Converging Technologies: How Mobile Phones Are at Center of It All

Discussions surrounding converging technologies have been popular for awhile now partially because it seems like there's a huge jump in technology every few months. MP3 players have been added into phones. DVD players have joined with video game consoles. Even flat panel televisions and computers are blending seamlessly together (Good bye giant cathode ray tubes and bulky computer towers!).

As this blog continues to look at mobile technology trends, it's interesting to note just how many services and functionalities are being focused into a tiny handheld box. Cameras, GPS technology, Internet, email, SMS, and television as well as phone calling are all collecting into one gadget. And it's not like having all those functions in your office software programs that you don't use; these new functionalities are being quickly adopted. A recent Comscore reported that "8% of U.S. wireless subscribers and 3% of European mobile subscribers" accessed maps from March to May of 2008. That's small now, but it's a 82% and 49% jump in usage, respectively. Another Comscore report focusing on Germany, France, and United Kingdom wireless users found that 18.4% of mobile phone users listen to music on their phones, and 7.4% watched TV or video on their handhelds. As available bandwidth and expanding access grows, the usage and adoption of these various functionalities seems poised to only grow further. But what does this mean?

It means easier and faster transmissions of information.

Okay, that's a really bland statement. So let's consider a recent earthquake in LA. Twitter worked their way to the epicenter (so to speak) of the news distribution. I imagine people with Twitter set up to their phones as well as their computers were messaging their friends about the event probably even as it was happening. This makes it easier for people to respond. I'm not thinking about the LA Fire Department (although I remember an article awhile back saying that they were on Twitter too), but think about how important it is just to get emotional support from friends and family members. During a crisis, time is critical, and any kind of help can't come too soon. And on the other side of things, it's good to know that someone in a disaster area is okay.

Outside of crises, the mobile convergence can mean faster innovation as people respond to ideas and iterate upon them more quickly and in real time (as opposed to that long drought of contact between sending a letter and getting a response back in the old days; by old days, I think I'm referring to the '80s =). And on the simplest level, but perhaps the most important way, it's just great to be that much more in touch with people who matter to you.

For us, I think that's one of the driving motivations behind what jaxtr does. Being able to help people stay in touch anywhere on the globe and to draw the world a little closer is a pretty cool thing after all. And so is that TV-computer thing.