I need to add Intercom capabilities to an existing VFP app.

You know the kind that has a "Press To Talk" button. The idea is you will choose an User from a list, press a key or click a button, talk into the PC microphone, and the user selected from the list will hear what you say in his computer's speakers. He will be able to then answer you doing the same thing.

This has to work over the LAN, not the Internet. I have no problem doing the network part, send packets back and forth maybe using just UDP, etc.

What I need is to find a way to capture the microphone input, compress it, send it over, decompress it at the end, and play it back.

Something like Ventrilo or TeamSpeak, sort of.

Any ideas where to start? I have read something about those capabilities in DirectPlay, but I am not shure I even want to get into that area, the Docs seem, to say the least, a bit confusing.

Carlos