Technology enables and benefits consumers as well. As a result of the Internet we are more informed than ever before. We have more choices than ever before and from more places. If we want to we can find information on almost any topic on the Internet. We can buy a car, find a loan, preview a house, get a mortgage, plan a vacation and draw up a will all without leaving the comfort of our home.
Consumers have more disposable income but less time than ever before.
This creates demand. Business and consumers will meet in the marketplace, whether it's in the old economy or in the new economy, and the basic economics of supply and demand, the transaction, will occur. While it may seem as though we have come a long way, I would suggest that we have just touched the tip of a very large iceberg. Innovation is indeed occurring everywhere and technology is advancing in every field. On the near horizon are multimedia search engines that incorporate text, voice and video - both still and motion.