Digital convergence

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Digital convergence is mainly driven by the TIME industries (Telecommunication, IT/Internet, Media and Entertainment) and provides new, innovative solutions to consumers and business users. Based on digital technologies and digitized content it encompasses converged devices (such as smartphones, laptops, internet enabled entertainment devices and set top boxes), converged applications (e.g. music download on PC and handheld) and converged networks (IP networks). According to Harry Strasser, former CTO of Siemens "digital convergence will substantially impact people's lifestyle and work style". The next hot trend in digital convergence is converged content, mixing personal (user generated) content with professional (copyright protected) content. An example are personal music videos that combine own photos with chart music and sharing them in social communities on PCs, mobile phones and digital settop boxes.

Digital convergence also refers to the digitalization of traditional media. For example, during the advent of personal computers, text-only documents were the first to be digitized. Increasingly, graphics would be digitized, at first simple illustrations, then eventually photographs. Digital sound evolved from series of single-tone "beeps" to very detailed audio encodings.

The term doesn't necessarily refer only to the existence of technology, but also the mainstream integration of such technology. For example, as of the beginning of the 21st century, animated holograms exist, but are far from being commonplace, whereas one might imagine that such technology will be available for home use in the same way as laptops are available to the general public today.

Other terms may be used for this phenomena. Siliwood, for example, is a portmanteau of Silicon Valley and Hollywood, referring to all aspects of cinema digitalization, from digital cameras replacing film stock, to computer-generated effects replacing physical special effects.