionality: Imposing purposeful message sending and receiving or not.
- Normative: Including statement of success or accuracy.
Consequently, each one of us can have a different approach that we can defend or argue to a certain extent.
Why communication can’t have a unique universal theory or approach?
In “exact sciences” too, we find out that once we deal with a large, uncertain or complicated field, we face multiple theories, equations and assumptions. Each one of these theories can be better applied or more accurate for a specific objective or situation. This multiplicity fall within what it is called “traditions” of human communication, and again since we cannot expose the different traditions let see why we can’t have a universal definition.
Physicists are trying to find a mathematical equation that describes everything: “The universe equation”, whereas human communication thinkers admit that: “Establishing a single definition has proved impossible and may not be fruitful” (Littlejohn S.W. (2002))
The mean reason for that, is most likely because communication is itself dynamic across situations, since “communication is unavoidable” (using Brett Harrisson words) it mutates, changes and affects the surroundings aspects. Craig describes the importance of this thought to communication:
“Communication… is not a secondary phenomenon that can be explained by antecedent psychological, sociological, cultural, or economic factors; rather, communication itself is the primary, constitutive social process that explains all these other factors.” (Craig, “Communication Theory as a Field” p126)
Conclusion:
There is points that everyone will agree on concerning Human Communication, the example that I can think of now is: “In all kind of communication, there is always some sort of information lost” an affirmation of Adam Douglas that was instantaneously accepted by the other colleagues while discussing this issues. Thus, even if we will forever be face with a multiplicity of approaches, we must seek a coherence based on a common understanding of similarities and differences among theories.
“The goal should not be a state in which we have nothing t argue about, but one in which […] we have something very important to argue about” (Craig, “Communication Theory as a Field” p126)

Video-conferencing

2007-10-20T18:58:46Z

Video conferencing is becoming a very important communication mean of the new information age. Our Company’s need for highly productive "virtual" workgroups made up of our employees from many different locations requires a technology that allows us to meet face-to-face. Video conferencing technology gives the same sense of connection and collaboration as a live meeting...

]]> Video conferencing is becoming a very important communication mean of the new information age. Our Company’s need for highly productive "virtual" workgroups made up of our employees from many different locations requires a technology that allows us to meet face-to-face. Video conferencing technology gives the same sense of connection and collaboration as a live meeting. It also offers excellent security and scheduling capabilities, sharing files and recording the conferences for security and regulatory requirements. Some Benefits of Video Conferencing are:
• Enhanced productivity and reduced time-to-market In fact, companies should consider doing that if they can benefits from quick decisions, or the higher productivity that a spontaneous meeting with distant people can provide, it is typically the case for companies that rely on the skill and contribution of individual experts at disparate locations, video conferencing can make these expert constantly available, no need any more to replicate the job posts in every branch and office.
• Enforcing the company communication and company identity, Branch and satellite offices can feel isolated from upper management. Video conferencing allows all the company’s sections to come together more often to solve problems and share successes. Video conferencing can simplify as well the interview and the hiring process, allowing top candidates to be hired more quickly.
• Employee’s satisfaction: Replacing the e-mails and paper with a more human face-to-face communication improves camaraderie, communication and employee morale, moreover Video conferencing can reduce time away for the travel-intensive personnel, and economize the morale cost of being away from home for days.
• Reduce travel costs: even if video conference is not just a cheaper way of communication, but a better way of communication, the colossal amount of money that a company can save by reducing its travel budget is surely a good reason to take into consideration.
While small businesses only one location may not yet be able to justify an investment in video conferencing unless customer or suppliers demands require it, but most other companies should at least consider the benefits to their bottom line.

Définition de la communication humaine.

2007-10-02T06:26:23Z

Same topic (descriptive definition of human communication) written in French.

]]> Quand on essaye de définir un objet ou une notion, on commence naturellement par choisir une approche. L’approche la plus simple opte pour un point de vue fonctionnelle, c’est comme dire que "..la communication est l'échange de la pensée... ". Une second approche sera définir le contexte, et cela en donnant les différents éléments qui délimitent notre sujet: "la communication humaine est l’étude de comment une personne communique : avec elle-même (communication d'intrapersonnel), une autre personne (communication interpersonnelle), dans des groupes (dynamique de groupe), par la technologie (communication de masse), à travers différents cultures (communication inter-culturelle)". Néanmoins l'approche la plus utilisée est l’approche descriptive : Donner une description des attributs qui peuvent caractériser notre objet.

En parlant de "communication humaine" on réalise que donner une liste détaillée des attributs est loin d’être une tache aisée. Toute fois, nous pouvons pousser la réflexion et essayer d'organiser et de synthétiser ces attributs. Ce processus nous mène à la construction de modèles et des théories.

John Powers a structure son modèle de communication humaine en définissant quatre niveaux comme suit :
Niveau 1 : la forme et le contenu de messages, il y a généralement deux formes de communication, lune est verbale (la parole), l’autre est non-verbal (les gestes).
Niveau 2 : les communicateurs (ou communiquant) peuvent être divisés en 3 catégories : un individu (un être humain séparé d'un groupe), des participants aux rapports sociaux (présence d’interactions entre les individus mutuellement relatifs) et adhérents d’une même culture (un groupe de personnes, qui ont les mêmes idées et croyance)
Niveau 3 : les niveaux de communication, il va du niveau le plus bas (communication très personnelle et intime comme exprimer des sentiments et des émotions), au niveau le plus élevé (discours impersonnel).
Niveau 4 : contextes et situations dans lesquels la communication se produit.

Un tel modèle peut être considéré comme une définition, puisqu'il décrit la communication humaine dans très structuré et facile-à-comprend la manière.