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Technological convergence is the modern presence of a vast array of different types of technology to perform very similar tasks. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the surface of the Earth for the first time and explore space. ...

The term convergence

Also included in this topic is the basis of computer networks, wherein many different operating systems are able to communicate via different protocols. This could be a prelude to artificial intelligence networks on the internet and eventually to Technological singularity. For other senses of this word, see protocol. ... AI redirects here. ... When plotted on a logarithmic graph, 15 separate lists of paradigm shifts for key events in human history show an exponential trend. ...

Technological Convergence can also refer to the phenomena of a group of technologies developed for one use being utilized in many different contexts. This often happens to military technology as well as most types of machine tools and now silicon chips. A machine tool is a powered mechanical device, typically used to fabricate metal components of machines by machining, which is the selective removal of metal. ... An integrated circuit (IC) is a thin chip consisting of at least two interconnected semiconductor devices, mainly transistors, as well as passive components like resistors. ...

During the late 1800s, the machine tool industry was developed for use in armories, and then was expanded to form the basis of the American Industrial Revolution. For example, the same machines that Colt used to manufacture the first mass-produced guns were also used to make the first sewing machines in factories in America and, slightly later, the Coventry Sewing Machine Company made the first British bicycles. // Invention of the Jacquard loom in 1801. ... A Watt steam engine, the steam engine that propelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain and the world. ... For other uses, see CMC. Colts Manufacturing Company (CMC--formerly Colts Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company) is a United States firearms manufacturer founded in 1847. ... Sewing machines can make a great variety of plain or patterned stitches. ... // Rover was a British automobile manufacturer and later a marque based at the former Austin Longbridge plant in Birmingham. ...

Media convergence

Convergence of media occurs when multiple products come together to form one product with the advantages of all of them. See Concentration of media ownership for the similar sounding phrase of media convergence^[1][2]. Concentration of media ownership (also known as media consolidation) is a commonly used term among media critics, policy makers, and others to characterize ownership structure of mass media industries. ...

For example, the PlayStation 2 is not only a games console, but also a CD player, DVD player and Internet connector. Mobile phones are another good example, in that they increasingly incorporate digital cameras, mp3 players, camcorders, voice recorders, and other devices. PS2 redirects here. ... The Nintendo GameCube is an example of a popular video game console. ... A compact disc player or CD player is an electronic device to play audio from compact discs. ... The inside of a DVD player A DVD player is a device not only playing discs produced under the DVD Video standard but also playing discs under the standard of DVD Audio. ... Look up digital camera in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A digital audio player (DAP) is a device that stores, organizes and plays digital music files. ... Sony DV Handycam A camcorder is a portable electronic device for recording video images and audio onto an internal storage device. ... Dictaphone was an American company, a producer of dictation machines —sound recording devices most commonly used to record speech for later playback or to be typed into print. ...

This type of convergence is very popular. For the consumer it means more features in less space, while for the media conglomerates it means remaining competitive in the struggle for market dominance. Consumers refers to individuals or households that purchase and use goods and services generated within the economy. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

However, convergence can have its downside. Particularly in their initial forms, converged devices are frequently less functional and reliable than their component parts (e.g. a DVD may perform better on a traditional DVD player than on a games console). Further, as single devices address a wide spectrum of consumer needs, breakdowns and problems become more likely, and more disruptive to the consumer. The greater the degree of convergence in a device, the more vulnerable consumers are to the failure of that device and face more complex user-interfaces. With a multitool on your belt, you've always got a screwdriver and pliers, but they are never as good as separate tools. The user interface (or Human Machine Interface) is the aggregate of means by which people (the users) interact with a particular machine, device, computer program or other complex tool (the system). ... A multitool is a portable, versatile hand tool that combines several individual tool functions in a single grip or in the shape of a credit card. ...

Regardless, an ever-wider range of technologies are being converged into single multipurpose devices.

