Audio-visual System Research Articles

CSLNSpeech: Solving the extended speech separation problem with the help of Chinese sign language

Previous audio-visual speech separation methods synchronize the speaker's facial movement and speech in the video to self-supervise the speech separation. In this paper, we propose a model to solve the speech separation problem assisted by both face and sign language, which we call the extended speech separation problem. We design a general deep learning network to learn the combination of three modalities, audio, face, and sign language information, to solve the speech separation problem better. We introduce a large-scale dataset named the Chinese Sign Language News Speech (CSLNSpeech) dataset to train the model, in which three modalities coexist: audio, face, and sign language. Experimental results show that the proposed model performs better and is more robust than the usual audio-visual system. In addition, the sign language modality can also be used alone to supervise speech separation tasks, and introducing sign language helps hearing-impaired people learn and communicate. Last, our model is a general speech separation framework and can achieve very competitive separation performance on two open-source audio-visual datasets. The code is available at https://github.com/iveveive/SLNSpeech

Use of Technologies in Music Therapy Clinical Practice

Abstract Music therapy, an innovative treatment, is a proven complementary therapy that incorporates the nature and potential of music to promote individuals’ health and recovery from disease at emotional, superfluous, cognitive, and physiological levels. The objective of this literature review is to examine the adoption of technologies in music therapy starting with easy use and moving to improved benefits. A narrative review method was used in this study recognizing a broad range of scholarly articles, product literature and research papers adopting systematic method while stressing on the applicability of the technological solutions in clinical care settings. The review shows that it is possible to use musical instrument digital interface devices, speech-based emotion recognition, room acoustic measurement software, as well as applications for interactive music composing to increase the effectiveness of music therapy. For example, interactive audio visual (AV) systems and music identification (MID) will enable the clinicians to create patient’s profile; on the other hand, adaptive musical instruments and motion sensing interface will allow patients with physical impairment to play an active role in musical performance. The conclusions underline the possibilities of using applications for training metronome for gait, a speech-emotion recognition tool for monitoring patients’ states, and video analysis for assessing session effectiveness. However, these developments clearly depict some impediments which hinder the entrance of these technologies in areas such as India due to ignorance, high costs, and op tilting towards resistance. In conclusion, one can state that although the new technologies are the valuable potential in changing the stream of music therapy where effective and efficient therapeutic approaches are in high demand, further intensity of efforts and actions to spread awareness, make therapies affordable and integrate into the clinical and educational practice is needed. The consequent of this review is to provide for further programs in research toward formation of more cultured and easily reachable technicalities of the musical therapy so as to improve the medical benefits of music therapy.

Learning Management System Usage On Teaching and Learning in Akatsi College of Education

The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of Learning Management System (LMS) usage in education in public College of Education using Akatsi College of Education as a case study organization. However, the specific objectives to be included are to identify the Learning Management System (LMS currently in use to support teaching and learning at Akatsi College of Education, assess the extent of the adoption of Learning Management System (LMS by Akatsi College of Education in teaching and learning and ascertain challenges that the management of the College is encountering in the use of Learning Management System (LMS. The study used the descriptive survey method as the research design. The selected population for the study was the staff, management and students of College in Akatsi. A sample size of 120 was used. This was made up of 5 Heads of Department, and 15 tutors and 100 students. By this, the sampling method that was used in selecting the lecturers and staff is convenience sampling technique, while the simple random sampling technique was used in selecting the students. The main instrument that was used for the collection of data is the questionnaire and primary data and secondary data were used as sources of data. The findings of the study showed that some of the Learning Management System (LMS) devices used at the College include projectors, internet and telecommunication systems, audio and video visual communication systems, telephone, computers, fax machines and many others. These resources enable them to serve the university community better. Besides, the College has further employed an application called MOODLE that has all students and tutors enrolled on. This to them provides the platform for assessing the students and tutors. Recommendations were that it is important that LMS systems at College are made available to every member of the College whether student, tutors or a non-teaching staff. From the study, ICT systems have been very effective in ensuring the productivity of users including teachers and non-teachers. Significantly, not all the respondents admitted that they use Learning Management System (LMS) system of the university. However, if the College wants to achieve productivity across the College, then the need to ensure that every member of the university is made to use LMS in their functions.

