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Survivor's Guide to 2006: Messaging and Collaboration: Page 7 of 12

On the video codec side, expect to see H.264. This is a relatively new format, yet it delivers some of the best video for slower links. It also requires a lot less bandwidth--nearly 50 percent less. We should also see more vendors release high-definition video and support surround-sound audio in 2006. The prices of HD TVs and surround systems have fallen, but sending this type of content will require new cameras and microphones. Vendors like LifeSize say HD conferencing offers a more lifelike experience, and that new experience will convince companies to start videoconferencing where standard definition conferencing would have failed. We can see some logic here. Whether HD is that much better to elevate HD from buzzword to useful component remains to be seen.

Another standard that's been around for a few years but really took off in 2005 is RSS, a chief component of blogs and podcasts. We expect RSS to become very popular with Web surfers, especially after Microsoft releases the next version of Internet Explorer. Feeds can be set up for press releases, product listings, investor relations information, upcoming events and so forth. Fortunately, RSS is easy to implement, and some blogging engines will handle it for you.

The most difficult part of having a successful blog or podcast is regular updates. Frequency isn't as important as regularity. If you announce that you update every Monday morning, people will expect an update. A lack of regular updates will kill popularity and may alienate visitors. Not having clear editorial policies about external facing content, or draconian oversight of postings, will also curtail these new media initiatives.

We've all read the stories in major newspapers about employees getting fired over their personal blog postings. Employees must be told, in clear language, what's allowed and what isn't. These media are also intended to be more raw and personal, not filtered. If content must be run through, sanitized and rewritten by the PR department before being posted online, nobody will care about it.

Michael J. DeMaria is a technology editor based at Network Computing's Syracuse University Real-World Labs®. Write to him at [email protected].