The interface of audio and video, called web cam chat conferencing (formerly videoconferencing), allows people in different locations to come together. Whether it is a point-to-point conversation between two people in different locations, or a multi-point conversation between large groups in several locations, video web cam conferencing utilizes audio and video mediums to transmit meeting activities. Not only does it transmit meeting activities, it shares whiteboards, documents and computer-displayed information.

In the 1980s, digital telephony transmission networks assured a minimum bit rate for compressed video and audio transmission. As networks started to expand throughout the world, the first dedicated systems started to appear on the market. This evolution continued throughout the 1990s, when video teleconference systems went from being very expensive, privately held equipment, network requirements and software to technology available to the general public at an affordable cost.