Impressive though these technologies may be, the technological and educational breakthrough awaited by many will only be achieved by creative integration akin to the Virtual Campus. Predictably, convergent interactive technologies epitomised by the Virtual Campus will rapidly, perhaps painfully, become part of our educational infrastructure. Doubtless, educators will respond to these opportunities with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Implementation is proceeding prompted by encouraging support from users. But further developments cannot be taken for granted.
Critical questions continue to be raised.
Sustained implementation, however, will depend on a complex of factors including leadership and financial support, educational and technical R and D, progressive upgrades and articulation, training of educators and technicians to support the use of convergent communication systems for education. But global education will not be for all universities. Smaller, less influential universities, unwilling or unable to adopt convergent communication systems may fade while the stronger compete head to head for students. Perhaps what is needed is an additional form of convergence, one which integrates a vigorous technology with the needs and wishes of people. This paper began with a quotation.