Since technology has evolved in the past ten years or so, companies are beginning to converge technologies to create demand for new products. This would include phone companies integrating 3G on their phones. Television in the mid 20th century converged the technologies of movies and radio, and is now being converged with the mobile phone industry. Phone calls are also being made with the use of personal computers. Converging technologies seems to be squashing many types of demanded technologies into one. Mobile phones are becoming manufactured to not only carry out phone calls, text messages, but also hold images, videos, music, television, camera, and multimedia of all types.

Multi-play

Multi-play is a marketing term describing the provision of different telecommunication services, such as Broadband Internet access, television, telephone, and mobile phone service, by organisations that traditionally only offered one or two of these services. Multi-play is a catch-all phrase; usually, the terms triple play or quadruple play are used to describe a more specific meaning. For the magazine, see Marketing (magazine). ... Copy of the original phone of Alexander Graham Bell at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris Telecommunication is the assisted transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ... A WildBlue Satellite Internet dish. ... For other uses, see Telephone (disambiguation). ... In telecommunications, the Triple Play service is a marketing term for the provisioning of the three services: high-speed Internet, television (Video on Demand or regular broadcasts) and telephone service over a single broadband connection. ...

A dual play service is a marketing term for the provisioning of the two services: it can be high-speed Internet (ADSL) and telephone service over a single broadband connection in the case of phone companies, or high-speed Internet (cablemodem) and TV service over a single broadband connection in the case of cable TV companies. A WildBlue Satellite Internet dish. ... Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) is a form of DSL, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional modem can provide. ... For other uses, see Telephone (disambiguation). ... Broadband in telecommunications is a term that refers to a signaling method that includes or handles a relatively wide range of frequencies, which may be divided into channels or frequency bins. ... A WildBlue Satellite Internet dish. ... A cable modem is a special type of modem that is designed to modulate a data signal over cable television infrastructure. ... See TV (disambiguation) for other uses and Television (band) for the rock band European networks National In much of Europe television broadcasting has historically been state dominated, rather than commercially organised, although commercial stations have grown in number recently. ... Broadband in telecommunications is a term that refers to a signaling method that includes or handles a relatively wide range of frequencies, which may be divided into channels or frequency bins. ...

The convergence can also concern the underlying communication infrastructure. An example of this is a triple play service, where communication services are packaged allowing consumers to purchase TV, internet and telephony in one subscription. In telecommunications, the Triple Play service is a marketing term for the provisioning of the three services: high-speed Internet, television (Video on Demand or regular broadcasts) and telephone service over a single broadband connection. ... Consumers refers to individuals or households that purchase and use goods and services generated within the economy. ... See TV (disambiguation) for other uses and Television (band) for the rock band European networks National In much of Europe television broadcasting has historically been state dominated, rather than commercially organised, although commercial stations have grown in number recently. ... In telecommunication, Telephony encompasses the general use of equipment to provide voice communication over distances. ...

A quadruple play service combines the triple play service of broadband Internet access, television and telephone with wireless service provisions. This service set is also sometimes humorously referred to as "The Fantastic Four".^{[citation needed]} In telecommunications, the Triple Play service is a marketing term for the provisioning of the three services: high-speed Internet, television (Video on Demand or regular broadcasts) and telephone service over a single broadband connection. ... A WildBlue Satellite Internet dish. ... For other uses, see Telephone (disambiguation). ... For the use of the term in networking, see Wireless networking. ... For other uses, see Fantastic Four (disambiguation). ...

The broadband cable market is transforming as pay-TV providers move aggressively into what was once considered the telco space. Meanwhile, customer expectations have risen as consumer and business customers alike seek rich content, multi-use devices, networked products and converged services including on-demand video, digital TV, high speed Internet, VoIP and wireless applications. It's uncharted territory for most broadband companies.

Incidentally, the "mobile service provisions" aspect refers not only to the ability of subscribers to be able to purchase mobile phone like services as is often seen in co-marketing efforts between providers of land-line services. Rather it is one major ambition of wireless - the ability to have access to all of the above including voice, internet, and content/video while on the go and requiring no tethering to the network via cables. A service provider is an entity that provides services to other entities. ...

