Text 8. Shaping the Internet Age

(Bill Gates Chairman and Chief Software Architect, Microsoft Corp.)

Less than a quarter century ago, the Internet was an obscure network of large computers used only by a small community of researchers. At the time, the majority of computers were found in corporate information technology (IT) departments or research laboratories, and hardly anyone imagined that the Internet would play such an important role in our lives as it does today. In fact, the very idea of a personal computer seemed absurd to all but a handful of enthusiasts. Today, the Internet is far from being obscure – it’s the center of attention for businesses, governments and individuals around the world. It has spawned entirely new industries, transformed existing ones, and become a global cultural phenomenon. We’ve seen a lot of amazing things so far, but there is much more to come. We are only at the dawn of the Internet Age.

In the years ahead, the Internet will have an even more profound effect on the way we work, live and learn. By enabling instantaneous and seamless communication and commerce around the globe, from almost any device imaginable, this technology will be one of the key cultural and economic forces of the early 21^st century.

Why is the Internet such a powerful and compelling technology?

First and foremost, from its conception in the academic community (largely as a result of government-sponsored research) to its subsequent development and commercialization by the private sector, the Internet has evolved into a uniquely independent information exchange – one that is able to grow organically, can operate reliably with little centralized management, and is built entirely on common standards.

It is those common standards that helped make the Internet so successful. From TCP/IP to HTML and XML, common standards have opened up the Internet to anyone who speaks its language. And since the language of the Internet is universal and easily grasped, any business can create products and services that make use of it.

As the Web’s popularity surged among students, researchers and other Internet enthusiasts, an entirely new industry emerged to create software and content for the Web. This explosion of creativity made the Web more compelling for users, which encouraged more individuals and businesses to get connected to the Internet. As recently as 1994, there were only 500 fairly modest Web sites worldwide; today the Web has close to 3 billion pages. We can expect this growth cycle to continue and even accelerate, thanks to more powerful and cheaper computers, higher-speed Internet access on a wide range of devices, and advanced software that makes it all work together.