The Emerging Converged Communications at Home Market

Consumer electronics manufacturers, operators and retailers are launching a new wave of always-on multimedia communications devices. With the recent burst of innovation, consumers are being provided a whole new range of choices, and it is still unclear which device will be the real winner to gain the most market share.

 

It used to be phones were used only for voice calls, and TV was the only way to view video in the home. Today applications are migrating to different devices. Voice, video, data and audio are now available on new platforms including tablets, digital photo frames, internet radios, multimedia cordless phones and other broadband multimedia screens. 
 

There are new choices and combinations introduced to the market every quarter. Recently, AT&T (News - Alert), Verizon, Orange and Korea Telecom launched Wi-Fi enabled multimedia screens designed to integrate family contacts, schedules, Web browsing and more.  

 

Kodak (News - Alert) provides digital photo frames with Wi-Fi access and Chumby displays favorite Internet sites on an alarm-clock like device. Two other Internet appliances, Nokia’s (News - Alert) N810 Internet Tablet and Sony’s Mylo COM-2 Personal Communicator were introduced more than a year ago. 

 

With all the possibilities of combining different functionality into one device, it remains to be seen which features will have the most appeal for the mass market and at which target price.

 

People will use always–on connected devices at home for easy and immediate access to communications, information, and entertainment. However, the key criteria for user acceptance are affordability and usability.

 

Since browsing rich multimedia web content is already available on the laptop or Net-PC, most home users are not prepared to pay similar prices for smaller wireless devices designed to surf the Web.

 

Consumers are willing, however, to invest in a device that improves on PC functionality – for example, a touch screen with personalized information always available at the touch of a button, makes the Internet accessible to a wider range of users including the elderly and the very young. 

 

A unique combination of capabilities that add convenience to day-to-day tasks, also gives these new devices wide appeal. By combining voice and Internet browsing, consumers can search the Yellow Pages for suppliers, select one and then place an order by touching a button. This feature makes ordering pizza, flowers or a cleaning service, a quick and easy task.

 

In addition to providing immediate access to the Internet and being affordable and easy to use, the device must be easy to configure and install. If a user is not fully satisfied the first time they try, they will give up and the device will go back in the box.  

 

All of these devices have one thing in common: unique integration requirements.

Beginning as early as 2000, Wi-Fi phones that integrated voice and data capabilities were launched. However, due to Wi-Fi’s limited range and quality of service issues, most operators worldwide have selected DECT communications as the preferred voice vehicle and Wi-Fi as the preferred data and multimedia vehicle. Using DECT for voice requires Wi-Fi and DECT communications to co-exist on the same device, which necessitates special design considerations. 

 

If best of breed chips are used from different manufacturers in the same device, extra resources are required to integrate functionality. In addition, there are difficulties due to potential incompatibility and overlapping features. In some countries Wi-Fi and cordless phones are using the same band which requires frequencies to be synchronized. There are also different regulations and certification procedures for Wi-Fi and DECT communications.

 

Standardizing on one chipset that includes DECT and Wi-Fi will enable manufacturers to achieve a more affordable product with quicker time to market and lower development costs.

 

System-on-a-chip solutions reduce part count and system complexity as well as power consumption, crucial advancements for systems deployed with high-reliability requirements. Having a single software development kit for all the available features also speeds up the development process and reduces ongoing maintenance and upgrade costs. In addition, having pre-integrated Wi-Fi and DECT capabilities simplifies the process of meeting regulations and receiving certifications.

 

As the race continues to introduce converged communications devices for the home, it will take time before consumers reach consensus on the features they want and are willing to pay for. Built-in integrations will provide consumer product manufacturers with the flexibility and costs advantage they need until multimedia internet devices win over more users and enter into the mass market.