Ubiquitous Convergence Technology

Ubiquitous computing is already with us and is changing our lifestyle, way of thinking and quality of life. Everyday objects with embedded computing - pabilities are now commonplace and, between mobile phones and RFID tags, further deployment proceeds at an unstoppable pace. The next major step of the ubiquitous computing evolution is the move, already partly underway, from isolated smart objects to distributed systems of smart objects and appropriate back-end infrastructure: microelectronics and communication technology c- verging with healthcare technology, communication technology, sports and - tertainment, housing, vehicular technology, middleware, sensor networks and so on. You will have noticed that many people in the ?eld now use the word "e;ub- uitous"e; not to mean "e;present everywhere"e; but as a shorthand for "e;ubiquitous computing and communications"e;-leading to otherwise inexplicable locutions such as "e;the ubiquitous society"e;. Rather than continuing to ?ght this syn- dochical use we have chosen to go with the ?ow, in so far as the change in language is an indication of the global spread of the meme. We have therefore chosen "e;ubiquitous convergence"e; as a concise description of the above view: a systems-oriented perspective encompassing both the technology and its appli- tions.