intro.sgml

Intercom 是一个 Unix系统上灵活的语音传输软件。支持标准音频压缩比如GSM, G.711, and G.72x和其他音频编码。Intercom专为高速网络设计来传输高品质的语音

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<chapter id="intro">
<title>Introduction>
<section id="intro-whatis">
<title>What is Intercom</title>

<para>Intercom aimes to be a high-quality voice communication tool for use
over the InterNet or a local area network.  As needs in this area are
diverse, it allows many of its audio parameters to be changed by the user,
enabling one to choose between voice quality and bandwidth consumption.  The
customizability doesn't end there however.  Command hooks and conditional
execution make it possible for external programs and environment variables
to influence Intercom's behavior.</para>

</section>

<section id="intro-why">
<title>Why use Intercom</title>

<para>When I first decided to write Intercom, several such utilities already
existed in a mature state of development.  However, I found that they
lacked many of the features I needed in a voice over IP application, the
most important of which being high audio quality.  Unfortunately, adding
this and the configurability I wanted in Intercom would have meant extending
the communication protocols of these utilities in an incompatable
way.</para>

</section>

<section id="intro-features">
<title>Features at a Glance</title>

<para>The following is a brief list of features Intercom provides.  For
more information, please see the relevant sections of this manual.</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>Flexible audio parameters:
Audio parameters are configurable from the sampling rate, to the compression
codec to the silence suppression options.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Audio encryption:
Intercom's ability to encrypt audio data using several methods
makes it suitable for secure audio communication.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Advanced command interface:
Intercom has a powerful command interface, employing a shell-like
syntax including command-aliases, and backquote/environment
expansion</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>ReadLine support:
Support for the GNU REadLine library enables features like line editing, and
command history.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Ability to interface with external programs:
If needed, the user can use an external program or script to perform certain
actions.  For example, a shell script could decide whether to automatically
accept/reject a call based on caller or the time of day.</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>

</section>

</chapter>