Life seemed a lot simpler when a big decision was whether to tune my radio to Cousin Brucie on WABC or Jean Shepherd on WOR. Today, it's safe to say, most people are absolutely bewildered by today's alphanumeric soup of communications standards. Heck, I make a living writing about technology, and my poor brain can freeze up on the often subtle differences between 802.11a (or b, or g, or n), WiMax, EV-DO, Flash-OFDM, Bluetooth, and all of the other current and pending standards. Pity the poor manager who has to figure out which communications technology offers the biggest bang for the buck and isn't likely to head into Betamaxland in a few years.
The wireless-standards muddle will only get worse as researchers think of fresh ways to send voice, video and other kinds of data faster and more efficiently. This means we're going to have to depend on technology itself to make sure that our cell phones, pagers, notebooks, and other vital business communication devices will be able to interoperate across multiple global networks. (Or, more to the point, that the executives and employees who use these devices will be able to interoperate.)
A possible solution lies in the software-defined radio (SDR), a device that automatically works across a wide range of frequencies and operating modes, seeking out the combination that best meets its user's current needs. An SDR could configure itself to function as a cell phone, a Wi-Fi phone, a pager, a GPS device — even an AM/FM/satellite broadcast radio or a TV.
The SDR concept has been kicked around for several years, but an important real-world test is about to get under way in Ireland. Let's keep our fingers crossed. |
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