2000 was the year the Internet was to revolutionise the world even further, with the spawning of the digital age. It was also the year set to destroy the world with apocalyptic visions of Y2K, the stock market crash of the millennium and the Love Bug virus. So now we've pulled through, what have we learnt from the year that was 2000?

Once companies managed to get over the first half of the year - with the menacing stock market crash, the taunting Love Bug virus and not to forget the ominous Y2K bug and GST rollout - there was a collective sigh in the IT world with managers able to switch their attention to the more positive spinoffs of e-commerce.

A global shift occurred after the stock market fell to earth in April, taking down the heavenly business-to-customer (B2C) dot-coms with it. However, it was not all doom and gloom and new visions of what the e-commerce market could do for business gave birth to the business to business (B2B) dotcom sector.

However, IDC Internet analyst Brook Galloway warns that 2001 will see the fall of many more dot-coms, with exchanges and other type of e-marketplaces said to be focusing too much on the buyers rather than the suppliers of these markets. Business models will need to improve greatly next year to survive the dot-com doldrums.

2000 also saw the re-shaping of business models in the B2C sector, with many of the remaining dot-coms clambering to find a traditional bricks and mortar company to keep them afloat. It became less about the appearance of a Web site and more about backend solutions to keep business online. Suddenly it dawned - logistics, fulfilment and delivery were the way to the customer's heart.

Security and Privacy were two of the favourite topics of the year with hackers turning crackers, spammers invading mailboxes and the onslaught of the "I Love You" virus, which dealt its trickery in May on the Microsoft Outlook platform.

Such invasions led to corporations fitting out their networks with a comprehensive security plan and educating users with 'what not to do hints" when opening email. However, experts warn that the virus epidemic is not over yet, with 2001 promising many more attacks. So whatever you do "don't open that attachment".

The Digital and Wireless Age
Digital technology geared up to change the way we view the world forever. With music, books, film and TV all taking up the new and improved technology. Don't be alarmed and send yourself broke just yet, we'll still be visiting the local cinema and reading paperback books for some time to come. Some things just never change.

WAP was set to take the world by storm also, with wireless applications appearing everywhere from your mobile phones to PDAs. So what happened? Experts believe the hype exploded too soon before the technology had time to mature, some experts kept singing its praises, while others branded WAP as 'crap'. As the year draws to a close, you can hear the distant cry as marketeers frantically reach for users.

Napster dominates news

The Windows 2000 rollout in the latter part of the year didn't start with the bang Microsoft had expected. Instead there has been a steady migration of Windows 2000 throughout the Australian market.

According to Gartner Director of B2B Research Bruce McCabe, corporations and government enterprises in Australia were so sick of turning over PC's every three years, which is why they didn't jump on it.

Application Service Providers (ASPs) hit the top of the hype cycle late in 1999 and gained momentum in 2000. There was a new understanding that software should be delivered on an ASP model or a rental basis, rather than buying a lifetime license. The shift to ASPs won't happen overnight according to McCabe, however it will happen.

Napster scoured the music scene with a simple software program known as MP3, creating a new technology trend called P2P (peer-to-peer computing). This new craze provided endless free music downloads to fans worldwide, causing major record labels to run for the courts to have Napster shut down, permanently.

However, with the recent merge between Napster and BMG signalling the end of Napster as we know it, what will 2001 hold for the music industry online?

Controversy was hot in Australia as the Government tried to bring about a 12 month freeze on Internet Gambling start-ups. In recent months, the curtain finally came down with the passing of a moratorium which effectively prevented any new licences being granted.

Olympic fever grips Net

However, it was evident there was something missing from the Internet. The audience wanted live video or audio coverage of the games, which the IOC had restricted with its broadcasting rights. Maybe, next time around, the IOC will relax the rules of the game just enough to expand the possibilities the Web has to provide to its audiences.

Microsoft copped a lot of criticism in the media this year, with all eyes on the anti-trust case in the United States in which Microsoft was found guilty of anti-competitive practices and ordered to split in two. With an appeal in place, 2001 should bring about some interesting events, as Bill Gates remains unrelenting to the bitter end.

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