Natural presence-truth, lies and audio [telephony]

The author suggests that the telephone today is like the horse and cart before the coming of the railways and the car. Horses and carts have not disappeared, but we no longer use them in the same way. The world-wide effects of competition and convergence are rapidly reinforcing the effects of new technology and creating the need for a new mode of thinking. The author believes that the greatest challenge in the future of telephony is not the design of a new device or a novel application but the construction of an entirely fresh mindset for both engineers and managers in telecommunications. This paper discusses potential developments in the technology and application of telephony, make some predictions and explore a few metaphors to foster a fresh view of where the art of telephony might be going