Presence is not merely a technical capability – it actually changes the way things are done. Understanding the impact of changes in behaviour explains why some of these technological developments take time to mature. It’s not the technology that is difficult; it’s the cultural and behavioural change they require or enable that takes time.
In a presence-enabled context communication (whether it is voice or data-centric) is only initiated when the various parties are available. This represents a fundamental change in the way calls are made and is similar to how Instant Messaging (IM) applications are used. Voice systems have traditionally shown the current call state of an extension on the system. What was not provided was information about whether the person was actually at their desk even when the phone was idle. IM applications provide presence information based on keyboard strokes or mouse movement. This information can be linked to the user’s calendar and geographic location to deliver more meaningful information: “In a meeting”, or “Don’t call he’s in Japan where it is currently 3am”. Combining this functionality with the telephone is a natural next step and the SIMPLE protocol (see later section and glossary for more detail) is currently being worked through the IETF to support both instant messaging and presence. This in turn changes the model for how telephony services are charged. The prevailing model is likely to involve personal subscriptions (i.e. a per user charge) rather than a line or extension charge, plus a call charge for calls that go off net. This is similar to how mobile phones are charged which in turn reinforces a “personal handset” model where the users most commonly used numbers are stored as part of the subscription or on the handset itself. With Voice over Wireless handsets the form factor and styling is likely to echo mobile and users will carry them around the office or when they go out and about. Dual function phones with both Voice over Wireless and true 2G/3G capability will be available in identical form factors and styling options to the pure mobile handsets they replace.
Identity
As organisational boundaries change, become transparent or disappear, the ability to assess whether another party is someone one wishes to initia
te or even permit communication with becomes even more important. There will always be organisations and individuals who want to restrict their visibility and these tools will enable this as much as they will improve visibility. It is key that the individual has control over these parameters for these tools to become accepted. With identity comes security to protect organisations and individuals from illicit or damaging behaviour.Although this may seem to reduce the opportunities for making new contacts, and clearly has a benefit in screening nuisance calls, it does also allow the opportunity for people to broadcast when they are open to contact. As these applications get more sophisticated and the networking interface improves people will put more effort into developing their online identity and further improving communication.
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