Most of us were introduced to communications via science fiction TV programs and movies. Today communicators are part of our daily life. Still, the Sci-Fi definition for communicators tops web searches — if we do a web search for the word “communicator” we get:

  • “Communicators are devices in the Star Trek fictional universe which are used for voice communication between two people.”

  • “A portable device allowing individuals to communicate with others and nearby ships and facilities. Starfleet communicators include rudimentary universal
    translators. (“Broken Bow”). The communicators used in Enterprise closely resemble those from the original series, and even have the same chirp when opened.”

    • That is the communicator that I remember when growing up — I love that show. The same web search also returns the following definitions:

  • “A generic name for information centric mobile phones. In effect a fully featured personal digital assistant and mobile phone in one unit.”
  • “Generic name for smart-phones – essentially a combined PDA and phone.”

    • The concept of communicator is so powerful that some companies even use the term on their products.

    But their primary function, for both the Sci-Fi and today's communicators, remain the same – a tool that enables two (or more) parties to communicate over distances. One thing can be said though, that today's communicators have evolved in functionality to match and even surpass those imaginative communicators of Star Trek's year 2024.

    Not only today's communicators enable parties to communicate over distances, but also over different “mediums” or multi-media — using voice, typography, static and dynamic visuals, and even (virtual) presence. Future communicators may cater our other senses through virtual touch (in some ways already here through the use of presence and even SMS) and even smell. Future communicators will be very good at translating other languages for us as well.

    Let's enumerate some of the characteristics of today's communicators. As we can see, a lot of the functionality overlap across the categories defined below:

    As a Communication Device:

    • Voice in real-time or via voicemail
    • Messaging – SMS (text), MMS (multi-media), instant messaging, email
    • Static visuals or photos sharing
    • Real-time 2-way video conversations
    • Virtual Presence
    • Positioning information that can be used (or not) to enhance communication
    • Communication over various networks types or network convergence
      (over Bluetooth, Infrared, VOIP, 3G, Wi-Fi, Mesh networks, WiMax etc.)
    • Access to the web
    • Use of positioning information to enhance social awareness

    As Personal Organizer:

    • Messaging – SMS (text), MMS (multi-media), instant messaging, email
    • Voicemail
    • Appointments reminders, to do lists
    • Secure access to business resources, portals and data anytime, anywhere
    • Data synchronization
    • Use of positioning information to enhance business applications
    • Asynchronous

      push of relevant data       (my weather, my news, my stocks, etc)

    As a Social Device:

    • This category is very similar to the “As a Communication Device”, above.
    • This similarity is because communication and social behavior are intertwined.

    As an Entertainment or Media Device:

    • Games (online and standalone)
    • Movies/TV (real-time streaming, or locally stored)
    • Music (real-time streaming, or locally stored)
    • Access to the web

    As previously mentioned, communicators have also evolved into a multi-function apparatus that in addition to its main role as a communication device, have also become an artifact for personal entertainment and information organizer. Will device convergence rule? I believe it will but there will be levels of convergence – there will be vertical functionality convergence, where handsets will be very good at a specific function, such as communication, or gaming, or as a domain-specific data terminal. These vertical devices will cater specific demographics. Cross-functional convergence will still exist, for example my communicator will play simple games and music, but won't be as good at it as the specialized gaming and media-specific devices. Cross-convergence more likely occur at communication (and social), and entertainment, but not everyone will care about such convergence, which is why the
    separation is important, and levels of convergence be offered. On a similar perspective, read Christian Lindholm's New Mobility – My remote contribution to Les Blogs 2.0.

    Example of handsets, communicators that today offer most of the features enumerated above are the two handsets pictured above, the Nokia 6680, and the Motorola RAZR V3x.
    We should expect such features on most future handsets.

    ceo

    This piece was originally posted on June 6, 2005, but was lost when my previous weblog crashed… This is a modified version of the original post.