So many of us are used to spending all our time on the Internet these days that we often forget to consider what a powerful and amazing tool it is. The ubiquity of the web has erased all of the magic of the connectivity and instant communication that it allows: throughout the pandemic and coming back out into a post-COVID landscape, the Internet has come to dominate business and commerce across the world. It is worth taking a moment to look at the ways in which the World Wide Web has changed – and is still changing – business all over.
The Internet of Things
Back when the Internet was still a collection of text-only chat rooms alongside the occasional travel blog, a computer scientist named Mark Weiser was already envisioning the ways in which the web could become a tool that would change business forever. What he called ubiquitous computing, and what others have since called The Internet of Things, is the way in which all objects in day-to-day life are computerised and networked, able to communicate with one another for peak efficiency.
When Weiser proposed this notion in a 1988 paper, it seemed like folly to many people, but in the intervening years, Weiser has proved correct: the advent of Smart Technology items that talk to one another using the Internet has made ubiquitous computing a reality. These days, our phones talk to one another constantly, but so do such mundane objects as refrigerators, thermostats, and even shoes, recording data to improve performance and track wear. Of course, there is some question as to whether this is necessary – or wise!
Digital Services
Many of the services we once would have trusted to a local expert have, in this age of ubiquitous computing, become manageable via any device with a connection to the Internet. Of course, we still need to go get our hair cut in person, and when the shower breaks, we can’t yet rely on the computer to fix the plumbing. However, much of what we would have had to accomplish out of the house can now be done from the comfort of the couch or the home office through the Internet, whether it be shopping for groceries, trying on clothes, or renting films and television shows.
This is especially true of services for businesses like marketing. Rather than having to rely on word of mouth, footfall, or traditional expensive advertising agencies using analog resources, services are now turning to the power of the Internet to grow their business. This service isn’t restricted to florists or bakeries! Medical and dental professionals are also turning to online marketing companies to expand: for example, Health Practice Digital dental SEO services in Australia specializes in marketing for dentists and dental health centers.
There is no telling what will happen next in the development of the Internet, but there is no doubt that it has already completely revolutionized the way individuals live, and it has completely changed the way businesses go about their practices.