Until recently, traditionally-minded communications engineers could afford to regard "cyberspace" and its enthusiasts with condescension. A few nice features, but little real substance behind all the hype. But look what's happened. Today, more and more of our colleagues, customers and fellow citizens look to their pc's for direct global access to people, machines and information, thanks to the convergence of computing and communication.
Small wonder then, that a growing number of opinion leaders see telecommunications as nothing more than an over-regulated appendage to the computer industry. "The cost of transmission is literally zero." -- "What spectrum shortage?" -- "Cyberspace will build its own laws and community."
Until recently, I focused upon the factual errors which accompany such pronouncements and ignored their message. But I've since changed my attitude. "Just think of it as poetry," I tell myself, whenever my teeth start to clench. I try to remember, for example, that my local Internet provider allows me to ship data anywhere in the world for about one cent per megabyte -- enough bits for one minute's worth of telephony at something like sixty-four kilobits per second. What do the poets know that our superior grasp of technological issues prevents us from seeing?
Before the end of this decade, a video conversation between two people at opposite ends of the globe might well cost as little as a postage stamp. Millions of our fellow citizens will carry and use full-service communicators as unselfconsciously as their wallets -- and millions more will look first to "The Net" for all their transactions. As we project likely advances in technology against today's unmet needs, the convergence of computing and communication presents us with unique challenges, as well as unique opportunities. In a marketplace which responds in milliseconds, we must build enduring relationships; as traditional sources of revenue evaporate, we must find new sources of value; and, as new realities make existing knowledge obsolete, we must learn how to learn from another. Working together, we can shape next-generation networking so as to benefit future generations of global society.
Dr. Penzias began his scientific career in 1961 when he joined Bell Laboratories as a Member of Technical Staff. He conducted research in radio communication and took part in the pioneering Echo and Telstar® communications satellite experiments. As a scientist, he is best known for his contributions to astrophysics which earned him the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1978.
A sought-after speaker on emerging trends, he has written a number of articles on information technology, especially its impact on business and society. His highly-acclaimed book on the subject, Ideas and Information was published in the US by W. W. Norton and is available in most major foreign languages as well. A new book, entitled Harmony; Business, Technology and Life After Paperwork, was recently published by Harper Collins. In it, he charts the course of the Information Revolution and its likely impact on the future of our work environment.
He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the City College of New York, and after serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, he attended Columbia University where he received his master's and doctorate degrees. He has also received a number of honorary degrees, as well as other awards for his contributions to science, R&D management and public service.
His affiliations include membership in The National Academy of Sciences and The National Academy of Engineering, as well as a number of advisory panels and management boards. He is a Vice Chairman of the Committee of Concerned Scientists, a national organization devoted to working for the political freedom of scientists in various countries.