video conferencing

To conduct a conference between two or more participants at different locations, using computer networks or the Internet to transmit audio and video data.

For example, a point-to-point (two-person) video conferencing system works much like a video telephone. Each participant has a video camera, a microphone, and speakers mounted onto his or her computer. As the two participants speak to one another, their voices are carried over the network and delivered to the other's speakers; whatever images appear in front of the video camera will appear in a window on the other participant's monitor (so be careful not to come to this conference in your underwear).

Multi-point video conferencing allows three or more participants to sit in a virtual conference room and communicate as if they were sitting right next to each other. Easy to use software programs, such as CUSeeMe and CoolTalk, brought video conferencing to the Internet to be later replaced by software such as Skype and Zoom.