Cognition 2.0

In my previous blog posting we saw what a service ID was, what it represented in terms of service management and integration with other systems. In a nutshell, a service ID is a unique key to identify and retrieve detailed information about a service, without having to store that information at the source, but only in a central repository that "masters" that information. With this in mind, we will explore in this blog what the future of service IDs will be and how they will enable the next generation of devices that us humans will carry with us at all times.

Remember, or ever read, the book The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton? The main idea behind this book is the interaction of the human brain and a chip that is inserted into the brain of a known criminal to control his behaviour. It turns out that the human brain's plasticity is in the end capable of adapting to the presence of the chip and its signals, and eventually ends up being capable of controlling the chip. What this novel leaves us with is a sense that humans cannot be controlled cybernetically, since we are not machines that react to simple inputs to produce simple outputs. Again, this goes back to my earlier posting called Beyond level-A information model that illustrates higher order information processing and production.

In particular, certain technologies have been implemented in an increasingly demanding environment, namely RFID and GPS technologies. As such, the ability to locate and identify objects and individuals in real-time, as well as to retrieve important and relevant information about them, including location, has become an industry trend. On the other hand, telecom and other service providers have been foreshadowing great changes in the way we use these technologies, especially as they relate to portable devices. FMC, or Fixed Mobile Convergence, signals the convergence of services on any device, both fixed and mobile, such as cell phones, PDAs, post-PC devices such as the iPod, etc. Convergence of services has been already in progress for several years and there are already many service providers that offer voice, internet, and tv over IP networks simultaneously.

With the above in mind, the question then would be: how will devices and services evolve in the (not so far) future?

A likely scenario would be that tagging and device technologies would merge. This means that devices that today are only being used for RFID and GPS for keeping track of objects would also be used for keeping track of people and would be available to be placed permanently on the user of those devices. For example, there are chips that can be implanted into dogs that carry their owner and other information. This chip can be externally scanned and information retrieved to identify the dog. In human applications we would see these tags being used to carry information about the person, but it would carry slightly more important information such as mobile telephone number, service provider(s), and some vital signs. Although scary initially, the thought of these devices coming together is already in progress and it is quite safe. GPS is currently already available on cell phones, but the great aspect of having both functions fused into a chip is that devices could be interchangeable, such that when I use a device it will acquire all my preferences and services from my chip, i.e. when using a device I would transmit to it my telephone number, contacts, service provider information, including my long distance rates etc. This way, every device effectively becomes personalized the instant I use it.

The next scenario would be that service delivery strategies and technologies would merge. This means that information about services and products I consume will be widely available to me and through any of my devices. The only piece of information I need to possess are the different service IDs that tie my chip to the actual services. The concept of service IDs has been featured in a past blog of mine in What's in a Service ID. However, the main concern with this approach is regarding the policies and means by which that information is shared. Service providers need to be aware of the security implications of allowing external devices to have access to those services and resources associated with given service IDs. A solid identity management solution that implements strict authorization and authentication rules will be critical for the success of this piece, and today many such services are already available on the internet with the added risk that those IDs need to be typed on a web page before accessing the services themselves. With this solution, the IDs are never exposed and are never typed or revealed in any other way, except through "contact" and a low-level protocol between the chip and the device.

Thus, the possession of a chip that allows access to my service IDs is a step forward in how we use and interact with devices and service providers. Also, the existence of a secure, contact-dependent protocol between the device and the chip is a key ingredient, together with a solid infrastructure to access service IDs in a confidential and secured provider eco-system.