Ebook: Advanced IT Tools: IFIP World Conference on IT Tools 2–6 September 1996, Canberra, Australia

TRACK 1: Innovative Applications in the Public Sector The integration of multimedia based applications and the information superhighway fundamentally concerns the creation of a communication technology to support the ac­ tivities of people. Communication is a profoundly social activity involving interactions among groups or individuals, common standards of exchange, and national infrastruc­ tures to support telecommunications activities. The contributions of the invited speakers and others in this track begin to explore the social dimension of communication within the context of integrated, information systems for the public sector. Interactions among businesses and households are described by Ralf Strauss through the development within a real community of a "wired city" with information and electronic services provided by the latest telecommunications technologies. A more specific type of interaction between teacher and student forms the basis of education. John Tiffin demonstrates how virtual classrooms can be used to augment the educational process. Carl Loeffler presents yet another perspective on interaction through the integration of A-life and agent technologies to investigate the dynamics of complex behaviors within networked simulation environments. Common standards for communication in the form of electronic documents or CSCW (Computer Supported Cooperative Work), according to Roland Traunmiiller, provide en­ abling technologies for a paradigm shift in the management of organizations. As pointed out by William Olle, the impact of standardization work on the future of information technology depends critically upon the interoperability of software systems.

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This book provides a state-of-the-art review of information technology tools for multimedia and its applications. It explores specifically the integration of multimedia applications and the information superhighway. The book is divided into three main parts. Part one discusses innovative applications in the public sector. Multimedia and intelligent systems will have a significant influence in many aspects of the public sector in the future. Part two is entitled Innovative Applications on the Horizon, and is concerned with turning current technological opportunities into real benefits in the future. Part three, Intelligent Systems, deals with systems used for application development, platforms for these systems and intelligent applications.