Concept searching helps users to search for an idea instead of an exact word. Concept searching is a particularly important tool for the Internet since information is coming from such diverse sources and can be expected to contain a rich variety of words. Increased Use of Multimedia. Audio, video, and virtual reality are currently being used by a limited number of Web sites to improve the effectiveness of their presentations. Widespread use of these technologies will have to await improvements in bandwidth since the amount of data needed to be transmitted over the network is far greater with multimedia applications than with simple text or graphics.
Multimedia can have a tremendous impact on the effectiveness of information delivery.
Instructions for assembling a complex product, for example, are more easily grasped when viewed in three dimensional mode where the product can be rotated and even seen from the inside out. As another example, a government official's address to the public has more meaning and impact when the inflections and emotions can be heard through audio, enhancing what can be gained from a written text of the same speech. As data transmission speeds continue to rise while prices for bandwidth drop, multimedia will play an ever increasing role in effective delivery of information. While the emergence of these new technologies provides exciting opportunities for improved information delivery, their use often comes at a cost. This cost may take the form of an increased demand on the service deliverer, requiring specialized skills, increased time to implement, or the cost of additional hardware and software.