Space shaping in the design process for creative coding: a case study in media multiplicities

ABSTRACT This paper describes the design process for The Mind at Work, a light and sound art installation using networked devices, as a case study in working creatively with complex and unknown technological systems. The art installation evoked the development of a reusable framework for making scalable, re-configurable, audiovisual systems, while creating a specific artwork for a gallery exhibition. The development process was observed systematically to understand how creative coders navigate the challenge of integrating the technical and aesthetic considerations simultaneously. Building on existing design literature, the research is centred on an activity we call space shaping: setting up an environment to create tools for exploration. We consider critical points in the design process which affect how space shaping takes place.

Relationship Between Patient-Friendly Audiovisual Systems and MRI Contrast Agent to Adverse Reactions.

Patient-friendly audiovisual (AV) systems in head MRI examinations can potentially reduce patient anxiety and contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) adverse reactions to gadolinium. To evaluate whether a patient-friendly AV system reduces the rate of adverse reactions to gadolinium-based contrast agents. Retrospective. Four thousand eight hundred thirty-two outpatients (2462 female) attending for clinical CE-MRI studies. (Gadoteridol: 1971, Meglumine gadoterate: 2733, Gadobutrol: 128.) FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Routine CE-MRI of head and neck using a 1.5 T or 3 T scanner with or without a patient-friendly AV system. One thousand one hundred fifty-nine patients were scanned on MRI machines equipped with patient-friendly AV systems (AV group) and 3673 on MRI machines without AV systems (control group). Adverse reaction rate and symptoms were reviewed by referring to the system database and electronic medical records and compared between the two groups. Adverse reactions were defined as physiological reactions, such as vomiting and allergic-like reactions, such as urticaria, occurring within 1 hour of contrast injection. We compare patient backgrounds, adverse reaction rate, adverse reactions symptoms and the severity between the two groups. Adverse reaction rate with and without a patient-friendly AV system were compared using Fisher's exact test. The relationship between patient-friendly AV systems and the occurrence of adverse reactions was evaluated with logistic regression. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Of the 4832 patients enrolled, 65 (1.35%) experienced adverse reactions. The most common adverse reactions in both groups were urticaria and pruritus. Adverse reaction rate was significantly lower in the AV group than in the control group (0.7% vs. 1.6%). No significant difference was observed in the severity (P = 1.000) of adverse reactions and symptoms (allergic-like reaction: P = 0.08, physiologic reaction: P = 1.000) between the two groups. The patient-friendly AV system significantly reduce adverse reaction occurrence to gadolinium-based contrast agents. 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.

Audiovisual Tracking of Multiple Speakers in Smart Spaces.

This paper presents GAVT, a highly accurate audiovisual 3D tracking system based on particle filters and a probabilistic framework, employing a single camera and a microphone array. Our first contribution is a complex visual appearance model that accurately locates the speaker's mouth. It transforms a Viola & Jones face detector classifier kernel into a likelihood estimator, leveraging knowledge from multiple classifiers trained for different face poses. Additionally, we propose a mechanism to handle occlusions based on the new likelihood's dispersion. The audio localization proposal utilizes a probabilistic steered response power, representing cross-correlation functions as Gaussian mixture models. Moreover, to prevent tracker interference, we introduce a novel mechanism for associating Gaussians with speakers. The evaluation is carried out using the AV16.3 and CAV3D databases for Single- and Multiple-Object Tracking tasks (SOT and MOT, respectively). GAVT significantly improves the localization performance over audio-only and video-only modalities, with up to 50.3% average relative improvement in 3D when compared with the video-only modality. When compared to the state of the art, our audiovisual system achieves up to 69.7% average relative improvement for the SOT and MOT tasks in the AV16.3 dataset (2D comparison), and up to 18.1% average relative improvement in the MOT task for the CAV3D dataset (3D comparison).

Determining student engagement in bedside and remote observation of patient simulation: A pilot study

The aim of this study was to determine which design is more effective in engaging observers, remotely or at the bedside. MethodsThis mixed methods study of a convenient sample of 109 nursing students and 19 faculty observing simulation. Participants were surveyed after each scenario. At the end of the semester, participants were surveyed, and focus groups were conducted. ResultsSeventy-five percent of the faculty felt that observing at the bedside kept the students more engaged and interested. Approximately 67% of students felt that observing at the bedside kept them more engaged and interested than remote observation. 55% of students and 58% of faculty preferred bedside observation. DiscussionPrograms with limited resources that have a traditional learning resource laboratory with a bed and bedside table can still be effective with simulation. Students that are observing simulation can stay interested, engaged and attentive. Students and faculty preferred observing at the bedside rather than through an audiovisual system.