Given advancements in WiMAX and other leading edge technologies, the ability to transfer information over a wireless link at combinations of speeds, distances and non line of sight conditions is rapidly improving. It is possible that one could never need to be connected by a wire to anything, even while at home. Official WiMax logo WiMAX, the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a telecommunications technology aimed at providing wireless data over long distances in a variety of ways, from point-to-point links to full mobile cellular type access. ... A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, elongated strand of drawn metal. ...

One fundamental aspect of the quadruple play is not only the long awaited broadband convergence but also the players involved. Many of them, from the largest global service providers to whom we connect today via wires and cables to the smallest of startup service providers are interested. The opportunities are attractive: the big three telecom services - telephony, cable television and wireless - could combine the size of their respective industries. In telecommunication, Telephony encompasses the general use of equipment to provide voice communication over distances. ... Coaxial cable is often used to transmit cable television into the house. ... For the use of the term in networking, see Wireless networking. ...

The next level of service might be the integration of RFID into the quadruple play which will add the capability for home equipment to communicate to the outside world and schedule maintenance on its own. An EPC RFID tag used for Wal-Mart Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. ...

In the UK, the recent merger of NTL:Telewest and Virgin Mobile resulted in a company offering a quadruple play of Cable Television, Broadband Internet, Home Telephone and Mobile Telephones. Virgin Media Inc. ... Virgin Mobile Ltd is a mobile phone service provider operating in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Africa, the United States and France. ...

Fixed Mobile Convergence

A clear trend is emerging in the form of fixed and mobile telephony convergence (FMC). The aim is to provide both services with a single phone, which could switch between networks ad hoc. Several industry standardisation activities have been completed in this area such as the Voice call continuity specifications defined by the 3GPP. Ad hoc is a Latin phrase which means for this [purpose]. It generally signifies a solution that has been tailored to a specific purpose, such as a tailor-made suit, a handcrafted network protocol, and specific-purpose equation and things like that. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into handoff. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Typically, these services rely on Dual Mode Handsets, where the customers' mobile terminal can support both the wide-area (cellular) access and the local-area technology. Historically (see below) DECT and Bluetooth have been used locally, although there is a clear trend towards WiFi. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Wi-Fi (or Wi-fi, WiFi, Wifi, wifi), short for Wireless Fidelity, is a set of standards for wireless local area networks (WLAN) currently based on the IEEE 802. ...

One example of this convergence is the BT Fusion offer in UK, where British Telecom offers a Vodafone handset capable of making calls through the ADSL line via a local wireless connection (in trials and early launch this was bluetooth but the product is now transitioning to using WiFi. Another example is Divitas networks, which offers mobile to mobile convergence (MMC) technology for dual mode handsets, a different approach that uses VoWLAN as the primary means for voice communication while in WiFi areas, routing the calls exclusively through internet protocol to other locations and thereby relying less on the carriers for the voice traffic. The cellular service engages once the WiFi signal deteriorates sufficiently, to provide coverage outside of the WiFi area. BT Fusion is a telecommunications product available from BT in the United Kingdom. ... BT Group plc (which trades as just BT, and is commonly known by its former name, British Telecom) is the privatised former British state telecommunications operator. ... Vodafone Group Plc is a mobile network operator headquartered in Newbury, Berkshire, England, UK. It is the largest mobile telecommunications network company in the world by turnover and has a market value of about £84. ... Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) is a form of DSL, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional modem can provide. ... Bluetooth logo This article is about the electronic protocol named after Harald Bluetooth Gormson. ... DiVitas Networks is a fixed mobile convergence (FMC) startup company based in Mountain View, California. ... Mobile to mobile convergence (MMC) is a term to describe a technology used in modern computing and telephony. ... MMC may stand for: In computing and electronics: MultiMediaCard, a solid state disk or flash memory data storage device Microsoft Management Console, a framework for system administration tools in modern Microsoft Windows operating systems Multi-Memory Controller, a special microchip in Nintendo Entertainment System Game Paks MIDI Machine Control, part... VoWLAN (Voice over Wireless LAN) is the use of a wireless broadband network for the purpose of vocal conversation. ... The Internet Protocol (IP) is a data-oriented protocol used for communicating data across a packet-switched internetwork. ...

