General trends in the use of ICTs

Several factors are now combining around the world to foster the creation of an information and knowledge based global society driven by nearly unlimited access to people, ideas, information, knowledge and resources of all kinds. The Internet drives this technology-facilitated economy of people, goods and services. The Internet is key because it is a technology that converges many of the most recent inventions and developments, technical and otherwise, into an increasingly pervasive, open and user friendly platform for near instantaneous access to and sharing of local and global communications. Recent geo-political developments, along with the dismantling of trade barriers and widespread deregulation, also known as globalization, have enabled the use of these technologies around the world, in a fashion that is largely unrelated to jurisdiction and value systems.

As a result of this convergence of technologies, ideas and opportunities around the microprocessor and the Internet, all forms of human interaction are being enabled, enhanced and facilitated like never before. Digital forms of broadcasting, whether point to point, multicast or broadcast, whether for radio or television, using fixed or wireless TCP/IP based networks, are becoming a reality. Multimedia communications of all types, as well as telephony and fax, sound and/or imaging, will be transported over the Internet. Devices of all types, located in all imaginable locations and for all kinds uses, will be embedded with microprocessors and networked over the Internet. A new category of service providers, application servers, are appearing around the corner and around the world to deliver any application, good or service that can be digitized.

These developments are now fueling entrepreneurial and economic activities of various sorts. Jobs are being created and creativity is being unleashed. Along with the convergence of these technologies, we are seeing the convergence of industries. The recently announced merger of two US companies: AOL and Time Warner is further evidence that these events will have a marked effect and impact on the ways business is transacted and goods and services are delivered to people around the world. AOL is the largest Internet service provider (ISP) in the world and Time Warner is the largest entertainment company in the world. Their merger is the largest business merger of all time and is valued at over USD 150 billion.