Sony brought their stars, so too did NBC. Telco executives were everywhere and a cable guy gave the keynote address. The usual corridors of gadget wizardry were on show but what stood out at CES2008 was that everyone--carriers, MSOs, broadcasters, the big production, gaming and software houses and of course the CE salesmen--was there. Could it be what we are finally watching play out live is the much anticipated convergence?
There may be more devices than ever, but as machines all become IP enabled, behind the scenes the carriers, cable companies and broadcasters that power them are morphing into "digicoms" delivering a variety of digital medias through a variety of digital devices. In time, conferences such as CES, NAB and CTIA are set to be quaint reminders of a time when technologies were hard wired to content and distribution. -Tom