Silicon-chip and integrated circuits are at the heart of almost every product exhibited at IBC. “But none of these are worth more than a grain of sand without imagination and software,” argued Kent Novak, Texas Instrument’s SVP for its DLP division.
He explained that the progress made in mobile communications, and its relationship with TV and media, is greater that ever.
“Did you ever imagine that you could watch video on a cell-phone, or that you could control your home TV remotely from the phone? What’s next? Look at global trends, and social trends, and one clear area is mobility,” said Novak.
“In 2009 mobile data traffic overtook mobile voice traffic. Streaming video, and things like the more than 100,000 iPhone Apps are key indicators. And these developments influence thinking elsewhere,” Novak said. “We also see great things happening in Pico projection, within digital cameras and portable media. But what all this means is that semi-conduction technology will need to get smaller, smarter and at lower cost.”
Novak is also anticipating much greater interest in interactivity in cellular devices. “A new area of huge interest is augmented reality, where a user can tap into location-based information that is specifically targeted to the individual. These smarter devices will need extra procession. And now there’s 3D, the perfect example of an immersive experience. Then there’s gaming, another immersive experience. Combine 3D with gaming and you have a revenue stream!” he enthused.
Akamai’s SVP/Engineering is Harald Prokop. He agreed that the trends were all extremely positive, with the number of internet connected devices growing from today’s (2010) 1.7bn users to 2020’s 4bn users, and the explosive revenue growth of online advertising spend from $62bn annually today to a massive $146bn by 2010. “China is connecting fast, as is India. This huge growth will mean a major technology shift to cope with the expanded number of IP addresses needed,” he predicted.
“But this opportunity had also to be recognised by broadcasters, and the creative community, modifying content for these devices. The task has been talked about for years but much more is needed to be done in this area,” Prokop cautioned.
