ERCIM News 99
October 2014
Special theme Software Quality
Guest editors Jurgen Vinju (CWI and TU Eindhoven) and Anthony Cleve (University of Namur)
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- Category: Keynote
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by Willem Jonker, CEO EIT ICT Labs
Today we live a blended life. This blended life is a direct consequence of the deep penetration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into almost every area of our society. ICT brings ubiquitous connectivity and information access that enables disruptive innovative solutions to address societal megatrends such as demographic changes, urbanization, increased mobility and scarcity of natural resources. This leads to a blended life in the sense that the physical and virtual worlds are merging into one where physical encounters with friends and family are seamlessly integrated with virtual encounters on social networks. A blended life in the sense that work and private life can be combined in a way that offers the flexibility to work at any time from any location. A blended life combining work and life-long education facilitated by distance learning platforms that offer us a personalized path to achieving our life and career goals. Industries experience a blended life owing to the deep embedding of ICT into their production methods, products and services. Customers experience a blended life where ICT allows industries to include consumers in production, blending them into ‘prosumers’.