Apple’s iPod was the inspiration for Trivergence. It was the first consumer device that worked seamlessly with the user’s PC and the Web. I was especially impressed with the original iPod Shuffle, which was so small that there was no room for buttons on the device itself and the only way to control it was through iTunes on the PC. Back then the idea that a device could be at one place, its data at another, and its controls at a third seemed revolutionary and deserved a name – thus the term “Trivergence.”

But what was revolutionary three years ago is now almost commonplace. A quick scroll through this blog will provide ample evidence that Trivergence has indeed caught on.

After its pioneering efforts, Apple has not rested on it laurels. The company has very successfully built up its controls (iTunes, .mac and now MobleMe) and its data services (music, videos, etc.) to support a family of devices, including Apple TV, iPhone, and its computers. A 51% jump in Mac sales is, in large part, testimony to the power of Apple’s Trivergence strategy.

With its introduction of its latest (3G) iPhone, Apple has taken things a step further by adding an Apps Store to the mix. This new Web-resident service creates a market where developers can sell their creations to owners of Apple’s mobile devices. Unlike Google and Nokia, who are moving in similar directions through the embrace of open source software, Apple’s efforts are unrepentantly closed. Access to its hardware is confined to a restricted set of APIs, and developers must abide by Apple’s guidelines for everything from interface design to pricing. While some developers may see this a draconian, the end result is a seamless and consistent user experience – demonstrating that a digital ecosystem populated by many participants does not have to be wild and wooly.

One of the coolest apps in the App Store is called Remote. It is free and was developed by Apple itself. Remote lets you control the music playing on your PC or home theater through your iPhone. That takes things full circle – from a PC that controls a mobile device, to a mobile device that controls a PC. Trivergence takes yet another step forward.