Since the release of the first internet phone in 1995, the use of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) has grown exponentially, so that today it is an established and popular technology for real-time communications in both business and daily life.

This Guide to Voice and Video over IP introduces the fundamental techniques underpinning the huge success and global penetration of VoIP. After highlighting the benefits and growing importance of VoIP, the text presents a review of the latest advances in speech and video compression, computer networking protocols, the assessment and monitoring of VoIP quality, and next generation network architectures for multimedia services. Numerous practical examples, complete with real trace data, illustrate and explain the concepts.^ The book also concludes with three case studies, each presenting easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions together with challenging hands-on exercises.

Topics and features:

• Provides illustrative worked examples and end-of-chapter problems, enabling readers to check their understanding and stretch their knowledge
• Examines speech and video compression techniques, together with speech and video compression standards
• Describes the media transport protocols RTP and RTCP, as well as the VoIP signalling protocols SIP and SDP
• Discusses the concepts of VoIP quality of service and quality of experience
• Reviews next-generation networks based on the IP multimedia subsystem and mobile VoIP
• Presents case studies on building a VoIP system based on Asterisk, setting up a mobile VoIP system based on Open IMS and Android mobile,^ and analysing VoIP protocols and quality

This teaching lab and classroom-tested textbook/guide is ideal for final-year undergraduate and first-year postgraduate courses in computer science and electronic engineering. Engineers in industry, and others with a general interest in VoIP, will also find this an invaluable practical reference.

Dr. Lingfen Sun is Associate Professor (Reader) in Multimedia Communications and Networks at the School of Computing and Mathematics, University of Plymouth, UK. Dr. Emmanuel C. Ifeachor is Professor of Intelligent Electronic Systems and Head of the Signal Processing and Multimedia Communication research group at the University of Plymouth. Dr. Is-Haka Mkwawa and Dr. Emmanuel Jammeh are Research Fellows at the same institution.