The range of solutions for creating digital microscopic and gross images is broad. For a modest sum one can purchase adapters for a standard video camera and capture diagnostic quality images for use in telepathology. The preferred solution would be an analog RGB or digital camera with more than just image processing software. Certainly this is an attractive feature for large academic centers but as the technology evolves, aggressive marketing of these integrated products will be directed at community hospitals.
Digital image archiving as part of the patient record is probably here to stay.
The telecommunications industry is changing rapidly, with many mergers and alliances forming to strategically position for a huge growth market, to provide Internet access to the masses. The result is continued rapid development of network and data transmission technologies. All of this is good news for those looking to develop an Internet server site. The current publicity regarding corporate positioning for WWW browser dominance, and ultimately OS, Internet server and application software, is very good news for the consumer as the competition has significantly reduced cost. Trends are toward an integrated software solution and many server systems sold today have extensive preloaded software.