We’re rapidly evolving into a more mobile, always-connected, open Internet society. As we end the first and begin the second decade of the 21st century, we’re giving way to a fully connected digital lifestyle, turning yesterday’s “Digital Generation” into today’s “Connected Generation.”

As the moniker suggests, today’s youth expect to be connected at all times, not only to their friends, but also to each of the different devices in their lives. The Connected Generation will share messages, information, music, photos, and videos using connected devices, from mobile phones to music players, from digital TVs to digital photo frames, from e-book readers to portable gaming devices, and from storage devices to, yes, even refrigerators. 

This trend toward connected devices has its beginnings in the decade just past. Today’s smart phones are the PCs of 10 years ago. Hundreds of millions of consumers around the world have already experienced the Internet using browsers embedded in their connected devices. Late last year, ABI Research released a report that found that the number of Web browsers embedded in consumer electronics devices will grow from 60 million in 2008 to 214 million by 2013.

Access Systems Americas, a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile and beyond-PC markets, has seen worldwide demand for the NetFront Browser grow to more than 900 million deployments within the last decade. And the market segments driving embedded browser growth aren’t just mobile phones, but also connected devices and, indeed, any consumer electronics that connect to the Internet.

Albert Chu is responsible for developing business and marketing alliances on behalf of Access Co. Ltd. with leading companies in the telecommunications, consumer electronics, and media industries. As VP, Global Marketing & Alliances, he drives the Access Connect Ecosystem partner program, a global ecosystem of companies that are setting the market direction for innovative converged technologies and solutions developed by Access and its partners. In addition, Chu is responsible for the marketing operations for Access Systems Americas. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and completed the Advanced Executive Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

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