The Broader Impact of DSP in a Global Economic and Social Context - Essay Example

THE BROADER IMPACT OF DSP IN A GLOBAL ECONOMI AND SOCIAL CONTEXT INTRODUCTION Revolutionary changes have happened in the twenty-first century in various industries this has been because of the massive technological invention that are being developed. Digital Signal Processing has come up to be one of the most powerful technology that will have a massive impact in the shaping up of science and engineering fields, which are communications, medical imaging, radar and solar, high fidelity music reproduction, oil prospecting and many more areas in the technology industry. Each of these areas has involved substantial involvement of the digital signal processing technology with its own unique algorithms, mathematics and specialized techniques. As a result, digital signal processing have been seen to have significant impact on the social, economic and in global lives in our society today. Digital signal processing converts analogue signals to digital signal and by doing this signals can be extracted and later modified to meaningful and relevant information through the digital signal. In the pioneer ages digital signal processing was only used in computers and by that application of the technology was only limited in some key areas, like for instance radar and sonar where national security was seen to be at risk this is because of the international threats that were happening due to international tension. The other area is oil expiration, in this area it has been seen that there are very large amount of revenue that could be mad, oil sector industry is a very profitable industry that is capable of raising the economic level of a nation. Space exploration is another sector that digital signal processing was adopted this is because of the importance of data that are received which are of an irreplaceable nature. The final area of involvement in digital signal processing was medical imaging, where it could play a vital role in the treatment and saving of lives. IMPACT IN AN ECONOMIC CONTEXT Digital signal processing has had great impact in our lives especially economically, the recent technological advances has lead entrepreneurs and investors to spend a lot of money in technology. Innovations in technology has led to many firms competing with each other to develop the most sophisticated technological devices so as to outsmart its competitors and also gain the largest market share in the industry. Advances in computing, data storage and data transmit ion have enabled firms to reduce costs, create new market, expand existing market and create employment in the nation. (44) Companies and organizations have moved quickly to grab these newly found opportunities and as a result, firms are spending billions on their enterprise system. Firms are developing sophisticated software and hardware packages that integrate ordering, procurement, inventory, finance and human resources in their companies. Consumers can be given a wide range of goods and services for communication entertainment, shopping, education and other activities that are related to the firm and firms are given the opportunity to widen their consumer targets. With the embracing of technology firms are able to reduce cost, maximize their profits and increase shareholders wealth, consumers also benefit from these technological advancements whereby prices of commodities are reduced due to the decrease of costs also by being able to access wide ranges of products that are available.(32) Telecommunication has also been a beneficiary on these technological advances. Drastic improvements in computing power, accompanied by healthy competition in the industry have led to dramatic reduction rates among the consumers in communication. The telecommunication industry has been able to expand massively to tap this new opportunities, these firms now enjoy substantial customers in their networks. The introduction of wireless and broadband services has made communication much easier and faster. (22) This industry has been able to employ thousands of people therefore reducing unemployment and it has been able to generate billions in revenue due to their massive customer base resulting to massive profits. Most technologies in the twenty first Century has adopted digital signal processing in their development, this has very much contributed to the fast growing of economies throughout the world. Governments have embraced these technological advancements and have adopted these changes influencing their economic growth. (76) IMPACT IN A SOCIAL- POLITICAL CONTEXT These technological advancements have also influenced our social environments positively, through the developments of advanced methods of communication and the ability to relay information more effectively. The music industry has been one of the many sectors in the entertainment industry that has benefited through the digital signal processing. The path that leads to a musician’s microphone in performance is very long. Considering that people listen to both music and speech it is important to ensure that both these components is delivered to the end users more effectively and efficiently this is why digital technology is important. Digital signal processing prevents the degradation of quality delivered as what is experienced when using analogue storage and an manipulation, this was experienced a while back when we were using cassettes tapes with compact disks. (197) Technology has also assisted in solving some of the social problems that exists. Technological and social problems are interdependent. Like for instance, solving the water shortage problem requires a social solution, which is adopting practices such as water conservation, education, pricing or water rationing. A technological approach in solving the water problem would be desolation of available water resources this is the removal of salt components from the water so that it is consumable. Technological method has been seen to be the ideal method of solving the water problem this is because it is quick and reliable rather than using the former, which is frustrating, time consuming and uncertain in severe situations. For that reason it is important to convert in the largest possible extent social problems into technological problems.(100) Social network is another area in which digital signal processing has had a major impact. By using the social network sites, which are now available in plenty, people, are able to communicate with people who are thousands of miles away and also people they don’t know. This has encouraged exchanging of ideas, understanding different people’s attitudes and discovering how they live their lives. Many firms have adopted using social network to improve their operations and exploit new market opportunities. By doing this it has resulted in an improvement in their customer base which is also been reflected in their financial performance and market share. (210) IMPACT IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT Technology with the use of digital signal processing has played a major role in global integration, in that it has improved in the way people interact and do business in the international context. With the invention of airplanes, people now are able to travel for long distances more quickly; also, the use of telephone has enhanced how people communicate more easily. Nevertheless, what really has made a major impact in the international environment is the invention of the Wide World web.(200) Before the World wide Web was invented we had the internet which was connected the globe, but with the world wide Web people were now more than ever able to transmit their own digital content for everyone across the globe to see. Using the web has very much influenced globalization the ability to post digital information in the internet and able to reach everyone globally has positively influenced the relationship between nations globally. This has influenced many companies to expand their market and start positioning themselves in the global sense. Using digital signal processing has encouraged international integration in all fields linking every aspect in different environments. CONCLUSION Digital signal processing for sure promises substantial benefits in our lives In the future. Many of our daily activities that we perform are made possible using digital signal processing. The developments in this segment continue to grow with, new, faster and better devices being developed every day. Digital signal processing devices are becoming vital components of most electronics and chip manufacturers resulting in billions of dollars in sale being made annually. The food industry will see new applications of digital signal processing in all sorts of areas as the trend towards automation and improved process controls continue. Works cited Walter, Hahn. Paying the Premium: A Military Insurance Policy for Peace and Freedom. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, 2003, pp. 1-220. Read More