Thoughts on Integration & Convergence

Interesting thoughts from Jay regarding integration of devices:

Software Above the Level of a Single Device

I'm of a similar mind to Jay on this one, but I take it a step further. I want my devices, and possibly more importantly, my services, to integrate with one another. To me, a device should simply be a conduit to access "my data". And when I say "my data", I don't necessarily mean data that I've created. Rather, I mean "any information that I want access to at any given point in time". That data could consist of my calendar, my address book, my bookmarks, the blogs I read, YouTube videos, Wikipedia entries, etc. Part of the beauty of the Web is that any information posted by anyone, anywhere in the world, instantly becomes for all intents and purposes "mine".

I'm skeptical of devices or services that try to be everything to everyone. Part of this can be seen in my choice of online apps. I don't particularly want a single app that's a pretty good calendar, a decent address book, and an okay RSS reader. I'd rather have a great calendar and a great RSS reader even if they're separate apps. I don't want to manage my calendar from my RSS reader... my calendar does that just fine, thanks. I don't want to read my RSS feeds from my calendar... I've got an RSS reader that does a much better job of that. However, if these services integrate with one another (for example, if my ToDo list on Basecamp can put entries on my calendar in 30Boxes, which sends reminder emails to my GMail account), so much the better.

Going back to the device portion of the equation, I'm in agreement that I don't want my PC to manage my devices. I hate ITunes and won't use it... if I could download songs on the go directly to my IPod, I'd be a much happier camper. Along these lines, one of the selling points of the Amazon Kindle for me was that I *don't* need to connect it to my PC. *That's* the sort of integration I'm looking for... I've got an Amazon account which I can use to buy books. Whether they're paper or electronic, whether I buy them from my PC, from the Kindle, from my Blackberry, or from Jay's IPhone is irrelevant. I want a book. In this case, my devices and the service work together to make that book available to me anywhere, anytime and make the transaction almost transparent.

If it works for books, why not music? Ipod with built in 3G wireless and Wi-Fi anyone? How about movies? The Slingbox is a good start... I can watch the cable that I've already paid for from the TV in my living room, from my PC in a hotel room in Dallas, or (if I had the right wireless provider) from my phone in an airport lounge. But what if the movie I want isn't on TV right now? I haven't tried Netflix downloads or Amazon Unbox, but they may fill that gap.

And how about non-media content? Wikipedia, blogs, my calendar, to-do, list, etc? Part of the beauty of having all of this information online is that as more and more devices become wireless-enabled, we get closer to any info, anywhere, anytime.

Interestingly enough, by virtue of my job I'm heavily involved in the back-end infrastructure that will enable all of this integration and "always-on" connectivity. One of the hot topics in the telecom industry right now is Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC). Essentially, it's a movement to enable devices to use whatever connectivity is available at the lowest cost at any given time... landline, Wi-Fi, wireless, whatever. An extension of this is the development of femtocells... using small, ultra-low cost access points to provide backhaul for wireless signals, increasing capacity and coverage of wireless networks while simultaneously lowering costs.

A cell-site in every attic? Devices that can access any network that can see? Services that are available from any device, anywhere? That's my utopia...