• by June 11, 2001

The Industry Standard, in an article by Maryann Jones Thompson, reports on a recent announcement by Forrester Research that the “Web is dead.” However, Carl Howe, Research director at Forrester, says that "dead" means the Web is "lifeless," not "extinct." Moreover, he says, "Our business model does not require us to pay homage to any particular technology or company." Forrester and other researchers still believe that Web surfers and e-commerce expenditures will continue to expand for some time.

Forrester defines a new concept described as the “X Internet” which it says is going to overtake the Web. It's based on the concept that most sites today have static content and don't provide entertainment or experiences you can't get offline.

The X Internet refers to the "executable" and "extended" Internet that pushes connectivity past computers to other interactive devices, such as cell phones and televisions, and from there to a range of consumer products and applications - from cars to fields of corn to cans of soup. "Net connectivity becomes a part of every chip made, and there are billions made each year," says Howe.

Kevin Murphy, vice president at Gartner, says that technology adoption happens in waves. Murphy says that the Web wave is peaking, and there's a new swell forming beneath it. Most recognize that wireless technology, embedded chips and other X Internet technologies have potential. Forrester has simply packaged together a lot of disparate innovation and slapped a clever name on it. Howe of Forrester says the analyzing business is not supposed to be overtly promotional, it's supposed to be a science. Forrester is just calling it like it sees it.

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