THERE is a popular notion that mankind was not really able to fully utilize television technology for socioeconomic development, and in that sense, it could be considered as a wasted technology. Add to that the observation that the television sets have become idiot boxes instead of being used for information and education.
Given that as a backdrop, it should become the common goal of all mankind to fully utilize information and communications technology (ICT) for socioeconomic development, in order not to waste it again, as we have done with television technology.
There was a time when ICT was simply called information technology (IT), until some bright guy figured out that information and communications should converge into one technology. For those who do not know the difference between the two, information pertains to computer hardware and software, while communications pertains to signal carriers and networks. Now that these two are combined, the same challenge would still apply, and that is the challenge of utilizing the technology for socioeconomic development.
As it has already happened, television technology has now also converged with ICT, albeit in two different manifestations. The first one is the emergence of over the top (OTT) programming.
OTT is a relative term, because it refers to being on top of internet protocol (IP). The technology that originally started out as voice over internet protocol (VOIP) has now also evolved into voice and video over internet protocol (VVOIP).
To some extent, it could be said that VVOIP is the protocol that makes OTT work. As it is now, OTT programming is already being touted as the technology that will replace over the air (OTA) programming or frequency based programming.
The second one is the emergence of multimedia, which is really nothing more than the convergence of voice, video, film, music, animation, images, texts, and everything else that could be digitally combined into one production.
As it is now, multimedia productions could still be aired over the usual frequency based television infrastructure, but there is a growing trend towards broadcasting via OTT programming. Somewhere in between is broadcasting via cable access television (CATV), but that too is fast becoming digital, as more and more CATV networks are converting from copper cables to fiber optics.
It could also be said that social media could be considered as part of multimedia, in much the same way that mass media could also be considered now as being part of multimedia. Truth to tell, the lines between social media and mass media are fast disappearing, as social media content is now being shown by mass media outlets, and vice versa, mass media organizations are not showing their content in social media. As this two-way convergence happens, the challenge remains the same, to utilize the combined media for socioeconomic development. (To be continued)/PN
