The X Internet

Already some are predicting the death of the World Wide Web, as we know it and the dawn of a new, application-based Internet.

No one doubts that Internet usage has boomed, but most of the access to this point has been through e-mail and Web browsers. Those looking for changes predict the Web's days are numbered. They say the Internet will move to a second round of expansion beyond the browser. Two new waves of innovation, called the "X Internet" will eclipse the Web: an executable Net that greatly improves the experience people receive when on the Internet, and an extended Internet that connects the real world.

What is the wrong with today’s Internet?

Those most critical of the current system say the problem with today's Internet is that it's dumb, boring and isolated. They say that News, sports and weather imparted on static Web pages offer essentially the same content presented on paper, which makes the online experience more like reading in a dusty library than participating in a new medium. Now that the novelty has faded, business executives and consumers are going back to reading newspapers and watching TV. Ultimately, the Internet hasn't truly become a part of our real worlds.

What is the Executable Internet?

The Web brought users "pages" to read. The executable Internet will deliver interactive experiences.

Some models assert that, instead of using a browser to view more-or-less static text and image content (today's Web model), that the Internet will be used to download disposable smart programs that run on a range of devices (like PDAs, cell phones, etc.), which are then more capable of managing intelligent interactions between you and others via the Internet. You can think of them as special- purpose browsers that you download on demand and are then deleted once you no longer need them, but capable of much more than browsing.

These quick downloads will allow users to carry on extended conversations with Net services, a stark contrast to today's transactional Web services.

What is the Extended Internet?

Also foreseen is an extended Internet emerging through online devices and applications that sense, analyse and control the real world. Thanks to inexpensive chips and a worldwide Internet backbone, nearly every device that runs on electricity will have an Internet connection, using both wired and wireless networks. By 2010, predictions are the number of Internet devices will boom from today's 100 million to more than 14 billion.

Is there anything like "Executables" on today’s Web?

Napster, which allows for something similar by allowing users to choose wanted items from other users and to download them immediately, is an early executable-Internet application. Such utilities will captivate users far beyond the static Web.

Who will drive the development of the X Internet?

Probably businesses will make much more use out of the X Internet than consumers. They will have the money needed to extend the Internet, and they will spend their cash if they can see a return on the investment.

The business strategists, marketers, organisational transformers and other important stakeholders are often still in the afterglow of "getting" the Internet and surviving the dot-com bubble bursting. Now, the task is to help a broader group of stakeholders to understand the business implications of new software architectures and data models, and to think about X Internet as the standard model to be used in developing business strategies, with the point-click-read browsing/surfing model of the Web circa 1997 as outdated as the pre-MTV music industry is today.

The extended Internet will reshape technology's role in business. Most firms struggle to understand and act upon what is happening in their business now. Extended Internet devices will provide real-time information about what is going on and provide levers for companies to control their businesses.

Will we run the Internet on the same technology?

There will probably be an interim step between the Web-dominated Internet of today and tomorrow's extended version

The evolution of the X Internet will usher in a new phase of technology change. The good news, most people and companies already have their Internet connections. The bad news, these changes will require deeper knowledge of technology than the Web did.

What are some everyday examples of using the X Internet?

Say you need to search through lots of text archives in a library? You'll download a search-specific executable that is optimised for that particular task, and then use it to complete your task (a library text search in this case), store the results somewhere, and then the executable will be thrown away.

Not only will the executable be optimised for the task, but also it will optimise itself for the kind of device you're using: PC; PDA; Car Device etc. It will optimise for your speed/type of connection: broadband; wireless; encrypted; dialup or whatever. Your personal preferences, i.e. language choice; colour schemes; sort preference eg by date or author; etc will all be set in place automatically. It will take into account things like your customer status, are you a current customer; gold account holder; prospective customer; competitor's customer and other factors.

It can also include intelligence to do things like suggest improved search parameters, access collaborative filtering data repositories to help you find what others have previously found using similar search parameters, and handle more natural-language type interaction instead of dry and limited Boolean logic.

Arthur Hissey
Computer Research & Technology
www.crt.net.au