This volume provides much-needed coverage of the technical background to the development of multimedia applications. Based on an advanced summer school run by the University of Twente, each chapter is written by an expert in a particular topic, including enabling technologies, operating systems, index structures for multimedia, and communication issues. There is also a comprehensive discussion of the factors which determine the success or failure of database applications in the real-world, based on new multimedia projects in Dutch industries and service companies. Multimedia Databases in Perspective is an advanced textbook aimed at final year undergraduate students, and MSc and PhD students studying databases, database management, information systems, and multimedia applications. It will also be of interest to researchers in the above areas, and DBMS developers working in the software industry.