Press Release

The mobile phone as the key to evernet

• Communication is becoming independent of time and place
• New technologies have a fundamental impact on society, the economy and science

The newly published book “Die Dritte Welle der Mobilkommunikation“ (The Third Stage of Mobile Communication) focuses on the mobile networking of people. The authors of the book Jørgen Bang-Jensen and Jakob Steuerer discuss possible forms and effects of a mobile society at a ONE panel discussion on December 11 with Univ.-Prof. Dr. Alois Ferscha of Linz University, DI DDr. Manfred Reichl of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, the philosopher Univ.-Prof. Dr. Konrad Paul Liessmann and the sociologist Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Roland Girtler of the University of Vienna. The event was presented by Dr. Gerfried Sperl, editor-in-chief of “Der Standard”.

In their most recent book “Die Dritte Welle der Mobilkommunikation” ONE CEO Jørgen Bang-Jensen and the technical journalist Jakob Steuerer deal with the networking of people at work and in their every-day lives. One of the chief theses reads: It will take until the end of this decade for the third stage of mobile communication – and thus the triumph of mobile data transmission – to develop into a mature and flourishing business.

Online life in the Evernet

After the first stage of mobile communication at the beginning of the 1990s, when mobile phones still were the luxury of a few, and the second stage, during which cell phones became an unrenounceable means of every-day voice communication, the third stage will see a fundamental change of communication. Author Jakob Steuerer explains, “It will be a matter of course for mobile phones to send, receive and process digital data just like voice. This has far-reaching consequences – but, as yet, only their outlines are discernible.” Steuerer is convinced that “an ever-present infrastructure, the so-called Evernet, will develop in the coming decades.” Co-author Bang-Jensen stresses, “In the future, we can all lead our lives online, which means that we can communicate with all other people in the network all the time and world-wide, both privately and on business.” The mobile phone becomes a multi-medium, and thus the key for the future Evernet. As a personal assistant it gives the required information at the right time and the right place. Bang-Jensen, “The mobile phone of the future is a digital Swiss pocket knife. It combines the most different functions, from identity card or key to wallet and appointment book.”

“Smart things” make every-day life easier

In the opinion of Professor Alois Ferscha, mobile communication has already made an essential contribution to giving access to information irrespective of time and place. But networking people and things (“being connected”) is only the first step. “The remaining challenges are first a mutual awareness exceeding networking (“being aware”) and then smartness, that is invisible and unobtrusive, but intelligent background action,” says Ferscha. In his research focus “pervasive computing” at the Institute of Applied Informatics at Linz University, Ferscha deals with innovative information technologies that blend into their every-day environment (smart spaces), are invisibly integrated into items of daily use (smart things) or create living areas that react in an intelligent way to the presence of people, their intentions, habits or even emotions. His working group developed pervasive-computing demonstrators, such as “WebWalls”, “digital aura”, “smart shop window”, “Internet suitcase” or real-time SMS notification in running shoes (Vienna and Berlin marathons).

Mobile communication is transformed into applications

Manfred Reichl, Managing Partner of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in Vienna, goes into the matter of imminent structural changes of businesses and economic sectors caused by mobile communication. In his opinion, mobile communication is increasingly transformed into applications. The mobile technology is no longer the chief aspect of many services, such as games or traffic information systems. Mobile communication has effects on sectors such as postal services, transport, tourism, finances or the media. The mass business of providers and that with end-user equipment remain sensitive to costs. Reichl explains, “Especially the infrastructure business and that with wide-application end-user equipment entails high fixed costs. We therefore see high concentrations and fierce competition in these fields.” Applications such as mobile payment or localisation stimulate business, but require partnerships with finance institutes, marketing groups, software houses, etc.

Communication in the age of technological innovation

Professor Konrad Paul Liessmann of the University of Vienna states that the new communication technologies are about to revolutionise some fundamental areas of our lives, such as the relations between proximity and distance, reserve and intimacy, publicity and privacy and information and disinformation. At times, a networked and permanently communicating society has paradoxical consequences. The difference between work and leisure time disappears just like the concept of privacy. Liessmann says, “The more data are available for networking, the more difficult if becomes to defend the right to privacy and leisure time.” The new communication technologies do not only connect, but also give almost unlimited access to information.

The long tradition of networking

The development of the human culture has been determined by the urge for faster information, states Professor Roland Girtler of the University of Vienna. Over the centuries, people increasingly managed to gain information faster, to pass it on and thus to “network”. This behaviour is caused by the desire of human beings to continuously extend their knowledge in order to realise their ideas, plans and intentions. As a historical example Girtler mentions the empire of Genghis Khan, which ranged from the Yellow to the Mediterranean Sea in the 13th century. Girtler, “Today’s networking follows this tradition. Fast networking means ever more thrilling possibilities to gain information for one’s own benefit.”

The panel discussion clearly showed one thing: In the development of the third stage of mobile communication, the focus must be placed on the customer and his/her requirements. Because it will be human beings, and not technology, that play the main part in a mobile networked society.