Convergence is ultimately about connecting – more, faster, easier. We live in a world where billions of people are connected through the Internet. More content is created in a single minute online than in a single year back in the 1990s. According to IDC, the "digital universe" – the amount of information and content created and stored digitally - will skyrocket from 1.8 ZB (zettabytes) in 2011 to more than 7 ZB by 2015 with 90 percent of that coming from digital content in the form of graphics and video.

How we share this content and connect depend wholeheartedly on the network. Network convergence is about bringing together IP and other networks into a single physical layer – most importantly enabling voice, video, and data communication. The converged network is powerful,  enabling the digital world in which we live. But there is more.  

Here’s a look at three ways convergent technologies are driving innovation and creating opportunities beyond the network:

Infrastructure or data center convergence. The digital universe is putting pressure on networks and data centers. Says the Daily Network Monitor, we’ll see the vertical integration of “servers, storage, and network systems and components with element-level management software.”  Convergence will speed implementations and application delivery. 

Search/social/content convergence. In the world of digital media, the next frontier is the convergence of online content, search engine optimization, and social media. The opportunity for IT will be working with business units and users to make the most of the convergence of online content, search engine optimization, and social media that creates a competitive advantage and drives new revenue streams. Entire business units will evolve around social media, and social media will become a recognized distribution channel within enterprises. 

Device convergence. The devices we use to receive information and communicate are changing rapidly. Just consider the tablet market, which was born just over one year ago. Today we have the television, laptop, smartphone, and tablet. What makes each one different? The lines are blurring to the point where the functionality of multiple devices is being converged into a single device. For many of us, we use a single device to make a call, check email, read a book, take a picture, and watch a video. And that’s just the beginning. In the future, even more functionality will converge onto a single device.