Digital Communications and Convergence

“The high-tech industry using its knowledge and capabilities to make information and entertainment available in new ways at lower costs”.

Convergence between the telecoms, IT, consumer electronics, broadcasting and creative content sectors has so long been thought of as something about to arrive, is now very much with us.

It is therefore vital that Intellect’s members can influence the regulatory and policy framework that will support this growing sector, understand how the sector is evolving and are in a strong position to capitalise on the opportunities that will arise.

Benefits of being an Intellect member:

• Access to a wide range of players across the value chain, helping you to network and grow your business.
• You will gain valuable insight into the evolving market, allowing you to capitalise on opportunities as they arise.
• Membership provides you with access to and assistance from key regulatory and industry bodies, national and international. These include Ofcom, the European Commission, EICTA, UKspace, ESA, UKIPO, BNSC.
• Partner opportunities with the leading innovators in wireless, electronics, space and telecoms.

Our core challenges:

• helping ensure that the UK has a world-class communications infrastructure including next generation broadband, TV, radio and satellite platforms
• helping ensure Intellect members are well positioned to take advantage of new business models that are emerging as a result of convergence
• helping ensure that our members, innovative technologies and devices are at the heart of the UK’s digital communications landscape

Our work and achievements:

• through our membership of the Board of Digital UK, Intellect has and is contributing to a successful Digital TV switchover
• building on the industry ‘Case4Space’(PDF 1.35MB) report to achieve both recognition of
  satellite technology and services for delivering a range of benefits to the UK economy, the citizen and of the world leading space capability in the UK
• developed a valuable market-development based offering for our electronics
  members including networking opportunities with customers and access to market trends and data
• written our first ‘Capitalising on Convergence’ report in 2006 and
  now running the Convergence Conversation events, looking at new business
  models and writing ‘Capitalising on Convergence chapter 2’
• helped shape the UK’s Intellectual Property framework through detailed
  contribution to the 2006 Gowers Review
• set up Intellect-Ofcom Forum where we raise important strategic digital
  communication issues at a senior level with the regulator ranging from telecoms
  to broadcasting to spectrum and also including European regulation
• member of the Department for Culture Media and Sport Digital Radio Working
  Group which is planning the migration from analogue to digital radio in the UK
• working with the Broadband Stakeholder Group, to help shape the thinking in
  the industry, government and Ofcom on the plans for next generation access
• having been instrumental in setting up and managing the Digital
  Communications Knowledge Transfer Network we now work with
  them to help downstream technology into industry
• facilitated close collaboration between the UK electronics manufacturing
  services (EMS) and PCB sectors and government in order to secure their long
  term future. Unrivalled business development opportunities with large OEMs are
  also key to our programme

Facts and stats:

• According to Ofcom, revenue of over £63 billion was generated by telecoms networks and services in 2007.
• The UK Consumer Electronics market is the largest in Europe and made up some 26% of total European sales in 2007. The second largest market was Germany, which had 18% of European sales.
• Since mid 2006 Intellect has processed more than 50 formal Digital Communications and Convergence related consultations, received from both UK national bodies such as Ofcom and European ones, such as the European Commission.
• Space currently contributes around £7 billion a year to the UK economy and supports around 70,000 jobs. By 2020, the global market in space systems and satellite-enabled applications is set to increase nearly tenfold.
• The UK EMS sector is worth £1.6bn, and we are home to over 40% of Europe’s independent electronic design community – by turnover and number of design houses.

For more information get in touch:

Communities and Local Government: solutions4
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