Digital Interactive Media

As we rapidly progress into a world of digital convergence, a key driver is becoming more evident - digital interactive media.

Whether you coin it in technology terms such as Web2.0 or consumer terms such as social networking, the message is clear. The viewer no longer wants to just sit and watch - they want to participate.

So how is this impacting digital media and telecommunications as we move from a push to pull society. The consumer is taking control of what they view, where they view it and when.

Already we have:

• Video On Demand [VOD]
• Television on Demand [TiVO]
• Blogs and Chatrooms
• Networked and mobile games
• Virtual reality websites
• TV, film and music on-line, and mobile

Digital Media Content

The growth of content sharing sites and peer to peer digital media means that people can generate and transmit digital content and services over global networks. This is concerning to broadcasters and advertisers alike.

And another primary enabler is broadband capacity. Widely available & fast
broadband and new web services are freeing consmers from the traditional constraints of transmission capacity and program scheduling.

Non-Entertainment Services

Digital convergence is not just about social comms and entertainment. We are experiencing a converging digital economy with ICT becoming crucial in all application sectors, such as health, automotive and security.

Radio Frequency Identification, RFID [radio tags] are being introduced widely for stock control in the retail sector and of pharmaceuticals in the healthcare sector to authenticate genuine drugs and protect patients from danagerous imposters.

Networks of wireless sensors in our cities that help detect and reduce traffic congestion or improve security.

Digital Standards

As always, the biggest headache is standards control and compatability. The leader in digital convergence, Europe, has both regulatory and technical challenges. There is no single European system for digital content, instead service providers wrangle with 25 different regulatory regimes.

Bandwidth frequency access is also a challenge for most operators. Radio waves for new portable devices and mobile services needs a more flexible approach for the full benefits of ditigal interactive services to go mainstream.

Standards Initiatives

Europe - eInclusion and eAccessibility

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