Other examples are provided in France with wifi connectivity around the base station, by the BeautifulPhone from Neuf Cegetel by the means of a QTek 8300 or Home Zone from Wanadoo with a Nokia handset. Free (French ISP) develops a wifi mesh network of HD freeboxes to be used to provide mobile telephony and compete with traditional cellular operators. Neuf Cegetel is a French telecommunication group founded on 11 May 2005 from Cegetel and Neuf Telecom merging. ... High Tech Computer Corporation, known by its acronym HTC, is the Taiwan-based manufacturer of Microsoft Windows CE portable devices, responsible for models such as the O2 xda and O2 xda II. It was founded on May 15th 1997 and is strictly an outsourcing company, an Original Design Manufacturer (ODM... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Orange SA. (Discuss) Wanadoo logo Wanadoo is the former name of the ISP division of Orange SA. , which is a subsidiary of France Télécom. ... This article is about the telecommunications corporation. ... Free is a French Internet Service Provider (ISP), which is a subsidiary of the Iliad Group. ... Freebox The Freebox is an ADSL modem provided by the French internet service provider called Free to its ADSL subscribers. ...

The Generic Access Network (or GAN) is a standard roaming system between WLANs and WWANs. Among the first handsets capable of this switching are the Nokia E series, which will be used by the British operator Truphone starting its service in may 2006. ^[3]. GAN is the name formally used by 3GPP but the technology is also known as UMA and was first developed by Kineto. Generic Access Network (GAN), also known as Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), is a telecommunication system allowing seamless roaming and handover between local area networks and wide area networks using a dual-mode mobile phone. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... WWAN, which stands for Wireless Wide Area Network, is a form of wireless network. ... The following is a partial list of products branded by Nokia. ... Truphone is a Session Initiation Protocol-based fixed mobile convergence application for mass market smartphones that enable such handsets to make free and very low-cost calls using VoIP over wireless LAN. This means that, when in WiFi range, calls are routed over the internet and are much cheaper than... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... UMA or Uma is a name or a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below: // Ukrainian Museum-Archives, a museum in Cleveland, Ohio dedicated to Ukrainian culture Unidentified Mysterious Animal, in cryptozoology Unified Memory Architecture, a computer memory architecture that allows the graphics processing unit to share system...

At the end of the nineties, some dual mode DECT/GAP and GSM services were envisionned. In the UK, BT Cellnet launched its OnePhone offer in 1999. Ericsson and Sagem have produced a few handset models, and Ascom resold some Ericsson units. Those offers have not taken any sufficient ground and have been stopped. ^[4] See http://en. ... Global System for Mobile communications (GSM: originally from Groupe Spécial Mobile) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. ... The O2 plc Logo O2 plc (known prior to March 2005 as mmO2 and usually stylised as O2, like the chemical symbol) is a British telecommunications company specialising in mobile phones, previously part of BT Group plc. ... Ericsson () NASDAQ: ERIC. Founded in 1876, Ericsson is a leading provider of communications networks, related services and handset technology platforms. ... SAGEM (Société d’Applications Générales de l’Electricité et de la Mécanique, translated to Company of General Applications of Electricity and Mechanics) was a major French company involved in defence electronics, consumer electronics and communication systems. ...

