Dennis A. Paoletti
Paoletti Associates, Inc., 40 Gold St., San Francisco, CA 94133
Audio and video teleconferencing equipment and room facilities have emerged as one of the fastest growing areas of communication and business technology. The acoustic environment is an extremely important component in (determining) the success of the teleconferencing experience. Additionally, other environmental factors such as: architectural space planning, design aesthetics, color, thermal, lighting, operations, etc. must also be considered. This paper will present a summary of the significant acoustical parameters and key environmental factors that impact the design and functional use of audio and video teleconferencing facilities, whether teleconferencing equipment is portable or permanently built-in. (This paper acknowledges the work of Michael Sullivan, Kurt Graffy, and John Whitcomb, audiovisual consultants and teleconferencing systems designers at Paoletti Associates, Inc.)