Enhancing network services through multimedia data analysers

This paper summarises our experience of using data analysers to enhance network multimedia services. By analysers we mean simple processing modules that extract information contained in various multimedia streams. They are categorised based on their location with respect to the network, the location being determined by balancing bandwidth requirements and computational complexity. Various applications are described where analysers are used to enhance aspects of the service provided. Details of the multimedia environment are given, followed by an overview of the analyser architecture and examples of analyser-enhanced applications. The paper is concluded by indicating directions of future development.