Specialized client software like the shareware program Carmen's Headline Viewer, for example, lets users view headlines from content sites. Another program, Auction Browser, provides features for monitoring Web auctions. The programs' names might not sound familiar, but don't assume specialized browsers are just a fringe development. Every Mac OS computer coming off the line today ships with Sherlock, a specialized browser for doing searches on Web content and shopping sites. As users adopt new software, devices, and services that break Web sites into smaller chunks, it will become more and more dangerous for Web companies to assume that visitors are perusing their sites page by page using standard browsers.
Business models based on that assumption are in jeopardy.
One of the most likely casualties might be free content and services supported by advertising and commerce partnerships. In many cases, they just might, Nielsen says, and content providers will have to think about revising their business models. One way to accomplish that, Nielsen says, might be to set up revenue-sharing agreements where content providers receive payments from wireless service providers and ISPs. However, he says, it's difficult to conceive how such a scheme could be applied to the Net on a real-world scale. Alternatively, Nielsen says, the industry might take fresh looks at business models based on subscriptions or micropayments.