Convergence: User Expectations, Communications Enablers and Business Opportunities

Convergence: User Expectations, Communications Enablers and Business Opportunities offers a user-centric and business-oriented analysis of the rapidly changing communications industry. Clear summaries of key technology areas provide the backdrop for an extensive analysis of the expectations set by users and the challenges and opportunities this presents to companies. The process of convergence is characterised by complex interactions between different technical fields, business areas and end-user relations, where traditional telecommunications services, internet-based services and media broadcast services are blending into a continuum of rich new offerings. With these changes the existing hardwired links between user services and specific industry segments are rapidly dissolving.* Presents guide to end-user market trends and expectations* Includes models and analysis of new industry structures and dynamics* Contains comprehensive discussion of innovation as a business driver* Provides wide range of references to reflect the cross-disciplinary scope of convergence* Offers motivation and suggestions for refocus of key business strategies Convergence bridges the fields of business, economics, technology and social studies and analyses business models and practices from across a range of industry segments. The wide scope makes the book an ideal text for technically-minded executives, business-oriented engineers and anyone with an interest in the intricacies of the convergence triggered market changes.