We understand multimedia systems being characterized by the integrated computer-controlled generation, manipulation, presentation, storage, and communication of independent discrete and continuous media. Both synchronization and resource management are considered to be fundamental problems in multimedia systems. In this context, the notion synchronization covers a wide range of aspects, such as the synchonous play-out of multimedia data as well as orchestration the activities of collaborating team members. Resource management forms the basis for communication and computation in multimedia systems, and in particular for synchronization.

Synchronization of multimedia data can be considered at two levels of abstractions, the stream level and object level. Similarly, for the synchronization of user activities in cooperative environments, one can distinguish between the synchronization of user interactions on shared data and the coordination of team members.

Resource management and synchronization are strongly interrelated. Appropriate resource reservation and scheduling techniques are used to ensure the required quality of service (QoS). Those techniques as well as QoS specifications are to be considered at the network and operating system level. In addition, QoS is an issue at the end-user interface.

The seminar brought together researchers from the different areas of synchronization and resource management. The participants investigated what new requirements for synchronization and resource management are emerging from advanced multimedia applications, such as virtual reality, interactive TV and interactive games. The goal of the seminar was beyond a discussion of the impact of those requirements on synchronization and resource management methods at the various levels of abstraction; it was to indicate the interrelationships between these levels and areas and to discuss the issue of an integrated synchronization architecture. Topics treated at the seminar include:

• Requirements emerging from new multimedia environments
• QoS specification for synchronization and resource management at various abstraction levels
• QoS mapping
• Models and algorithms for stream and object synchronization
• Models and algorithms for synchronization in cooperative multimedia environments
• Resource reservation versus no reservation
• Scheduling techniques for continuous media
• Dependencies between resource management and synchronization
• Integrated synchronization architecture
• Demos of applications

We thank all our colleagues for their very active participation and contributions to our research community.