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December 20, 2006
2007 Web Predictions
Here are The Read/Write Web’s predictions for 2007 and the web. There’s a lot more at their posting but it’s an very interesting list. This would make a great “So what do these predictions mean for our library plans in 2007” brown bagger or conference debate.
- RSS will go mainstream in a big way next year.
- Structured data will be a big trend next year.
- Widgets exploded in 2006 but will continue rising in 2007.
- Web Office applications will continue to ramp up.
- The consumerization of the enterprise trend will start to infiltrate corporate IT.
- Rich Internet Apps will be a major force in 2007.
- Google in particular will continue to push the boundaries of browser-based apps.
- Semantic Web products will come of age in 2007.
- Amazon Web Services were a surprise hit in 2006 - and expect more big things from Amazon next year.
- Expect some shakeups in the online advertising market next year.
- There's a real need for a better, more robust online ad model. It may emerge in 2007.
- 2007 will be about Search 2.0 and the rise of the vertical search engines.
- Microsoft's Windows Live services will gain real momentum next year.
- Google may come out with some form of GoogleOS.
- Open Source Desktops will continue to gain momentum in '07.
- Browser War II. In 2007 expect the competition between IE7 and Firefox (plus Flock, Opera and Maxthon) to be intense.
- Speaking of browsers, 2007 will see an increase in WebKits.
- Internet-based TV will ramp up in 2007.
- Mass adoption of IPTV technology in 2007 and Bittorrent will be an important part of the online video landscape too.
- So 2007 will undoubtedly be a good year for P2P. Bittorrent will probably continue to be embedded in many new apps in '07.
- Second Life will become an important platform for marketing, promotion, and of course social networking. In short, virtual worlds will become an integral part of the real world in 2007.
- Virtual Money: PayPal showed the way, and we're seeing more of it now – Second Life LindeX, Microsoft points etc.
- The online real estate market will grow rapidly in '07.
- The search for disruptive business models will continue.
- While social networks dominated 2006, could social networks prove to be anti-social?
- International Web will finally start to get its due in mainstream media
- OLPC: One Laptop Per Child will create good buzz and may increase the adoption of thin-client like computers.
- Broadband continues to grow.
- VoIP space will really hot up.
- Mobile Web may be the big story of 2007.
- Also watch for an emerging Webphone market.
There is loads more detail in the original posting.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at December 20, 2006 6:43 AM