Convergence occurs when previously distinct technologies or disciplines integrate and work together. Nicholas Negroponte first identified convergence and predicted the integration of IT, television, movies, print, and publishing. There are several categories of convergence, including network, application, payload, protocol, physical device, technological, digital, and media convergence. Examples of convergence include fax machines, VOIP, and IPTV. E-commerce enables online shopping, banking, office suites, and social networking through mechanisms like shopping cart software and online telephony using VOIP.

1. CONVERGENCE

2. CONVERGENCE
 Convergence can be identified as two
different/disparate disciplines or technologies
working together.
 Nicholas Negroponte first identified convergence.
 He envisioned that the worlds of IT , television and
movies and print and publishing would come
together and work.
 Convergence implies the integration
of telecommunication, broadcasting
and Internet network services.

3.  Examples :
1. Fax Machine is the result of convergence of
Telecommunications technology (phone part of fax
machine using which we dial the destination at which
fax has to be sent/received),Optical scanning
technology (scans the paper), and Printing
technology (prints the scanned paper at the
receiver’s end).
2. VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) Using Internet
to make calls.

4. CATEGORIES OF CONVERGENCE
 Network Convergence: Data Networks are moving
from the traditional data packet store-and-forward
mechanism to a real-time communication
infrastructure . Due to this ever rising need for
higher bandwidth ,quality of service and policy
management.
 Application Convergence: Interoperate across
different vendor systems. From a high-end
videoconferencing system we can talk to a low-end
desktop.
 Payload Convergence: Varied types of data is
carried in the same communication format.

5.  Protocol Convergence : Movement away from
multiple protocols to a single protocol (like IP)
networks.
 Physical Convergence : When the equipment
over which the packets travel is the same
regardless of the service requirements. Example:
Edge network can be used for multimedia and web
traffic.
 Device Convergence : Single network device that
supports various different networking. Example
:Router used for wired and wireless networks
 Technological convergence is the tendency that
as technology changes, different technological
systems sometimes evolve toward performing
similar tasks. Example :IPTV , Voice over IP

6.  Digital convergence refers to the convergence of
four industries into one conglomerate, ITTCE
(Information
Technologies, Telecommunication, Consumer
Electronics, and Entertainment). Previously
separate technologies such as voice (and
telephony features), data (and productivity
applications), and video can now share resources
and interact with each other synergistically.
 Media convergence "the flow of content across
multiple media platforms”. Media convergence, in
reality, is more than just a shift in technology . It is a
process not an outcome.

7. APPLICATIONS OF E-COMMERCE
 Document automation in supply chain and logistics
 Domestic and international payment systems
 Automated online assistant
 Newsgroups
 Online shopping and order tracking
 Online banking
 Online office suites
 Shopping cart software
 Teleconferencing
 Electronic tickets
 Social networking

8. E-COMMERCE MECHANISM
Two Methods:
1. Shopping cart software : Online presentation of
goods for sale. Selecting all the goods in the cart and
paying once for the selected items.
Features : Credit Card Adequacy, navigation system
for consumers, order management ability, consumer
account management ,flexible shipping, inventory
management.
2. Online Telephony : Technology that allows the
consumer to call by phone on the same line which
they are using for Internet connection. Known as
VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol )