Huge leaps in technology have occurred in the last few years. Three years ago, Twitter and the iPhone did not exist. The iPhone was released in mid-2007. Thirty months later it now accounts for half of all global mobile data traffic. Twitter is a powerful tool of social media, now a huge influence on election campaigns; most notably in the US and Iran.

One of the many pictures from Iran posted first on Twitter instead of traditional picture sources. Photo credit: SHADISHD173/AFP/Getty Images

In that period, global broadband subscribers have doubled from 200 million to over 400 million. Mobile phone penetration in emerging markets has grown 321 per cent, compared to 46 per cent in developed countries.

It's predicted that by the end of 2012, 90 per cent of the next billion mobile phone owners will come from the global south. There will be 300 million smart phones and 200 million extra global broadband subscribers.

There's a lot of change on the horizon.

But here are some things that are constant. I expect devices will become more powerful, more portable and multi-functional. The speed of change will always take your breath away and the ways in which audiences will choose to access media content will always surprise.

Audience expectations are growing at a rapid pace in the news arena; not least in their appetite to contribute to debates and campaigns, and their willingness to consume news when and how they choose.

It means a huge amount of data and information will be whizzing around the world. Issues that we once thought of as being local or national will quickly become global talking points. They'll be instant news, instant opinion, debates that generate more heat than light; and more opportunity for misunderstanding.

This brings huge challenges for the BBC as we try to respond to the seismic changes in the global media landscape.

But we have high aspirations. It remains the BBC's aim to provide the most trusted, relevant and high quality international news in the world.

We want to continue to be an indispensable service of independent analysis, with an international perspective, which promotes greater understanding of complex issues. We want to continue to be a hub for challenging, inspiring global dialogue and debate; the exchange of views and ideas across international borders and cultural divides.

The key words here are 'independent' and 'international'. We serve no political or commercial interests, only those of our audiences.

Our international perspectives on the big issues that concern us all are a vital quality in a world where global forces are ever-more powerful.

The engine of that aim is the BBC's newsgathering machine. It is probably the biggest in the world and the envy of all those in international broadcasting.

The BBC's newsrooms and language services are rightly valued by all by our audiences - for its cool judgement, expertise and its unflagging insistence on "getting it right".

We believe that this kind of expertise and analysis enables people to make sense of their increasingly complex world, and thus empowered, lead more fulfilling lives. No matter what the future holds.

Peter Horrocks is the Director of the BBC World Service.

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