The Future of Mobile Communication

Blog Posting: Week Three

The Future of Mobile Communication

Wow!!! The world of mobile communication has certainly changed over the years.  We have come such a long way in providing the most innovative means of communicating with each other.  Since I can remember being introduced to mobile communications so many components have changed.  Although, it seems like a life time ago that I can remember, way back when there were no cell phones on the market and the closest you got to anything mobile was a pay phone, if you want to call that mobile.  I can remember there being no other way to make a call other than work, home or if there happened to be a phone at whatever establishment you happened to be visiting.  Several years ago, the tools we rely on to communicate today were only a piece of science fiction.  Today, you can purchase a smartphone and make calls, surf the web, play games, use other multimedia devices like PDA’s, tablets, iPads and other electronic devices, at our finger tips to communicate, run applications and accomplish more than we ever could or dare to dream.  So where are we headed?  In doing some further research about mobile communication, I found that two things were very important to consumers and these two things may very well have a fundamental impact on the future of mobile communications:  Access and Application.

Access

While technology has existed for years the ability for individuals to utilize both voice and data mobile communication everywhere at the same time constantly is critical.  Technologies are changing the future of communications through so many different avenues one especially being social media networks.  We know that communication will be fast and keep getting faster which is a number one concern for consumers.  So I would say that the vision for the future of mobile communication would be one that is fully interconnected worldwide where every person will or can access, create and use this innovated means of communication.  This is the fastest growing technology in the history of mankind and is also the most effective technology known to enable and equip individuals for the future.

In the very near future, we will likely see basic cell phones slowly fade away. As smartphones become more and more common and less expensive, more people will adopt them into their life styles. The process will certainly be a gradual one.  As with most new technologies, a group of enthusiastic users will lead the way.  Smartphones have so much to offer the consumer and add so much value to those open to mobile communication.  Products like the Apple iPhone and Googles Android operating system have pushed the smartphone out of the world of gadget geeks and into the mass market.  The internet will continue to play an increasing role in communication.  Voice over internet protocol already plays a large role in several communication products and services. Sites like Facebook and Twitter allow users to communicate with networks of people.  With the rise of social media networks, people now have a platform from which they can address the world, no matter the subject.  The benefits of mobility are bountiful.  From traveling sales persons to the high powered executives, this technology allows the connection that is needed to stay connected to real-time happenings.  So having access to all of these exciting technologies will have a big impact on how the mobile world will continue to be the leading technology.

Applications/Platforms:

In this era of communication where we do have a huge number of devices and a vast technology, we see improvement day by day.  Many of the world’s population has a mobile device used predominately for either voice and/or data communication.  In my opinion, today wireless services are the most preferred services of the world.  The rapid increase in the service is probably due to the great advancement of technology.  The worldwide revolution in mobile and internet technology have changed our way of living life.  Every time a new technology comes out it comes to improve the previous drawbacks of the one before.  We see this a lot with the applications that are available to us.  It seems as if once we download an application a new version or an update is available shortly afterwards.  These applications are certainly very valuable to the future of mobile communication. 

Mobility is radically changing the way people work and reshaping the workplace itself.  Equipped with powerful new mobility tools, employees today can work productively from virtually anywhere.  Its growing potential to strengthen organizational performance has moved mobility from the sidelines to the mainstream of information technology.  Organizations intent on maximizing corporate performance must incorporate mobility as a fundamental component of their strategic plans. 

I read an article recently that stated that “there are nearly 4 billion mobile phone subscribers in the world” and as these subscribers continue to realize the multifaceted benefits of mobility more and more people will catch on want to be a part of this new revolution.  As an industry, mobile communications are relatively recession-proof and will continue to experience growth, create jobs and unlock innovation.  Mobile communications will play a huge role in reducing current inefficiencies and raising the productivity of both individuals and businesses. Anticipating the future trends and developing competencies to deal with every change makes a difference in where we are headed but could prove to be very rewarding.