Tele-orthodontics and sensor-based technologies: a systematic review of interventions that monitor and improve compliance of orthodontic patients.

Recent advances in orthodontics offer appealing tools to monitor compliance and designate protocols to enhance it. This systematic review of systematic reviews (SRs) aimed to assess the effectiveness of digitized communication methods and sensor-based devices that track compliance in orthodontic patients. Five electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and EMBASE) were searched from database inception up to 4 December 2022. SRs using digitized systems and sensor-based technologies to monitor and/or improve compliance with orthodontic treatment or during an active retention phase were included. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment using the AMSTAR 2 tool were performed independently by two review authors. A qualitative synthesis of outcomes from moderate- and high-quality SRs was provided, and evidence was graded in accordance with a scale of statements. A total of 846 unique citations were retrieved. After study selection, 18 SRs met the inclusion criteria, and 9 moderate- and high-quality reviews were further integrated into the qualitative synthesis. Digitized communication methods were found to be effective in improving compliance with oral hygiene practices and adherence to orthodontic appointments. Monitoring removable appliance wear with microsensors revealed sub-optimal levels of compliance with wear instructions of intra-oral and extra-oral appliances. One review discussed the informational value of social media platforms and their importance in guiding the decision-making process to seek orthodontic treatment and compliance-related experiences. The variability in the quality of included SRs and the limited number of primary studies on certain outcomes present as limitations within this overview. The integration of tele-orthodontics and sensor-based technologies to improve and monitor compliance within orthodontic practices is promising. There is sufficient evidence that establishing communication channels with orthodontic patients through reminders and audiovisual systems positively impact their oral hygiene practices throughout orthodontic treatment. However, understanding the informational value of social media as communication channels between clinicians and their patients, and their overall effect on modulating compliance is still insufficient. CRD42022331346.

Optimizing the Use of Android-Based Audio Visual Integrated System (AVIS) Application in Theory Exam of Driving License Service by Traffic Unit of Cimahi Resort Police

The innovation of the android-based audio visual integrated system (AVIS) online limited area application by the Cimahi police resort, which is relatively new, still requires a lot of improvement and refinement. This study aimed to determine the use of the Android-based limited area online AVIS application and how to optimizing of the AVIS application. This research was conducted with a qualitative approach, using descriptive analysis research methods, as well as data collection techniques by interviewing, observing, and document review. The study found that the use of AVIS application based on components of the law, facilities, infrastructure, internal control, and performance evaluation of executors has not met the standards. Influencing factors, namely innovation, communication channels, and social systems, are inhibiting factors. In conclusion, optimizing the use of the android-based limited area AVIS online application in the SIM theory test service by the Cimahi Police Traffic Unit based on the Public Service Improvement Theory by Kearns (2010) can be done through 4 strategies, namely growth strategy, efficiency increasing strategy, stability strategy, and collaboration strategy.

Graficzne wizualizacje dźwięku i zbiorów danych

The article presents various approaches in the field of sound visualization based on hi-tech audiovisual systems and specialized software targeted at generating diverse graphical forms responding to sound in real-time. Concepts of interactive audiovisual systems, sound-reactive programming software and immersive environments refer to synergy of sound, visuals and gestures. They explore relationships between musical structures and abstract predesigned shapes rendered in real-time. The overview of chromo-stereoscopic 3D visualizing technic and its applications is also given.

Divide and Distill: New Outlooks on Knowledge Distillation for Environmental Sound Classification

Environmental sound classification (ESC) is an important research problem with a broad range of applications including audio-based surveillance, audio-visual systems, smart homes, and robotics, among others. The recently proposed vision multi-layer perceptron-mixer (MLP-mixer) has outperformed traditional deep models (CNN or ResNet) and attained new state-of-the-art performances for several computer vision applications (image/video classification and image segmentation). Following the success of MLP-mixer, in this paper, we propose a novel audio MLP-mixer (AMM) network that classifies the different types of environmental sounds. Despite the higher performance, the high computational cost (number of trainable parameters and floating point operations) prohibits deployment of the AMM model on edge for designing real-life applications. To alleviate the aforementioned issue, in this work, we present three different knowledge distillation (KD) strategies to train a compact deep network for ESC. The proposed strategies divide the input Mel-spectrogram into patches and a lightweight deep ESC model is trained in the presence of three teacher networks under the offline KD training framework. Additionally, we have designed two novel loss functions for KD that are free from a temperature parameter that need to be set manually by a user as in the case of the traditional vanilla KD technique. We conducted our experiments on three benchmark ESC datasets namely ESC-10, Urbansound8k (US8K), and DCASE-2019 Task-1(A). The obtained results demonstrate the significance of utilization of proposed methods over other existing KD methods in terms of classification accuracy.

