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X-Internet- the next big wave after WWW?

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CIOL Bureau
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"The web's days are numbered….'. So says a startling Forrester report,

shaking the Internet hooked world, which goes on to predict that it will be

replaced by another wave- X-Internet. Well, if the techno-freaks were wondering what next after the minicomputer, the PC, the workstation, the web, X-Internet seems to answer their queries.






Though Internet was a killer application that hooked people across the world,
however the initial euphoria of being on the Web now seems to be worn out.

Industry experts agree that people prefer to return to the real world for most

activities, especially so if the Web just replicates them.






Few of them are already calling the Internet, 'dumb, boring and isolated' and
are predicting that the days of the World Wide Web are numbered.

The Internet is yet to truly become a part of

our real world.
Analysts

predict that the
web

will soon be replaced by a richer, interactive 'X Internet'- which is executable

and extended. According to Forrester

Group
forecast which coined the term X-Internet,
two

new waves of innovation will eclipse the Web: an executable Net that greatly

improves the online experience, and an extended Net that connects the real world
.







Unlike the existing Web wherein the browser

pops up essentially static pages of information, the executable Internet will

enable a conversation between two ‘high IQ entities’ on either side, with

interactivity level rising to hitherto unforeseen levels as intelligent

applications execute code on the user’s PC or other devices.






These "other devices" form the extended Internet, and will be the
connection to the real world. Analysts forecast that while today’s Internet

has under 500 million users and a 100 million computers connected to it, the X

Internet will push applications to embedded chips in a host of devices and

consumer durables and increase the Internet population by billions of nodes.





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THE WEB VS.

THE ‘X INTERNET’

The Web

Executable Internet

Extended Internet

No

of Devices

Millions

Hundreds of millions

Billions

Focus

Browsers

User focussed SW

Devices

Killer App

Web, e-comm, IM

Responsive experiences

Real time business apps

Data

HTML, XML

Executables and XML

Environmental data

Model

Server-centric

Peer-to-peer

Device-centric

Connections

User-driven

Opportunistic

Opportunistic

Time frame

1993 to 2001

2001 onward

2005 onward

Source: Forrester Research

This, according to Forrester, will result in

massive growth and opportunity–by 2010, the worldwide Internet devices and

services market will increase to $2.7 trillion annually, from $600 billion

annually today.

The first stage in the X Internet is an

executable Net. Users will get real-time, interactive experiences over the Net

through disposable code
programs

that allows users to download it to their PCs and handheld devices (PDAs, cell

phones, etc) on demand and are then deleted once you no longer need them These

quick downloads will allow users to carry on extended conversations with Net

services.






The other X-Internet- 'extended Internet' will include the widespread adoption
of real-world appliances, like air conditioners or fridge, that communicate,

sense, analyze and control the real world. The extended Internet will come

with the inclusion of cheap sensors in thousands thousands of everyday products,

an era that will begin around 2005.

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With cheap chips and a worldwide Internet

backbone, nearly every device that runs on electricity will have an Internet

connection, through both wired and wireless networks. The result? The number of

Internet devices will boom from today's 100 million to more than 14 billion in

2010, as per Forrester report'

The pro-X-internet group is also positive that

the executable Internet will also speeden up and enhance e-commerce

transactions, and create experiences that are comparable to video games and

television. We already have an example in applications like Napster, online

gaming and SmartMoney.com's

Map of the Market. But complete executable Internet apps are still

several years away.

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All said and done, we need to find

out how much of this is hype and how much will evolve into reality. Questions

linger on its effectiveness, at what price, security and many more. So as always

Wait and Watch.

*Based on information obtained from

web

For further info from the pioneers

of the concept, log onto:

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