Digitalisation is much more than replacing previous analogue technology. It has a profound impact on usage, delivery chains and economic models, and, as new business models are developed to exploit new delivery mechanisms, we see an increasing socioeconomic impact. As we move towards a mostly audiovisual digital universe we are undergoing a media revolution, amplified by unprecedented connectivity and where broadband penetration is a major driver for the demand of new media services.
The current media landscape is characterised by an explosion of massively distributed digital objects, by a growing share of user generated content and an ever increasing quality of professional and non-professional content (digital cinema, ultra high definition TV, immersive games and 3D among others). This is compounded with new consumption modes and users? demands for new services, such as user generated content, ubiquitous access on demand, social and community media and content personalisation. The media landscape is thus moving from a traditional broadcasting approach to more personalized and on-demand solutions, with an impact also on the infrastructure and the access technologies required; for example content awareness and advanced tools and systems for intuitive content creation and for multimedia-based search.
The importance for Europe of Networked Electronic Media is undisputed and requires a proactive approach to lead the transition to the new "Media Internet". European Institutions, content producers and the broadcasting and telecommunications industries need to work together in a coordinated R&D effort, so as to ensure that Europe plays a leading role in this fast evolving new media landscape.