Videoconferencing, in common with most Information Technology (IT) related fields, has its own language, jargon and engineering standards. To the newcomer, the range and number of different standards can be bewildering. Unless the reader has a background in telecommunications most of these standards are unlikely to be familiar and even then only those directly involved with networking/videoconferencing are likely to be completely conversant with them. A basic understanding of the standards
is, however, essential for those who have the responsibility of selecting videoconferencing equipment for an organisation.

The aim of this document is to provide a basic explanation of the standards most likely to be encountered in equipment suppliers’ technical information. In education, two transmission methods, Internet Protocol (IP) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), are the ones most likely to be encountered so this paper will pay particular attention to these two areas.