The future of the web and how it may affect your business
How will the internet change in the future and how will these changes affect business?
Definitions of the third generation of the internet - or 'Web 3.0' - are already proving just as controversial as the earlier versions. Below we outline three technologies that may help shape the internet of the future.
The mobile web
Mobile web access has
existed for some time, but has recently become much more popular.
This is mainly due to cheap, powerful and user-friendly mobile devices - eg smart phones, netbooks and tablet computers - becoming more widely available.
Mobile content has also improved, with web applications or 'web apps' providing richer, more targeted and location dependent services. This gives businesses greater opportunities to connect with their customers - anytime and anywhere.
Depending on your type of business, it may be worth considering creating a mobile version of your website. This would be a simpler version of your main website - designed to be quick-loading and easy to navigate on a small screen. Other, more traditional, mobile marketing techniques include sending promotional texts and multimedia messages to your customers.
Find out about mobile marketing on the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) website.
Cloud computing
Cloud computing gives businesses a way of managing data, hardware and software requirements using resources supplied via the internet. Documents, emails, customer information, business applications and other assets can all be stored online - 'in the cloud'. This makes them accessible from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection and a web browser.
Business benefits can include:
reduced IT costs
greater flexibility in your IT planning
access to the latest technology
more flexible working practices
professionally managed 'back up' for your data
But, there are risks involved including data protection issues, business continuity concerns and issues around service 'lock-in' by providers.
Virtual worlds
The idea of virtual reality online has been around for a long time, but has seen limited success to date. However, virtual worlds look set to increase overall, building on social and collaborative opportunities. Expect to see social networking sites allowing even greater customisation, with increased opportunities to connect with your customers in a virtual world. While this is far removed from the virtual reality seen in films, it can still provide opportunities for your business to build relationships with customers using shared three-dimensional spaces.
Another emerging technology is augmented reality (AR). This is where real-world video displays have graphics laid over the top to create a semi-virtual world which users can then interact with. Early examples of this include smart phone applications that also use global positioning technology to direct users to nearby places of interest when they use their phone's camera viewfinder.
Read an explanation of AR on the HowStuffWorks website.