RETFAL: Real-Time Feedback System in Active Learning

There are numerous difficulties and challenges faced by teachers in getting real-time feedback from students during lectures in active learning. Three different educational technologies will be investigated in this paper regarding their efficiency and cost effectiveness: (1) Wireless Systems; (2) Tablet Systems; and (3) Audio-Visual Systems. To that end, we propose a new system called Real-Time Feedback in Active Learning system (RETFAL), which is a phone-based application with a view to assist educators in getting real-time feedback. The RETFAL system is implemented on the Android Studio platform using the Java programming language. We validate our RETFAL system using usability testing via an online survey and a face-to-face survey. Finally, we do a comparative study involving the RETFAL system and the LearnStar system in terms of effectiveness and performance. We find that our proposed RETFAL system performs better than the LearnStar system in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness with regard to real-time feedback. With RETFAL, we anticipate the performance of students can be improved with effective real-time feedback in active learning.

Livestreamed cross-institutional hybrid simulations on healthcare inequality: a time, cost and environmentally friendly opportunity for large group learning?

Students intercalating in BSc Urgent and Emergency Care/BSc Critical Care degrees undertake placements in 32 NHS Trusts across the UK. A collaborative simulation day was planned between the University and a geographically distant hospital, aiming to explore bias within healthcare. Inequality has been examined through simulation previously and recommendations exist on maximising simulation effectiveness [1]. A hybrid simulation day took place with 11 students present ‘in-situ’ and 49 remote students across the UK joining a livestream. High-definition cameras provided multi-angle simulation views plus a patient monitor with separate audio from ceiling-mounted boundary microphones. A webcam and cardioid microphone captured the debriefing. The free programme OBS Studio controlled the livestream as a single ‘virtual camera’, with test results overlaid as appropriate. Scenarios involved an atypical myocardial infarction, sickle cell crisis, and female genital mutilation/trauma in pregnancy. Feedback from learners (n=21) rated the content most useful for ‘trauma in pregnancy’ (2.95/5) and ‘teamworking’ (2.90/5), whilst ‘networking with peers’ was lowest rated (2.21/5). Scenarios were realistic (75%) and appropriate for training level (86%). However, the audio-visual system was rated adequate by only 57%. Comments described difficulty with simultaneous speech during the simulation. Satisfaction with reflective debriefing was 76%, however free-text comments revealed verbal feedback delivered to simulation teams by ‘remote’ peers was perceived more critically than feedback received from local faculty. A novel technological setup with OBS Studio was used for a collaborative simulation event viewed across the UK. Scenarios were rated positively. There was difficulty discerning multiple audio streams during the simulation. We plan to provide team leaders with dedicated microphones for overall commentary. We recognised the lack of diversity in simulation manikins within the host hospital and, as recommended [1], are now arranging representative manikins that can be used routinely and not for stereotypical scenarios. Feedback from a remote group to a smaller ‘in-situ’ participant group can feel daunting and direct. This may reflect the challenging topics explored, but also difficulties recognising the nuances of nonverbal cues in a virtual space. As such, care must be taken with ground rules, and facilitating appropriate exploration of learning points. Although feedback has identified areas for improvement, hybrid simulation can deliver immersive experiences to geographically-dispersed learners which are time- and cost-effective, with reduced environmental impact from travel. Alongside allowing physical-distancing, it may support distance-learning and facilitate cross-institutional collaborations. We recommend exploring OBS Studio for livestreaming simulations [2]. 1. Vora S, Dahlen B, Adler M, Kessler DO, Jones VF, Kimble S, Calhoun A. Recommendations and Guidelines for the Use of Simulation to Address Structural Racism and Implicit Bias. Simulation in Healthcare. 2021;16(4):275–294. 2. Gumble E. Setting up for remote simulation using OBS Studio. 2021.

