real-time communications

RTC can take place in half-duplex or full-duplex modes. In half-duplex RTC, data can be transmitted in both directions on a single carrier or circuit but not at the same time. In full-duplex RTC, data can be transmitted in both directions simultaneously on a single carrier or circuit. RTC generally refers to peer-to-peer communications, not broadcast or multicast.

In RTC, there is always a direct path between the source and the destination. Although the link might contain several intermediate nodes, the data goes from source to destination without having to be stored anyplace. In contrast, timeshifting communications always involves some form of data storage between the source and the destination.

Real-time communications can include:

• Telephony in the conventional sense
• Mobile and cellular telephone
• Two-way or multi-way amateur radio
• IM (instant messaging)
• VoIP (Voice over IP, also called Internet telephone)
• IRC (Internet Relay Chat) or other chatting modes
• Live videoconference communications
• Live teleconference communications
• Robotic telepresence.

When you leave messages by email, on a bulletin board or on a blog, you're communicating in timeshifting mode, not real-time mode. There is a significant delay between the transmission and the receipt of the information.

Several variants of the term "real-time communications" are used by corporations as business names.

Read more about real-time communications: - In the United States, most RTC is governed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). - RTC worldwide is overseen by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know. Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com

Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

RELATED CONTENT Reality Check: Enterprise IM security and social networking security Learn about the best practices for maintaining enterprise IM security and social networking security policies, especially when it comes to securing... Top 20 unified communications and IP telephony questions and answers 2008 Our experts were busy this year answering your questions about unified communication and IP telephony. Presence: The heart of unified communications Presence has evolved from a simple status update to one of unified communications most central technologies.

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary instant messaging  (SearchUnifiedCommunications.com) Instant messaging (sometimes called IM or IMing) is the ability to easily see whether a chosen friend or co-worker is connected to the Internet and,... presence leveraging  (SearchUnifiedCommunications.com) Presence leveraging refers to any technology that supports and expands presence, the ability of a network subscriber to locate and identify any other...