Washington Post writes:

The center of the computing experience is rapidly moving from the desktop of the PC, which Microsoft largely owns, to the Internet, which it does not. With Internet connections getting faster and more able to handle large volumes of information, whole software programs can be delivered or used online.

Thus, in what is known as the Web 2.0 world, a start-up aptly named Upstartle LLC offers an online program for creating, writing and sharing documents. Whereas the Microsoft Office suite that includes such tools costs more than $140, Upstartle's Writely.com service is free, with add-on features to be made available for a subscription fee later.

"Where I do my word processing, how I collaborate, maintaining my social network . . . those things are shifting away from Microsoft," said Tom Bittman, a research fellow at Gartner Inc., a market research company.

George F. Colony, chief executive of Forrester Research Inc., which analyzes market trends, argues that companies that serve consumers via Web pages will begin to do so using actual software programs, to increase the services they provide.

Dubbing the trend "X Internet," for executable Internet, Colony said it is a revolution being led by Google, at the expense of Microsoft's hegemony.

ClickZ writes:

But as they try to retool to improve their competitive position, the IYPs should ask themselves: Are bells and whistles what local searchers are really looking for? What are the signature strengths that differentiate IYPs from other local search offerings?

Searchers use phone directory listings in two ways: to find the phone number, address, or driving directions to a business they already know; or to search for a business based on a category or keyword. To remain competitive, IYPs must focus on matching the searchers' needs with the merchant's capabilities. Inclusion of locator information in a listing is more critical to a retail establishment that relies on walk-in traffic, for example, than it would be to an on-call service provider, such as a plumber or an electrician. Even a business without a Web site may have e-mail capability. Perhaps it would be a likely candidate for a pay-per-call service (that's another column or two in itself). An IYP can offer enhanced listings or business profiles to provide searchers with simple but vital information, such as business hours and payment options. In some cases, that eliminates the need for a Web site.

Search, Internet Computing, Software-as-a-Service, Web 2.0, and Mobility defined 2005. Google continued its rise and increased market share even as Yahoo and Microsoft are launching aggressive counter-attacks. The Internet is becoming the computing platform – replacing the desktop era. This is leading to software-as-a-service, first popularised by Salesforce.com, and now being brought to the fore with a wide range of Web 2.0 services. The mobile is becoming the one device which can do it all, even as the iPod remains the other choice among gadgets for the ones who can afford it.

All of these topics were covered in Tech Talks during the year, along with articles on entrepreneurship and other topics. In this last Tech Talk of 2005, I’ll quote from some of my favourites during the year. It is now more than five years since I started writing Tech Talk as a daily (Mon-Fri) column to better understand and explain the world of technology, especially from the context of emerging markets.

I covered a number of ‘Disruptions’ in a Tech Talk series in July: