So here it is. A network player like Cisco entering the home entertainment space -- by announcing that they will provide telepresence solutions for the home -- through AT&T and Walmart (!) see this article. I was hoping Tandberg would come up with a solution like this. But, Tandberg is focusing on the small/medium size business with the T1.

Anyway, the race for Telepresence is heating up; and as sales of LCD-displays increase it looks like we may be having these devices in the not-too-distant-future. As these devices reach the home and as the service economy grows; we can soon be using services that were previously restricted to face-to-face meetings. In a global world, this could be very interesting as I could receive services from the other side of the globe. Hmmm.... now what would my doctor think about that? And maybe the do-it-yourself store can finally offer services to help you fix the appliance you bought from them. Would IKEA try something like this?

The consumer-centered design wave is taking shape. I have come across a number of stories of consumer-centricity emerging in what seems like the next dot-com wave.

A lot of solutions are taking the shape of "dervices". A what? Well, I have coined this term to represent the phenomenon of a content service that is powered by software and made available on a preferred device that is connected to the net. The service can be consumed by other generic devices as well, but the user experience will decide which device is best suited to host the service. For eg listening to music would be best on your iPod, while updating playlists would be best via a wide-screened browser or even better ... through feeds from a community portal. I expect "dervices" to be the way how Software-as-a-service will execute and how subscription-based models (as opposed to ownership) will take root.

Imagine all your devices like a humungous remote control that exists on the cloud that captures all your interactions via your devices -- mobile phone, TV-remote, GPS, Gaming console, Google-searches, e-mail, IM etc and then offers it to you through a Chumby or on your TiVo or your laptop. As all our devices become data-acqusition devices the likes of Google and Microsoft would like to get a hold of that data. Now extend the range of the devices to include devices like the Automatic teller machine (ATM), health care devices and one can see how things get more difficult to manage effectively.

An interesting service (not a dervice) that is right along the consumer-centricity path is Communispace. This service is aimed at enterprises wishing to engage with their customers in a more interactive manner. This takes enterprise feedback management to the next levels -- vendors like confirmIT may have to extend and embrace ... or even redesign.

Yes! I am happy the consumer-centric wave is gaining momentum... but am also a VERY worried that my politicians and law-makers are blissfully unaware of how the digital society around us is changing. Change that challenges the old laws and regulations!