Herb Kim column

Jan 5 2006 By Herb Kim, The Journal

I've been working in the digital world for more than 12 years now with a range of companies - from tiny start-ups to multinationals like IBM, O2 and Polygram.

During this time I have witnessed tremendous technology changes taking place around the world. However, I firmly believe that we've only just begun…

Through this column I aim to share my experiences with you. Each week we'll look at future trends, industry movers and shakers, the people building and exploiting digital tools and the latest and greatest in gadgets, software and new media.

Twice a month, I'll also ask guest columnists from around the North-East and the world to share their perspectives to ensure that we get fresh and varied insights into how the world is changing.

Leading the way in a number of categories last year was Apple Computer. For more than a decade now, Apple has been the Versace of the computer industry - it has a dedicated fan base for its beautifully designed, expensive and highly influential computers, but it has remained a relatively small concern.

However, with the launch of the iPod nano, it has become clear that Apple is now the most powerful brand in consumer music devices and digital music distribution. Coming from almost nowhere, they have out-foxed electronics manufacturers like Sony, retailers like HMV and Tower and all of the major music labels.

Shopping online also gained a lot of momentum last year - especially over the festive season. If you were like me - and millions of others around the globe - you avoided at least some of the Christmas queues by buying your gifts online. Figures show that holiday e-commerce traffic grew by another third this year with nearly £20bn in gadgets, DVDs, ties, jumpers and Christmas fare bought over the web for Christmas.

The great irony of all this online capitalism is that we have the old Soviet Union to thank for catalysing the creation of the underlying technologies. As some of you'll know, the internet was originally created by the US Army to ensure that the president could continue communicating with the armed forces in the aftermath of nuclear attack. Fortunately, we are finding all sorts of applications for these technologies that don't involve inter-continental ballistic missiles!

So it's well done to Apple in 2005 and happy 40th birthday to internet technology in 2006. See you next week.

Herb Kim is chief executive of Codeworks