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Powering up through
convergence
By default, being human means enjoying familiarity both in our surroundings and daily lives – and when we travel away from our homes or home offices, we demand that change is kept to a minimum. Our tolerance for something being different or not working is becoming less and less.
This is particularly evident in our increasing awareness and reliance on technology, from making phone calls anytime, anywhere, to where we are or how we get to our destination (who dares drive long distance nowadays without satellite navigation?). Immediate access to information is paramount and change is great, but too much of it and our instinct is to ignore it or revert to what we had before.
When we travel to our home office, we know which route to take, we know where to get the best cup of coffee, and also where the light switch is when we arrive – and it feels good. When we switch on our laptop or desktop PC, something amazing happens – we have fast access to limitless information, both internal to our businesses and external to the world around us through the internet. The internet is our highway to information – it enables us to be creative and diverse. But it comes at a price. The CEO’s dream of a more innovative and productive workforce through greater, faster access to data is the CIO’s problem of security, interoperability and mobility.
So, what happens when we are not in our home environment? Should we expect less by default, and with that acceptance reduce our employees’ and customers’ ability to work efficiently? In today’s world, our employees and customers have to be mobile – the lines between home and workplace, occupation and recreation, time zones and international borders are fading. But the right to have fast access to information remains relentless and being without is not acceptable.
 Converged technology enables customers to be “always on” wherever they find themselves |
The Yankee Group reports that more than 40% of company employees spend less than half of their time at their primary place of work (Yankee Group, Fortune.com, “WiFi USA,” 2005). Greater access to corporate data is a primary trend in companies around the globe – offering ubiquitous, secure and fast service to users is the foundation of the modern business environment. And the trend is driving the availability of data to untethered devices like the mobile phone.
Business traditionally embraced the mobile phone because it enabled employees to remain connected on a single phone number outside of the office – but today a mobile phone is a “technology converged” device. It’s a camera, captures email, has access to the internet, plays music and video and has IM functionality. The same convergence trend is happening in the home with residential entertainment systems – one device is now becoming the hub for information via broadband – TV, phone, films and access to the internet all through one medium and hardware device.
We want to have the same access to information wherever we are, especially if we are on the move and away from our “home base” – a vision of creating an “internet everywhere” experience, a life-changing event for users to have control and connectivity. At Sprint Nextel we are leading that trend to combine the convenience, freedom of movement and personalized services of the wireless world, with the high quality and speed of wireline (fixed) communications.
Through this digital revolution, we are joined by several industries, including semi-conductor, communications, manufacturing, entertainment, consumer electronics, and, of course, high-tech. Just as any revolution rooted in technology, the convergence revolution poses two types of challenges: technological and societal. Manufacturers, content owners, telecommunication operators, and so on, need to understand the demands of both consumers and businesses in order to help the industry overcome these challenges.
In its purest form, telecommunications is not about technology, but about people having the power to communicate regardless of the limitations of physical boundaries. The move towards convergence has been with us for many years, albeit discreetly, but now is in an accelerated form through the trend towards fixed-mobile convergence.
Our vision is that customers will be “always on” where the service provider optimizes routing through a powerful combination of coverage, bandwidth and technology mediums wherever they find themselves; a world where field-based employees have access through their mobile devices to the latest remedial methodologies or upgrades, technical guidance or product information in order to better serve customers, delivered through item-specific video streams direct to their handsets.
The ability will be there to provide real-time access to centralised high-level expertise through instantaneous on-line support, cutting down on repair times and resulting in a step change in remedial and installation efficiencies including costs and enhanced customer service. As a result, a fixed-mobile converged solution presents the customer with the best possible experience at home, at work or on the move. It aims to present the same seamless communication experience to enterprises and individuals, increasing efficiency and reducing cost to businesses and home users alike.
A converged solution will place the customer at the centre of communications, where that world of familiarity remains constant, whilst embracing the effects of technology change on our daily lives. After all, we need to make sure we provide a service and deliver benefits rather than merely providing new technology. The customer is in the driving seat and will remain there in the future, so let’s make it an easy journey.
For more information, contact:
Mark Harris
Regional Manager – UK & Eire
Sprint Nextel
Kinnaird House
1 Pall Mall East
London SW1Y 5AU
Tel: + 44 207 152 1505
Fax: + 44 207 152 1594
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