Managing convergence-the fast route to openness

The convergence of computing communications and consumer electronics offers enormous opportunity for industrial growth, for efficiency generally in the management of complexity, and for new creativity in social and entertainment pursuits. The market for “communicating information technology” is already said to be worth S1 trillion per annum and we cannot fail to be aware of the tremendous technology push in the global search for new multimedia applications. However, convergence also brings confusion between the different industries and their respective cultures, and between their traditional methods of achieving standardisation. The Digital Audio-Visual Council, DAVIC, is one of few fully global and cross industrial organisations which is succeeding to manage convergence. DAVIC was registered in Switzerland as a non-profit, limited liability company in mid 1994. Within a year it was demonstrating a unique “converged industry culture” and had already created a novel System Reference Model and a pan industry language with which to discuss and define interfaces and the protocols which pass across them. DAVIC has ably demonstrated the speed of response of a technology driven industry to preserve openness while moving from an initial preoccupation with trials of Video on Demand to a realisation of its ability to supply the Internet market with a capability for high quality and real time interactive services. Its interoperable specifications aim to provide for reduced risk for manufacturers and operators alike in introducing advanced digital audio-visual services