ELGIN, Ill., May 17, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- "The Emergence of Convergence" is more than a clever play on words. It describes the opportune way a Chamber of Commerce strives to serve its members, and it describes the direction of tomorrow's -- even today's -- business communication.
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It's the new buzzword of the business world. According to Poynter Online's Convergence Chaser newsletter, "Convergence is about the communication process -- telling a story in multiple formats. Convergence is about promotion -- moving viewers, readers, users to different mediums. Convergence is about devices -- the hardware that can do it all."
Chamber publisher Village Profile, headquartered in Elgin, brings the most sophisticated communication technology to Chambers of Commerce in 44 states. The publisher's Convergence Program both promotes the Chamber and its programs, and affords advertisers -- as well as Chamber members -- exposure to an audience reaching far beyond the printed publication and local geographic boundaries of the region.
With more organizations vying for professional membership investments (in dollars as well as participation), it is critical that the Chamber provide the most up-to-date and useful benefits to retain current members and attract new ones.
Extensive market and industry research by Village Profile identified a growing trend in electronic communication methods that indicates PDAs, smart phones and handhelds are growing in popularity and usage around the world, and especially in the U.S. Sales of PDAs in the U.S. nearly tripled from 12,345,000 in 2000 to 35,165,000 in 2003, and are expected to reach more than 56,550,000 in 2005 (worldwide sales figures indicate similar past and projected growth).
Gartner Research suggests that 20 million smart phones, and 13 million PDAs, will ship worldwide in 2006 and suggests that remote access is rapidly becoming essential to most businesses.
The number of Americans who subscribe to cell phone service rose in a decade from 16 million in 1994, to 110 million in 2004; 1.2 billion subscribers are predicted worldwide by the end of 2005 (Network World). According to the online newsletter cellular-news, the average U.S. subscriber logs 490 minutes of use (MOU) per month, which surpassed residential landline usage of 480 MOU in late 2002.
The numbers back up the trend noted by Keith Mallinson, executive vice president of Wireless and Mobile Research at Yankee Group, that, "More than half of us who have cell phones use them as our primary device for private voice communication," and adds that while Americans will never completely "cut the cord," already as many as one in 10 young urban adults ARE giving up traditional landlines entirely -- and this trend will increase, according to Mallinson, when wireless number portability (WNP) enables landline numbers to be ported to cell phones.
Village Profile's Convergence publishing meets important objectives that are critical to many Chambers of Commerce today. It allows the Chamber to offer the most up-to-date communication technology available to Chamber members to enhance networking/membership benefits, and provides a database solution to keep membership listings current and up-to-date. The program also generates non-dues revenues to enhance the Chamber's operating budget and provide for program and benefits expansion.
Village Profile's Convergence publishing is made up of two primary elements: a four-color print publication that includes quality-of-life editorial and photographs plus a comprehensive membership listing; and its converged electronic elements. These include a dedicated website on Village Profile's Community Profile Network at http://www.villageprofile.com/illinois/chicago and a downloadable e-Book: the electronic, full-color version of the print publication including lifestyle and resource information.
All e-Books include text, photos, and advertising and can be downloaded (at no charge) for use with most PDAs, handhelds, smart phones and computer desktops from the Village Profile's Community eStore at https://estore.villageprofile.com.
The final, and perhaps most attractive, element of the convergence program is access to the Chamber's complete categorical membership directories via Internet enabled cell phones and smart phones through the publisher's business portal at http://www.vpmobile.us.
The "Emergence of Convergence" has proven to be an exciting venture in promoting participating Chambers of Commerce as innovators in the local business community, as they take the lead in utilizing communication innovations that will shape the future of business within their own communities and around the world.
Convergence is not just a sophisticated level of communication technology, but, most meaningfully, a technology that is USEFUL. Village Profile's Convergence Publishing Program, the patent-pending wireless technologies, puts Chamber members' business and contact information and linked sponsor websites, literally into the palm of the world's hands.
Chambers, their Members, and advertisers have enthusiastically embraced this new technology, evident by the advertising support, which nearly doubled the advertising revenues generated for some Chambers' previous publications.
A number of e-Books representative of Chambers publications nationwide have been downloaded from Village Profile's eStore. Sponsors who received complimentary e-Books with their sponsorship have distributed these copies to their clients and staff, so to expand the Chambers' "circle of influence" within the local, state and national business communities.
The very concept of the Chamber of Commerce was founded on the premise of networking and communication -- and today's electronic and convergence communication tools are the foundation of the future for the Chambers of Commerce and the businesses, communities, and people they serve.
Said Steve Case, founder of America Online, "Every decade has some word associated with it. In the '80s, it was 'PC.' In the '90s, it was 'Internet.' For the rest of this decade, the key word is going to be 'Convergence.'"
Photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
