Designed as a textbook for introductory courses in data communication and networks as well as for advanced courses in networked multimedia systems, this book focusses its attention on both multimedia information and the techniques and technologies used in making this information available on computer networks. The text offers a unified viewpoint of multimedia systems, information systems and computer networking, which together make up the composite field of multimedia information networking. The book describes all the components necessary to understand multimedia communication from basic technologies and communication systems, protocol and networks, to a variety of multimedia applications. Beginning with an analysis of the fundamental concepts applied in multimedia and basic principles of networking and communication, the text gradually introduces the reader to the more complex and advanced issues such as Wide Area Networks, internetworking, ATM Systems, and multimedia information networks. Today, when multimedia application on the Internet including personalized communications such as Internet phone and videophone, and interaction applications like video on demand, video conferencing, distance learning, digital libraries, and interactive televisions are increasingly being used, this text should prove both timely and highly useful to the student as well as the professional. CONTENTS: An Overview of Multimedia Information Networking. Multimedia Information Representation. Data Communications Principles. Data Communications Protocols. Networking Fundamentals. Multimedia Applications. Temporal Relationships. Networking Devices. Wide Area Networks. Local Area Networks. Internetworking and Asynchronous Transfer Mode. Multimedia Information Networks. Information Network Design and Simulation. Multimedia Data Compression. Acronyms. Glossary. References. Index.