Digital Media, Media Convergence, and Convergence: What Does It All Mean?

Digital Media, Media Convergence, and Convergence: What Does It All Mean?

Digital Media, Media Convergence, Digital Technologies...the terms all sound so much alike.  What does it all mean when we talk about media convergence? Should we be concerned about where we are going as it relates to convergence?  How does it all work together or does it?  As I continued to read about the subject at hand, it appears to me that convergence has many moving components and over the years the use of media and how we access it has changed dramatically.

Convergence, convergence and convergence, but what the heck are you talking about? There are still many individuals that have difficulties understanding what convergence really is, (I may be one of those people but here goes a shot anyway).  According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary, the word “convergence” refers to “the merging of distinct technologies, industries, or devices into a unified whole.”  Simply put it is a merger of mass media and communication outlets.  From the printing press, periodicals, newsletter, radio, television, telephones, and the internet and now there are several new media components working together in this journey of convergence.    

You know the industry has changed a bit when the daily news hits the blogs and on sites of most major news outlets in America. Blogs which were formerly viewed primarily as a way for amateurs and rumormongers to express their opinions, have come into their own as a very integral piece of the modern journalistic community.  The blogging trend is gaining steam among small and mid-sized markets, which is where I think most media professionals get their feet wet. “It’s not enough just to write anymore. You have to be blogging and have your face on the Internet. It’s less about how many words and more about graphics, visuals and what you can do to keep eyes on the page.”  The emerging technology has a ripple effect of other considerations for modern-day media professionals. Technology is definitely changing the face of media and shaking things up like we have never seen before.

In my opinion, media convergence offers many benefits.  By offering single devices that allow access to different media.  Through allowing one gadget for emails, watching TV, buying stock, editing photos, scanning documents, listening to music and surfing the internet to name a few.  Instead of CDs, DVDs and cable TV, the Internet and the home computers are becoming the music source to stereo systems and the video source to TVs.  The smartphone wraps Internet search and Web browsing, music and movies, camera, camcorder and photo album, voice recorder, game machine, GPS and mini versions of nearly every software program imaginable into one device that everyone has with them all the time. The smartphone is the ultimate convergence and what some may think is the personal computer of the 21st century.

 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Delivery:

There are many different ways we get our media delivered to us; internet, newspaper, radio, and television.  These days the one that seems to be the most popular with the millennial generation is the internet. The internet has its many advantages but also has those few disadvantages that are mainly associated with the older generations (The silent generation and the baby Boomers generation). The advantages include receiving information quicker, increased communication, networking, and the spread of information. The internet also has its disadvantages which include; the cost, its negative influence on people (mainly children), the internet makes it harder for us to sort out truth from lies, and the fact that the older generations cannot navigate the internet as well as younger generations makes it hard for them to get information any quicker.

With the newspapers there are not as many advantages or disadvantages. Included in the advantages are; it is very traditional meaning the older generations tend to stick with this form of media delivery, it is a convenient way to see what is going on locally without having to search, and it is great advertising for local businesses and for people looking for jobs locally. Among the disadvantages there is the fact that people cannot access new information around the clock like the internet, when there are misprints there is no way to go back and fix it, other than reprints which could lead to controversies ( just like any other form of media).

The radio can work well for people getting their news on the go and it is still the way many older people get their news. I would say that radio is the least effective and popular form of media because it has no images.

In the days of the first computers, the only information digitized was business records. Then came text and word processing, followed by audio and finally video. Having all forms of information in the digital domain made convergence inevitable. In the past, data used to travel over voice networks. Today, voice commonly travels over data networks. Honestly speaking, I never really gave much thought about how we receive the information we do but this course has given me something to think about.  I just always took it for granted that it, the information, would just be there when I needed to access it.  

As consumers demand more and more convergence, the technology market, I think, is responding appropriately.  Consumers want products that are powerful, vast and versatile, and the market can expect more of this kind of thinking to come in the future.