Internet predictions for 2007

Who last year would have predicted that Rupert Murdoch would buy MySpace for $580m? Or that little-known YouTube would be the hit of the year and get snapped up by Google for a staggering $1.65bn? The twists and turns of the Internet can make a fool out of the wisest commentator.

Never afraid to get egg on their faces though, the Cubeworks team have stepped up to the challenge of predicting what 2007 will have in store for the Internet. Would you agree with our choices?

Consolidate, target and rent

Prediction by Alex Cowell, Director

2006 has seen the continued prolific growth of social networks like MySpace, Flickr and Bebo. I think that 2007 will see the consolidation of the users into groups with a more common interest rather than the current "one size fits all" approach.

One of the major current challenges for the internet is to enable users to keep track of all the latest information that is relevant to them. RSS feeds have gone some way to helping users but I think behavioural content targeting will be big business for portals like Google & Yahoo.

Finally we will also see more killer hosted web applications as solution providers continue to move away from the traditional model and towards a hosted, rental model for the masses.

Broadband Internet on your mobile

Prediction by James Clarke, Lead Developer

I believe that mobile phone companies will move towards operating on permanant broadband Internet connections with Skype (and the like) built into the handset. Phone designs will most likely incoroporate high definition widescreen browsing rather than the more conventional portrait style.

Wireless cities

Prediction by Cedric Wooding, Developer

With use of WiMAX growing and an increasing number of places providing free wireless access, I predict that most major towns and cities will be covered by a wireless bubble by the end of 2007. Milton Keynes already claims to be England's first Wireless City, and with trains, buses and soon planes getting connected it won't be long before you'll be able to check your mail or favourite website anywhere, anytime.

Community sponsorship

Prediction by Andrew Grimes, Project Manager

Social networks like Bebo and MySpace will continue to dominate the web. (They were the top two Google search terms of 2006.)

Community sponsorship will be HOT! Expect to see a UK version of Sellaband.com, the site that allows fans to buy a share in up and coming bands and then share in the rewards of their success.

Everyone will be using justgiving.com for their charity events sponsorship.

Get networking!

Design trends for 2007

Prediction by Jesse Speak, Designer

The use of low contrast text content seems to be finally dwindling. Contrasty, legible, adequately sized and linespaced text will come to the fore in 2007.

Social networking is the 'in' thing, but how useful are multiple pages of vacuous, misspelled and grammar-aborted 'discussion' really? Hopefully 2007 will see this trend diminish.

A subtle gradient background remains a very current look. 2007 will see gradients used in combination with patterns and areas of flat colour with an open, box-free layout.

Though insistently popular, boxes with generously curved corners are on the way out. The next year is all about right angles.

Blue, traditionally the safest colour choice for corporate design might be challenged in 2007 by a warm, inviting, natural leaf green.

Internet and TV, together at last

Prediction by Simon Booth, Account Director

The Internet and TV will reconcile their differences in 2007, radically changing the face of both.

By the end of the year all of the major UK TV networks will be offering some way to download their content onto your PC, mobile and iPod. The BBC will provide the big push with their TV 'catch up' facility due to launch in 2007. BT are entering the game too, launching their digital TV service BT Vision.

At the other end of the scale, niché 'channels' will proliferate. There will be more sites like 18 Doughty Street, Britain's first political Internet TV channel. I expect to see more and more brands and companies launch their own dedicated channels. And of course the ultimate nichés will be filled by regular people like us, using video phones like the new Nokia Nseries.