What do I do as a software architect?

"I am the Architect. I created the matrix. I’ve been waiting for you." -- The Architect

I present my view on what an architect does or should do? And what are the important things to keep in mind in my opinion? 

Topics: Introduction. Making decisions using trade-offs. Research and evaluate technology and tools. Create proof-of-concept of big picture. Systematically divide the goal into smaller solvable problems. Create knowledge base and training for others. Continuous monitoring and improvement of the system. Identify and address disruptive technologies. Conclusions.

A journey through real time...

I did my first project on real-time communications in 1997. In the past two decades I did numerous projects in this general area. In particular, these were related to voice over IP (VoIP), multimedia and web communication. As 2016 comes to an end, I reminisce my 20-year journey. I attempt to capture the gist of my projects. How my project themes and ideas evolved over time?

Irony in Internet Communications

We live in a world where

1. first, we build Internet Protocol over phone network (modem), and then we build a phone system over Internet Protocol (VoIP),
2. first, we build a phone system to run on Internet (VoIP), and then drive the internet from our phones (smart phones),
3. first, we build open communication on top of monopolies (Internet over PSTN), and then build closed communication on top of that to promote monopolies (Facetime, Skype, or you-name-it-here).

Wouldn't it be easier if we start afresh?

Internet Video Communication: Past, Present and Future

I gave a presentation last month titled Hello 1 2 3, can you hear see me now? highlighting my point of view on the origins of Internet video communication technologies we see today. The full text of the presentation can be found at Internet video communication: past, present and future.

Modern video communication systems have roots in several technologies: transporting video over phone lines, using multicast on Internet2's Mbone, adding video to voice-over-IP (VoIP), and adding interactivity in existing streaming applications. Although the Internet telephony and multimedia communication protocols have matured over the last fifteen years, they are largely being used for interconnectivity among closed networks of telecom services. Recently, the world wide web has evolved as a popular platform for everything we do on the Internet including email, text chat, voice calls, discussions, enterprise applications and multi-party collaboration. Unfortunately, there is a disconnect between the web and traditional Internet telephony protocols as they have ignored the constraints and requirements of each other. Consequently, Adobe's Flash Player is being used as a web browser plugin by many developers for voice and video calls over the web.

Learning from the mistakes of the past and knowing where we stand at present will help us build the Internet video communication systems of the future. I present my point of view on the evolution, challenges and mistakes of the past, and, moving forward, describe the challenges in bridging the gap between web and VoIP. I highlight my contributions at various stages in the journey of Internet audio/video communication protocols.