1. Future of home: Converged Lifestyle
01-nov-2016
Mobile systems have been passing through a paradigm shift each ten-year cycle and we are
inching towards a “wireless world”. Broadband is getting provisioned through various
mechanisms including Fiber-to-Home. Devices are converging functionalities of TV, Phone
and computer. And multimedia services are being launched incorporating media streaming
and interactivity. Future communication systems are adopting a ‘multi-access
interoperability’ model, offering different access techniques to the user terminals such as
cellular, cordless, WLAN, short-range connectivity, broadcast as well as wired systems.
It is no longer enough to connect place-to-place or person-to-person, mechanisms are in
place for device-to-device communication. Estimates say that, by 2025, probably over 50

2. billion devices will be talking to each other. Information should flow seamlessly from one
device to the other. We need our devices to determine where we are and what constitutes
a meaningful service for our location and context. When we are on the move, a low-
resolution picture may suffice; but as we step into our home, we should be able to take
advantage of a larger screen with a high-resolution picture of the same in a seamless
fashion. Today’s device-driven world is gradually metamorphosing to an experience-
centered world.
These developments lead to multi-sphere interactions in our daily life and that forms the
basis of a Converged Lifestyle. Closest interaction with the wireless world could happen
with the elements that are in close proximity of our body. Communication elements could
be built in wearable devices and apparels. Upon request, these elements identify each other
and would form a common distributed virtual terminal over us. In the next level, interaction
takes place with the elements of real world (e.g., TV, computer) around us. TV sets may be
aware of an individual’s choice programs, washing machine is aware of washing pattern and
so on. At the next level, we interact with more complex systems like cars. Furthest
component in a conceived multi-sphere is the presence of a self-created cyber-world. As a
permanent resident of cyber-world, we would always like to be in touch with our agents,
knowledge bases, communities, services and transactions.
In order to understand further how all these technologies and services could usher in a
Converged Lifestyle, why do not we fantasize visiting our next-door neighbor Samir’s home
in 2020?
Samir is watching a movie in his Living room. Video-on-demand service that Samir
subscribes to holds over 25,000 movies, from black-and-white classics to latest interactive
blockbusters. In his today’s interactive movie, someone is trying to climb a mountain and an
implicit question pops up: which way to go [north or east?]. Depending on Samir’s response,
the movie would take different turns—a sad or a happy ending.

3. In Dining area, Samir’s father is reading a personalized multimedia newspaper.
Samir’s mother, in Kitchen, realized cooking oil is finished. Samir puts the movie on hold and
switches to on-line shopping. A window on the screen shows a range of olive oil bottles,
each labeled with price, origin and dietary information. Samir selects one with handset and
a voice says, “you have selected on 2 kg of Oliva. The price is Rs.600. The amount has been
debited from your account.” Samir could have gone to a virtual supermarket where he can
walk up and down the aisle as in a real store, but he decided today on “flat screen”
shopping.
In her Home office, Gouri, Samir’s wife, is involved in a virtual conference with her
colleagues in Paris and Tokyo. Gouri’s computer is linked directly into a fiber-optic
broadband network, with enough bandwidth to handle her virtual conference. She wears a
pair of virtual reality glasses, connected by infrared link to her computer. Through her
headset, she sees a virtual meeting with several people sitting around a table. Documents
exchanged are stored in the computer. This is a neat realization of Tele-working.
In Study room, daughter Tanisha is using a computer linked to an online database to get her
homework done.
Son Sankalp is playing a virtual reality game in his Own room. Using Xbox Live, he played
yesterday a car-racing game with his cousin in London. Today, he is wearing a virtual reality
gear---holding a stick and prodding towards window. In his virtual world, he is a medieval
knight taking part in a global “Knights of the Round Table” tournament.
This slice and dice of “Future of Home” is a glimpse of our converged lifestyle. Today, we are
cognizant of our device capabilities, service provisions and context specifics while
addressing our lifestyle needs. In tomorrow’s connected and converged lifestyle, we no
longer think of device-service-context, we cherish a superior and colorful experience.
Author: Dr. Aloknath De is Corporate Vice President of Samsung Electronics and Chief
Technology Officer of Samsung R&D Institute India (SRI-B). Dr. De has over thirty years of
industrial and research experiences including BEL, Nortel (Montreal), Hughes and with ST-
Ericsson where he was Country Director. During 2005-11, he has served as Visiting/Adjunct
Professorship with IIT-Roorkee and IIT-Delhi. He holds B.Tech. from IIT, Kharagpur; M.E.
from IISc, Bangalore; and Ph.D. from McGill University, Montreal. He is a recipient of
‘Alexander Graham Bell Prize’ in Canada. He has received ‘IETE Memorial Awards’ in 2003
and 2008 for distinguished contributions in Electronics and Communications. In 2015, he
received Tech Role model (Sr. Technologist), and IDC Insights Award for Innovation in
Telecom. In 2016, he has been awarded Zinnov ‘Intrapreneur of the year’ award. He is a
Senior Member of IEEE and a Fellow of IE, IETE and Indian National Academy of Engg (INAE).
He is also cited in Marquis’ Who’s Who in the World (2016).

4. Author’s Presentations on the Theme::
1. A.De, IoT and The Future of Smart Living, Business World IoT Expo, Gurgaon, Mar.2016.
http://businessworld.in/bw-event/
2. A.De, Converged Lifestyle, CIO Review Magazine, Jun.2013.
http://www.cioreviewindia.com/magazine/Converged-Lifestyle-GPTO343276566.html
3. A.De, Converged Lifestyle, Silicon India Magazine, Jun.2013.
http://www.siliconindia.com/magazine-articles-in/Converged_Lifestyle-KCVQ283935677.html
4. IMTC 2025 - Converged Lifestyle Session with Samsung India CTO, Aug.2012 (Video in YouTube).
(International Multimedia Telecommunications Consortium, USA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5DSKdCgzCs