AV Technology - November/December 2008 - (Page 37)

less. They are just bits. We may ask why you need so many remote controls in your house rather than just having open protocols and your own controller. We recognize that today’s protocols are just a first attempt, and that the IP address provides neither a stable identifier nor stable routing. We architect products to work around these limitations, while maintaining the high-level model of simple end-to-end relationships. As digital natives, we recognize that relationships don’t depend on any particular path. We see some of this in Skype, which maintains a list of your relationships and tries to find a path even as you move around. We no longer need a provider, but instead create our own solutions. MOVING BEYOND TELECOM If it’s about relationships, then we shouldn’t be required to pay service providers. But today our infrastructure is controlled by carriers acting as gatekeepers, who force us to buy services to fund their infrastructure, just as they did a century ago. FOR MOST PEOPLE, THE INTERNET IS STILL JUST THE “E” VERSION OF THE FAMILIAR. Being a digital native can be a very frustrating experience because you are leaving behind old paradigms. You no longer think of the internet as a replacement for telecom, but as a new way to think about building systems and creating solutions. And you will be frustrated because even something as simple as having your physician monitor your health while traveling doesn’t “just work.” You have to first assure that there is a billing relationship with every carrier in the path. Today, if you buy an Amazon Kindle (its wireless “electronic paper” reading device), you simply press “buy” and the book appears on the device because Amazon had to negotiate a special deal, and even that works only near Sprint cellular sites. As a native, you no longer think of the internet as something apart from your day-to-day activities. When you run a wire to connect a microphone to a mixer, then another a wire to each light and loudspeaker, you stop and you realize the relationships needn’t be defined by the wires. You can just attach all the devices to the common network, and then define the relationships in software. It’s not just that things become easier — you can now redefine the relationships dynamically and in response to events, and start to wonder what else is possible. You no longer think about doing everything “on the internet,” but instead try to take advantage of connected relationships. And then you look all around you, and you find you’re still living in a 20th century world ruled by phone companies. You’re stuck with “plug boards” because the means of transmission (i.e., the cables) are owned by someone who demands a cut of the action. MIT-alumnus Bob Frankston co-developed VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet application, and writes frequently on internet policy issues and infrastructure. He can be reached at AV-Technology-1@BobFrankston.com.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AV Technology - November/December 2008

AV Technology - November/December 2008 Contents Precedent Corporate: Finishing with Style Government: It’s Still About People Education: Surviving Budget Cuts Applying Metrics to AV ROI Selecting Room Scheduling Software Six Things You Need to Know About Webcasting The Way I See It: Becoming an Internet Native Casino Uses AV for Dramatic Impact Just What the Doctor Ordered The Loneliest Help Desk in Town Product Forum Product Spotlight Tech Horizons New Products Ad Index AV MO

AV Technology - November/December 2008

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