The Business Journal

Archive for July, 2009

It’s a world of opportunity out there for businesses smart enough to take advantage of it. Businesses are learning how to make money online, consumers are receptive to doing business online, and technology is making life easier as well as less expensive to accomplish what would have seemed like a dream only a couple years ago.

Businesses are using the Internet to get leads, sell their wares, provide customer service, market their business, and more. A recent study by wellknown hosting company Interland (http://www.interland.com/) uncovered that 69 percent of small businesses defined the Internet as critical in driving business. In that same study, almost all companies said the Internet is very or somewhat important to driving business.

We are at a stage now where having an online presence is a necessity for businesses to compete today. Businesses are making money online and are not just spending it on SuperBowl ads.

Needless to say, mobile devices have come a long way, and they are only expected to improve in terms of functionality and options that are available to the end user. It will be interesting to see where today’s technology suppliers take us. Interestingly enough, 2005 has also been the largest year of growth for wireless subscribers ever according to CTIA—The Wireless Association (http://www.ctia.org/). The following chart in Figure 1.5 published by the Computer Industry Almanac (http://www.c-i-a.com/pr0905.htm) shows the total global wireless subscriber population breaking through the 2 billion mark! Get ready for wireless Web for the masses. Technology will continue to converge, blurring the lines between appliances. As technology evolves, there will be more uses for the Internet and more points of connectivity for the consumer, helping to further ingrain online life into daily routine.

As a business, the evolution of technology presents new challenges. For example, mobile devices are much smaller and people behave differently when using the Internet on them. People tend to scroll less and avoid material that has large images, which means that new content has to be tailored specifically to appeal to the mobile user.

Changing technologies will also draw new lines in the battlefield. We’re seeing it as telecoms and cable providers encroach on each other’s territories with Internet and communication services such as voice-over IP and broadband Internet connection services.