It’s hard to imagine the marketplace without the Internet. We use it for client interaction, marketing, internal and external communication; even some production steps require Internet access. The Internet has evolved to become a critical business component for most of us.

　　While we all appreciate the value and importance of the Internet in today’s marketplace, its future is uncertain. Yes, we’ll have an Internet. But it could be something quite different than the Internet we have today. One of the biggest challenges to the Internet as we know it is the question of ownership. Different companies own pieces and parts of the Internet, but no one entity has responsiblility for the Internet itself.

　　The United Nations has created the Internet Governance Forum to openly discuss issues surrounding the Internet – especially issues of responsibility. The first point from their mandate is - discuss public policy issues related to key elements of Internet governance in order to foster the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of the Internet. However, after reading the minutes of recent meetings, it appears that reaching any consensus would be a challenge. And many question whether the UN is the right organization to address Internet issues in the first place.

　　The major phone companies want to make Internet rules too. They want more control since they provide a great deal of the infrastructure. One scenario would have telcoms (telephone companies serving as broadband providers) reducing their competition by blocking or slowing down their customers’ connections. This concept is vigorously opposed by the Googles and Yahoos of the world. The telcoms would impose a “speed tax” on competitors offering connection speeds that match those provided by the telcom. However, a bill to avoid the speed tax scenario in the US was recently voted down by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

　　In addition to the ownership question, the fragility of the Internet and growing overload concerns are driving the development of new technology that could change the Internet as we know it. An example of new development is Internet2. Internet2 is a consortium of universities and corporations that have built a network that dramatically outperforms the “public” Internet. Real-time, high quality video and sound are available via Internet2.

　　Examples of what Internet2 brings to the table: A person in Australia can conduct surgery in the US using video and robotics. University classes are being taught by instructors from around the globe in what could be described as a virtual reality environment. Technologists are learning a great deal from Internet2 experience.

　　As the Internet becomes more robust, the transfer speed, as well as the quality of video and large scale images will improve. We don’t know the specifics yet, but you can bet that this will affect the way graphics are managed and employed.

　　The activities surrounding the Internet in the coming years will be important for all. Discussions concerning management, ownership and funding of the Internet will create some heated debates.

　　At SGIA, we’ll stay on top of electronic communication developments that might impact your business and keep members informed – hopefully via email.