Explaining Convergence

Convergence is the interlinking of computing and other information technologies, for example, TV, radio and newpapers used to be how people got news and entertainment: now all three have converged into one - the internet.

Another good example of convergence is the Smart TV. Smart TVs can connect to TV catchup services, can browse the web, can view videos on sites such as YouTube and can even connect with social networking sites such as Facebook. A Smart TV is also a good example of a multi-functional device.

Explaining Multi-Functional Devices

A multi-functional device is very much like convergence. They are devices that can perform more than one function, such as the Smart TV above. These are becoming more and more common and offer many advantages over devices with a single function. Take a smartphone for example: as well as offering a texts and calls, they can also offer calculators, e-readers, MP3 players, GPS systems, alarm clocks, internet browsing, and cameras. Why would you spend £500 on a high-quality camera, when you could get the latest smartphone for the same price that offers all a camera can do and more?