Six companies, British Telecom, NTT, Rogers Wireless, Brasil Telecom, Korea Telecom and Swisscom have formed the Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance (which as of January 2007 has 26 members) with the purpose to encourage the seamless integration of mobile and fixed-line telephone services. BT Group plc (which trades as just BT, and is commonly known by its former name, British Telecom) is the privatised former British state telecommunications operator. ... NTT may refer to Nippon Telegraph and Telephone The New Technology Telescope in La Silla, Chile. ... Rogers AT&T Wireless logo when Rogers wireless division was in partnership with AT&T Rogers Wireless, formerly known as Rogers AT&T Wireless, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers Communications. ... Brasil Telecom S.A. is a major Brazilian telecommunications company headquartered in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia. ... KT (formerly, Korea Telecom, Korean: 한국통신, NYSE: KT) is South Koreas top integrated wired/wireless telecommunication service provider. ... Swisscom AG is the leading telephone company in Switzerland. ... Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance formed in mid-2004, operates under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and benefits from a growing membership base of 25 leading telecom operators, 24 of which are integrated telecom operators owning both fixed and mobile networks. ... Several examples of non-folding mobile phones. ... Plain old telephone service, or POTS, are the services available from analogue telephones prior to the introduction of electronic telephone exchanges into the public switched telephone network. ...

An alternative approach to achieve similar benefits is that of femtocells A femtocell—originally called an Access Point Base Station—is a scalable, multi-channel, two-way communication device extending a typical base station by incorporating all of the major components of the telecommunications infrastructure. ...

T-Mobile offers a HotSpot @Home service, allowing you to connect certain phones to home wifi systems, and make calls over wifi, using their T-Mobile phone number. This is a UMA-based service. T-Mobile logo T-Mobile is a multinational mobile phone operator. ...

Sprint announced in September 2007 that it has begun offering femtocell service, coined Airave, in select areas of Denver and Indianapolis.^[5][6]

Router

Early in the 21st century, home LAN convergence so rapidly integrated home routers, wireless access points and DSL modems that users were hard put to identify the resulting box they used to connect their computers to their Internet service. This article is about a computer networking device. ... Planet WAP-4000 Wireless Access Point In computer networking, a wireless access point (WAP or AP) is a device that connects wireless communication devices together to form a wireless network. ... Westell Model 6100 ADSL modem An asymmetric digital subscriber line transceiver, also known as an ADSL modem or DSL modem, is a device used to connect a single computer to a DSL phone line, in order to use an ADSL service. ...

See also

• Converged device
• History of disruptive technology within communications
• Next Generation Networks
• Technological singularity
• Voice over IP

Fixed/Mobile Convergence is widely recognised as a disruptive technology in that it has the potential to change the structure of the existing mobile telecommunications industry. ... Next Generation Networking (NGN), also referred to as Next Generation Network Architecture (NGNA), is a broad term for a certain kind of emerging computer network architectures and technologies. ... When plotted on a logarithmic graph, 15 separate lists of paradigm shifts for key events in human history show an exponential trend. ... An overview of how VoIP works A typical analog telephone adapter for connecting an ordinary phone to a VoIP network Ciscos implementation of VoIP - IP Phone Voice over Internet Protocol, also called VoIP (pronounced voyp), IP Telephony, Internet telephony, Broadband telephony, Broadband Phone and Voice over Broadband is the...

References

1. ^ Media convergenceThe Canadian Encyclopedia
2. ^ Debate on ConvergenceStanford University
3. ^ Truphone is World’s first 4G network operator, May 8th 2006 – London, UK, Truphone Press Release
4. ^ Dual Mode DECT Phones and DECT/GSM dual mode and the advent of the OnePhone service, DECTweb, accessed April 2006
5. ^ Sprint Nextel unveils femtocell for consumers, RCRWireless News, accessed September 2007
6. ^ Sprint Airave, Sprint website, accessed September 2007

External links

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• Convergence
• Digital Convergence Initiative
• Convergence Switching Architecture
• FMC Business News
• Evolving from 'homes passed' to customers served
• Amdocs MultiPlay Strategy WhitePaper
• Largest Cable and Multi-Play Provider in Japan – J:COM – Extends Contract with Amdocs Through 2009
• M5T - MC Fixed Mobile Convergence Application
• Comdasys - Fixed Mobile Convergence Server and Client
• {http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP_ISOIfwLQ - Technology Convergence Update with Bob Brown - Video[