Internet Trends 2008

Image via CrunchBase

Yesterday, at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Mary Meeker from Morgan Stanley gave her annual presentation on Internet trends. It was, as usual, like drinking from a fire hose. Here are some attempts at the demitasse approach.

• YouTube is poised to become the #2 search engine worldwide. This would give Google the #1 and #2 search engines. Looks like that acquisition has paid off.
• If Skype were a carrier like AT&T or T-Mobile, it would be the #1 carrier in the world within 2009, likely surpassing China Mobile in the number of subscribers it has.
• Use of cellular modems is a hidden, growing trend, driving up connectivity and broadband access.
• The iPhone is a game-changer. Believe it. Within 120 days after it launched, Motorola created a 350-person Android team, the CTO for Nokia resigned, Nokia acquired (the next day) an impressive text-messaging startup, and AT&T reorganized.
• The current worldwide economic recession will mean that value propositions will be under severe pressure. Entities like Skype (with its awesome price advantages) and Amazon.com (with its world-class shopping experience and razor-thin margins) will do well. Fat will be trimmed ruthlessly.
• Internet ad spending won’t be hurt as much as other forms because it was culled in 2000, and also because it is a more efficient market overall.
• Undermonitized social networks and falling CPMs give marketers great opportunities in the recession.
• The Top 10 emerging markets (monitored as such since 2001) will surpass the Top 10 established markets for Internet users in 2008.

Think about those things, and how they might affect your strategies and outlook. Read the full report. Then think again. The changes that are occurring, coupled with the macroscopic social and economic issues, will shake things up!