Paradigm Shifts in Modern IT
Era and ICT-enables Services
Professor C.-C. Jay Kuo
University of Southern California
2008/8/15
IT research has shifted its focus
from technology development to
novel applications.
• digital technologies have been widely
applied to speech, audio, video and
graphics in various commercial
applications today
• the availability of broadband
wired/wireless Internet infrastructures and
new technologies such as peer-to-peer
networking has changed the way of digital
media distribution and exchange
Four major paradigm shifts in this
modern IT era
1. From the analog implementation to the
digital implementation
• low cost, high accuracy; Sony & Kodak; VOIP & Skype
2. From PC-centric to network-centric (Thin client)
• Sharing & interaction; From functionalities to individualism; IPTV
3. From one-way broadcasting to two-way
interaction (Google Ad. on demand via search & email)
4. From HW/SW/infra-structure provision to
contents and value-added services
Web 2.0 technologies
and Internet-based services
• YouTube, Wikipedia, MySpace, Facebook,
etc.
• These services provide a scalable platform
that allows a large number of users to
participate in content creation.
• Each site is essentially a large database
as well as a community.
• The success of these services lies in a
workable business model, which is on-line
advertisement.
Core competencies of Web 2.0
• Services, not packaged software, with
cost-effective scalability
• Control over unique, hard-to-recreate data
source that get richer as more people join
– Trusting users as co-developers
– Using collective intelligence
– Customer self-service
• Thin client with lightweight user interfaces
Challenges in Web services
• Requirements on information sources
– Scalability
– Real-time
– Reliable
• Examples
– Computers and peripherala: Dell
– Auction: E-Bay
– Search: Google
– Books: Amazon
Business models
• IT business models
– Hardware providers: OEM in Taiwan/China
• Software providers
– Microsoft, Adobe, etc.
• Infra-structure providers: traditional Telco
• Service providers
– Google, Dell, E-Bay, Amazon, SW subscription
• Content providers
– Disney, Universal Studio, Electronic Art (EA),
intendo
Future perspectives
• More values move towards services and
contents
– Services
• Connecting supply and demand
• Information is power!
– Contents
• Good contents should be paid
• Digital rights management
• Creating new service opportunities
– Language translation in Skype
– Powerful edge processors with Grid computing
New horizon for IT industry
• Three mail ingredients in business
– People
– Demand
– Supply
• IT provides a new business platform
– Where are people?
– What is their need?
– Who can meet the need?
Global positioning of Taiwan
• IT services and contents may not be
suitable for Taiwan because end-user
marketing is not Taiwan’s core
competence
• Find a niche area that we can do well
– IC design is still growing
– Semi-conductor/LCD panel: capital intensive
industry
– Mobile ICT services and WiMAX
Challenges of WiMAX services
• Mobile IP networks
– Mobile broadband network infra-structure is
needed
• Two candidates: 3G and WiMAX
– Main services
• Video: IPTY and surveillance video
• Location-based services like advertisements for
tourists
– Technical challenges
• QoS, Mobile user interfaces (Web 3.0)
Four major paradigm shifts in this
modern IT era
1. From the analog implementation to the
digital implementation
2. From PC-centric to network-centric
3. From one-way broadcasting to two-way
interaction
4. From HW/SW/infra-structure provision to
contents and value-added services