The PC, on the other hand, is the most successful platform for attracting developers who write applications for Web browsers in Windows or Mac environments. The Internet browser may be the most common platform across these screens and will attract some, but not all, of the multi-screen applications in the future.

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Lastly, an application developer has to consider the network and protocol used to carry the data, which is different across the three-screen devices. Cable lines for televisions can handle large amounts of data, but they were originally built for one-way broadcasting and later modified for two-way connectivity with the rise of the Internet. Computer and mobile devices are built on IP networks, allowing two-way communication, but the speed and capacity of wireless networks versus fixed networks varies greatly.

User Demands
As an example, the average iPhone user on AT&T's network consumes 400 Mbytes of data each month, which is currently putting a strain on the wireless network. According to Cisco, the average home broadband user consumes 11.4 Gbytes of data each month. Therefore, it's unlikely that we'll see a switch of the home devices to use the wireless network and one pipe for our three-screen applications. There's simply not enough spectrum to support today's usage. Fortunately, both the home and wireless networks share the same protocol, IP, which makes it easier to distribute applications. When the television is connected to the same network, i.e. IPTV, we at least have a consistent protocol to deliver applications.

The convergence of three screens is happening today and it will result in very compelling, personalized services in the future. It shouldn't matter which device we're using to access the information. After all, a screen is a screen. What matters most to the user is the information.

Consumers want to be able to access that information on the device that's most convenient for them in any given situation. As technology and development platforms continue to converge for these devices, we'll begin to see more developers writing multi-screen applications.