Catalyzing Quality Improvement in the HIV Control Programme of Rivers State: Evidence of the Impact of Clinical Mentorship Programme

Background: Rivers State had a huge burden of PLHIV, and the UNAIDS Spectrum 2019 model projected the total number of PLHIV in the State in 2020 to be 184,551. The semblance of HIV treatment care and support program, commencing after the diagnosis of the first reported case of HIV, dates as far back as 1989 when HIV was first diagnosed in the State. However, thirty years later, the treatment coverage had remained poor, despite the support of development partners. So, there was a strong need to strengthen the capacity of all critical actors in the program to achieve the objectives around the three-95s of the End AIDS Strategy, using strategic yet novel interventions such as the CMP. This research aims to determine how much of an effect a clinical mentorship program has had on enhancing Rivers State's HIV control efforts.&#x0D; Methodology: The clinical mentorship framework was implemented and amortized to strengthen all layers of ongoing interventions to catalyze better quality improvement. Clinical Mentors were recruited as indigenous medical experts knowledgeable in HIV service delivery and trained on quality improvement strategies and the use of virtual audiovisual systems, data management, team command system, and problem-solving models for the timeous impact of achieving key programme targets.&#x0D; Results: The Clinical Mentorship Programme (CMP) supported the achievement of a 690% &amp; 23% increase in TX_CURR &amp; PVLS, respectively, 27 months after its introduction. The TX_CURR improved by a factor of 7.9, and the PVLS increased by a factor of 1.23. The TX_CURR and PVLS achieved &gt;100% of the target. The CMP was a success in the Rivers State HIV Control Programme.&#x0D; Conclusion: Though other ongoing cross-cutting interventions may mask any reported advances in key performance indicators, the introduction of the CMP appears to have corresponded with and largely (but not entirely) stimulated the observed achievements and impact on the monitored key program metrics. It is recommended for similar contexts and public health programs in places with limited resources and significant unmet needs.

E-Passport System

Abstract: The Electronic passport is the digital version of the paper passport to provide stronger identity authentication. Passport verification and checking which a very time-consuming process. To be ease identity checks, lessen the amount of human errors, protect against manipulation of travel documents and improve border security issues hence, new passport turned out to be much more intrusive than the traditional one. The proposed system simplifies this process with RFID card where the unique identification number is stored which corresponds to the information of the person. The information includes the name, nationality, address etc. along with attach the copy of the required certificates required according to the application. The information is transferred to computer with the help of RF transceiver. It may also include some other features such as buzzer for audio visual indication and system to lock the door. This proposed system uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology that uses wireless communication for identification purposes. The key characteristic that differentiates one RFID application from another is the purpose of identification. Keywords: RFID Radio Frequency Identification, E-Chip Electronic Chip

Anxiety relaxation during MRI with a patient-friendly audiovisual system

IntroductionMany patients experience anxiety, not limited to claustrophobia, before magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. We performed a non-randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether a patient-friendly audiovisual (AV) system in the MR scanner room reduces patient anxiety. MethodsWe randomly selected 61 participants from outpatients who required brain MRI examination. Patients were informed that they could choose to undergo an MRI examination with a patient-friendly AV system (Ambient Experience, Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands) or the standard system. To complete the MRI examination without affecting clinical practice, all patients who preferred the patient-friendly AV system were assigned to the preferring AV group. Patients who indicated that either system was acceptable were randomly assigned to the no preference but allocated AV group or control (using the standard system) groups. In both groups, state anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was assessed before and after the MRI examination (A-State-before and A-State-after MRI, respectively). The changes in A-State-before and A-State-after MRI were categorized as follows: relieved high-state anxiety, no change in high-state anxiety, stable easiness, and intensified anxiety. ResultsAmong the 61 included patients, 19 were assigned to the preferring AV group, 20 to the no preference but allocated AV group, and 22 to the control group. There were no significant differences between the group. However, in patients with high-state anxiety before MRI, the preferring AV group and the no preference but allocated AV group, which used the patient-friendly AV system, relieved high-state anxiety by 63.6% (7 of 11 patients) and 81.8% (9 of 11 patients), respectively. In contrast, the control group using the standard system relieved high-level anxiety by only 42.9% (three out of seven patients). ConclusionThe patient-friendly AV system may reduce anxiety in patients undergoing MRI examinations. Implications for practiceThe patient-friendly AV system may reduce anxiety in patients undergoing MRI examination by providing a more patient-centered MRI examination environment. These findings may help ameliorate negative perceptions associated with MRI examination.

