converging technologies

What dose converging technologies means?
Converging Technologies is a term which is widely used in areas where different or similar technologies address the same market segment. Typical examples are the convergence of consumer electronics and telecommunications with a wide range of different services provided in combined equipment interconnected to a range a different networks and e-business with secure transactions. Although (competing) technologies will use there specific media, the common purpose requires interoperability and consequently a co-ordinated standardization approach. The ICTSB has selected few areas for which the standardization activities are identified and - as far as the ICTSB membership is concerned - co-ordinated.

• Machine readable cards, related devices, interfaces and operation for banking, telecommunications, transport/logistic, pay TV, access control, identification cards including electronic signature
• Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and telematics including telematics in public transport, multi-modal and traffic information, road and traffic data, network and traffic management, fleet management, electronic fee collection, short range communication etc.
• e-commerce Business-to-Business issues and Business-to-Consumer issues, m-commerce, e-signature, e-payment, data privacy, network security including end-to-end QoS, localisation services
• In-house technologies including smart house, in-house cabling, alarms, Internet and multimedia related in-house technologies like powerline communications etc.
• Last mile fixed network technologies including cable TV, Powerline etc.
• Man-machine interfaces and human factors

(a) Explain what features you use on you mobile phone. Do you normally use the schedule features to input important times/dates etc., or was this the first time? Would you use it again?
I don't have a mobile phone, therefore, I can't answer this question. I know how one look like but I have never used it in regards to converging tehnologies.

(b) The use of converged mobile technology has the potential to allow employers and employees to be accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What advantages/disadvantages does this kind of technology present for employers/employees?

Advantages of moblie technologies for employees

• The costs of mobile phone calls vary considerably depending on the type of phone called.
• Phone calls to landlines and to the same network are the cheapest, while phone calls to other mobile phone networks can often cost up to 5 or 6 times the cost of same network calls.
• It therefore makes absolute sense to purchase the same network for all employees that will have mobile phones. Not only will this reduce call charges significantly, it may also give you enough spending power to be able to negotiate a small discount.
• If the majority of people you or your employees would be contacting use landlines, or if there will be a large number of internal calls, then it makes sense to look for a package which offers cheap landline rates or a number of landline/same network minutes included.
• If your contacts mobile phone numbers are mainly based on one network, then it may reduce costs significantly to sign up for the same network provider to reduce call charges.
• If your contacts are based across a number of mobile networks, then it would make sense to look for a package that offers a good cross network rate or includes a number of inclusive minutes to all networks. These are more expensive, but will work out cheaper compared to the actual call costs.

Disadvantages of moblie technologies for employees

• There are usually two types of mobile packages. Those that have a fixed rate all day, and those that have a peak (usually 9am-6/7pm) and an off-peak (usually 6/7pm to 9am) rate.
• To get the most cost effective mobile package, you need to carefully consider the times that you or your employees will be making calls, as the varying rates are different enough to make a substantial difference to the cost of your bills.
• If you or your employees make all of their calls between 9am and 5pm (the times most common for businesses), then it makes sense to go for the cheapest peak rate, or an all day package with higher off-peak and lower peak rates. Packages with included ‘anytime’ minutes will also save you money.
• If you or your employees make all of their calls outside of office hours (for example: night shift workers), then it makes sense to go for the package with the cheapest off-peak rate. As most calls will be made outside of the peak rate, it does not matter too much if the peak rate is high, as long as the off-peak rate is low. Packages with lots of included off-peak minutes will usually save you money.
• If you or your employees make calls throughout the whole day, then it makes sense to go for a package that offers a low fixed rate. Peak and off-peak rates are not important, and going for a package with two rates will invariably cost more. A fixed rate allows calls at anytime of day, without worrying about expensive charges at certain points.There are usually two types of mobile packages. Those that have a fixed rate all day, and those that have a peak (usually 9am-6/7pm) and an off-peak (usually 6/7pm to 9am) rate.
• To get the most cost effective mobile package, you need to carefully consider the times that you or your employees will be making calls, as the varying rates are different enough to make a substantial difference to the cost of your bills.
• If you or your employees make all of their calls between 9am and 5pm (the times most common for businesses), then it makes sense to go for the cheapest peak rate, or an all day package with higher off-peak and lower peak rates. Packages with included ‘anytime’ minutes will also save you money.
• If you or your employees make all of their calls outside of office hours (for example: night shift workers), then it makes sense to go for the package with the cheapest off-peak rate. As most calls will be made outside of the peak rate, it does not matter too much if the peak rate is high, as long as the off-peak rate is low. Packages with lots of included off-peak minutes will usually save you money.
• If you or your employees make calls throughout the whole day, then it makes sense to go for a package that offers a low fixed rate. Peak and off-peak rates are not important, and going for a package with two rates will invariably cost more. A fixed rate allows calls at anytime of day, without worrying about expensive charges at certain points.

Advantages of moblie technologies for employers

• The costs of mobile phone calls vary considerably depending on the type of phone called.
  Phone calls to landlines and to the same network are the cheapest, while phone calls to other mobile phone networks can often cost up to 5 or 6 times the cost of same network calls
• It therefore makes absolute sense to purchase the same network for all employees that will have mobile phones. Not only will this reduce call charges significantly, it may also give you enough spending power to be able to negotiate a small discount.
• If the majority of people you or your employees would be contacting use landlines, or if there will be a large number of internal calls, then it makes sense to look for a package which offers cheap landline rates or a number of landline/same network minutes included.
• If your contacts mobile phone numbers are mainly based on one network, then it may reduce costs significantly to sign up for the same network provider to reduce call charges.
• If your contacts are based across a number of mobile networks, then it would make sense to look for a package that offers a good cross network rate or includes a number of inclusive minutes to all networks. These are more expensive, but will work out cheaper compared to the actual call costs.

Disadvantages of moblie technologies for employers

• There are usually two types of mobile packages. Those that have a fixed rate all day, and those that have a peak (usually 9am-6/7pm) and an off-peak (usually 6/7pm to 9am) rate.
• To get the most cost effective mobile package, you need to carefully consider the times that you or your employees will be making calls, as the varying rates are different enough to make a substantial difference to the cost of your bills.
• If you or your employees make all of their calls between 9am and 5pm (the times most common for businesses), then it makes sense to go for the cheapest peak rate, or an all day package with higher off-peak and lower peak rates. Packages with included ‘anytime’ minutes will also save you money.
• If you or your employees make all of their calls outside of office hours (for example: night shift workers), then it makes sense to go for the package with the cheapest off-peak rate. As most calls will be made outside of the peak rate, it does not matter too much if the peak rate is high, as long as the off-peak rate is low. Packages with lots of included off-peak minutes will usually save you money.
• If you or your employees make calls throughout the whole day, then it makes sense to go for a package that offers a low fixed rate. Peak and off-peak rates are not important, and going for a package with two rates will invariably cost more. A fixed rate allows calls at anytime of day, without worrying about expensive charges at certain points.