Which of the following terms is about communicating the user’s need and ability to communicate, and the medium through which that communication may occur?

A.
Data sharing

B.
Presence

C.
Instant messaging

D.
Audio conferencing

Explanation:
Presence, in the world of telephony, is about communicating the user’s need and ability to communicate, and the medium through which that communication may occur. If a user is connected to the Internet, presence may dictate that the user wants to be reached through the medium of IP telephony. The point of presence is to allow the user to be located and contacted wherever the user is physically using the preferred method of the user.

Answer option A is incorrect. Data sharing is one important element of collaboration. H.323 also offers data sharing as an optional capability. Data sharing is the practice of making data used for scholarly research available to other investigators.

Answer option D is incorrect. Audio conferencing is a method of communication in which the calling party wishes to have more than one called party listens in to the audio portion of the call. The conference calls may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party merely listens into the call and cannot speak. It can be designed so that the calling party calls the other participants and adds them to the call.

Answer option C is incorrect. Instant messaging (IM) is a form of real-time direct text-based communication between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared software clients. The user’s text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet. More advanced instant messaging software clients also allow enhanced modes of communication, such as live voice or video calling.

IM falls under the umbrella term online chat, as it is a real-time text-based networked communication system, but is distinct in that it is based on clients that facilitate connections between specified known users (often using Buddy List, Friend List or Contact List), whereas online chat also includes web-based applications that allow communication between users in a multi-user environment.