O popular brasileiro na cultura audiovisual cinematográfica

Abstract This paper’s object consists of the problematizations regarding the popular which are internal to the expressive formats (in this case, the feature film) specific to the audiovisual culture in Brazil. The goals of correlating the Brazilian popular with audiovisual culture result from these two crossed intuitions: a) we understand that the popular, when defined as an object, participates in the constitution of epistemological and artistic fields in the country, mediating them to some extent; b) the popular also becomes subsidies to the designations of the socio-technical audiovisual system in the country. From the cinematographic authorial tradition that emerged between the 1950s and 1960s, we understand that the examination of the historical-empirical resumptions of the problematization regarding the popular, in the interrelationships of the audiovisual system with the other systems that make up the cultural sphere in Brazil, offers an opportunity to reflect on how this system is inserted in the modes of perception and cognition in the arrangement of the modern societal complex, when it offers an alternative of meaning attributions based on its optical, graphic and oral code.

FORMATION OF STUDENTS’ SPEECH SKILLS USING AUDIO MATERIALS IN TEACHING A FOREIGN LANGUAGES

The article analyzes the features of the use of audio materials in teaching students speaking in a foreign language, the description of the introduction into practice of innovative technologies for teaching foreign languages, the specifics of using the audio methods in the classroom in the learning process. The purpose of the work is to determine the optimal conditions for teaching students speaking, as well as to show the ways of the most complete disclosure audio methods based on the development speaking. The article solves the problems of finding ways to implement conversational speech in a foreign language lesson; optimal directions for activating students' conversational skills when using the audio method. The scientific and practical significance of the article lies in its development and implementation of the pedagogical practice of teaching speaking. The paper presents didactic materials approved for the use of audio materials in teaching. An example of an audiovisual method exercise system based on the development of speaking is also given. The article focuses on the effectiveness of audio methods as a tool for improving language skills and abilities. The results of the study prove that audio materials provide an opportunity for deeper mastery of speaking while learning a foreign language.

Netflix in Mexico: An Example of the Tech Giant’s Transnational Business Strategies

Netflix, as a tech company, is currently the largest global streaming platform challenging traditional US studios. This article analyses Netflix’s transnational business strategies disrupting such status quo by focusing, on one local example: Mexico. Literature on Netflix has identified some of the transnational strategies studied here, this article adds to the discussion the use of local elements to infiltrate the power hub of Hollywood. By using the holistic scope of Political Economy, this research presents an integrated examination of: (a) the structural conditions of the Mexican audiovisual system in which Netflix is immersed; (b) the tech company’s expansion strategies; (c) the case of the movie Roma as a pivot-like tactic to push forward different company goals. The article argues that Netflix, by setting a new form of audiovisual circulation through innovation technology, has understood the key areas to break the audiovisual market value chain allowing it to gain global dominance.

ARE ROMANIAN TOURISM COMPANIES PREPARED FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION? A RESEARCH STUDY IN TIMIS COUNTY

Information and Communication Technology — ICT (i.e., computers and laptops, tablets, mobile phones, smartphones, software, audio-visual systems, wireless, VOIP, GIS, GPS, mobile app, analytical tools, augmented reality systems, holograms, virtual reality technologies) and ˗ mainly ˗ online information sources (multiplatform web pages, search engines, social media platforms) have changed how distribution, selling and consumption processes work. This also involved a revolution in how travel-related information is searched. Digital technologies have brought significant transformations to the tourism industry, significantly changing tourism business, products and destinations. The increase of digital platforms stimulated the variety and volume of tourism products, services and experiences. Nowadays, digital technologies are used as marketing tools by tourism companies, in order to boost efficiency and increase communication and awareness among visitors. The expansion of the Internet has supported the productivity of tourism-related applications and generated an opportunity for businesses to expand and attract more customers. Digitalization has changed the way tourist services are provided because customer expectations converge towards more digital solutions and tools. The present paper aims to investigate the online communication channels used by tourism organizations to promote businesses, products and services. The research was conducted in Timiș County, Romania, as a pilot study. The findings of the present paper provide valuable information regarding the limitation of digital marketing tools used by tourism companies and how to capitalize them as a strategic tool.