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On the cusp of the 'ubiquitous network'

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IT industry looks to an age when increasing connectivity and more refined devices mean information can be tapped on demand

WHEN IT COMES to delivering on promises, the information technology industry has a somewhat patchy record. For almost every major advance such as the internet, there is an impressive-sounding innovation (such as artificial intelligence or biometrics) that has failed to become as commonplace or transformational as its proponents predicted.

Yet, according to some industry voices, many countries are standing on the cusp of a genuine revolution, a series of advances guaranteed to irrevocably alter the way their citizens work, live and play. This will be the age of the 'ubiquitous network society', another grandiose expression that promises equally grandiose results.

Defining the ubiquitous network society is relatively simple. The central premise is that the increasing connectivity of most societies, coupled with more refined consumer devices and network infrastructure, will soon give rise to a world in which these devices communicate seamlessly with each other and information can be tapped on demand. But the implications are profound.

'The 'follow-me' internet will be a reality - people will be able to access their personal content and their business content anywhere, on any device,' said William Clark, research vice-president at analyst firm Gartner.

This 'is a society in which computers and networks are integrated into the everyday environment, rendering accessible a multitude of services and applications through easy-to-use human interfaces', said Craig Wilson, director of telecommunications industry and digital media at IBM Asia-Pacific.

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