The success of devices like Apple’s iPad – which reached sales of 1 million devices in less than a month – indicates that mobile devices have crossed into the living room. Conversely, the sheer volume of content available on mobile devices, indicates that the home stereo, TV and VCR have – so to speak – left the building. These seemingly conflicting different trends have massive implications for all stakeholders.

It’s not only that Apple have brought a mobile device into the living room. Implicit in the usage of the device is the expectation of a typical mobile subscriber viz personalization, on-demand, multi-function etc. Using an iPad the subscriber defines his entertainment schedule, not the service provider, the cable operator or broadcaster. The subscriber gets to decide if the device is an eBook reader, a TV or computer. In this sense the iPad is merely a manifestation of a far larger trends, namely that of personalization.

On the other hand the user want to stay connected on the move, with access to the same content outside of the home. Electronic books, games, HD video and TV are all being pushed to the mobile device. The subscriber now gets TV via the internet, books from the MNO (or even the author) and videos directly from the studios. Mobility is only part of the picture, the larger story is a breakdown of the traditional value chain. And once these service providers have developed a direct relationship with the subscriber, for the same effort they can push the content to his iPad, Home Network, TV or any other connected device. Again mobility is just a manifestation of disintermediation – explained by Wikipedia as a term in economics meaning the removal of intermediaries in a supply chain or “cutting out the middleman” (for a good example of disintermediation – look no further than Wikipedia).

Disintermediation and personalization converge in the connected device. Packaged correctly they have the power to turn existing relationships upside-down and grant the user more freedom than ever before. Naturally as traditional subscriber relationships breakdown and content is pushed to different devices the implications for security and content protection are mindboggling.

Watch this space for more information, or should I say, don’t touch that dial….