Multimedia beyond video-on-demand

We explore future multimedia application scenarios, using a shared virtual shopping experience as an example. We sketch the overall system architecture, discuss the networking requirements, and describe a user interface for such a system. Our software architecture relies on a distributed, shared object space. We introduce a classification of objects into behavior, service, and resource types. As for networking, the need for a sophisticated call and connection management, the integration of communication services, “plug and play” capabilities of mobile terminals, and the seamless integration of wired and wireless networks are explained. For the user interface we describe the use of a pseudo-3D information landscape populated by active objects, navigation by flying over the landscape, object manipulation via active tools, an integrated approach to searching and browsing, and the concept of “shared virtual spaces” for communication and collaborative applications