Keynote speaker [Convergence of communications towards smart era]

Convergence of communications refers to digital convergence of communications, broadcasting and Internet on the foundation of Internet Protocol platform. Internet played a winning play throughout the digital convergence process and survived fierce competitions, thereby becoming the communications platform in the converged communications. In recent years, digital convergence has shifted gear to encompass a broader set of communications, including computing, broadcasting /media, OS platform /software, content /applications, and even print media and advertising. It has brought in platform and eco-cluster based competition among the converged communications players, which will eventually lead us to a smart society. In the smart era, human beings are supposed to live a smart life on the smart society, which would be composed of cyber space and real space, tightly coupled together. For the smart life in the smart era to be a truly comfortable life, it should be complemented by a green life, which refers to a simple, healthy and sustainable life style that minimizes consumption of resources and energy and maximizes recycle of materials, thereby sustaining the ecological system and climate. There are many issues to resolve until we build such smart (and green) society, which include technology, infrastructure, traffic, spectrum, revenue, privacy/security, energy-efficient design, nature-friendly development, life style change, and others. The seminar presentation will start with an introduction of some basic concepts of communications, then discuss the process of digital convergence, including the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd “Digital World War,” and finally conclude with a brief projection of the smart era.