Web 2.0?

I have been working in Product Management for the past few years and with each new release of a product the version number changes. Upon release the product may be designated as “ABC 3.0.” If a minor change is made the next version would be labeled “ABC 3.1”; however, if any major changes or enhancements take place the next version would be designated as release 4.0. While much of this release numbering practice is for pure marketing purposes, there are some substantiating reasons as well.

With that being said, what is this Web 2.0 phenomenon all about? I didn’t realize that there was a prior version 1.0. According to Wikipedia and some industry gurus, “Web 2.0 is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users.” These concepts have led to the evolution of web-based communities and hosted services such as social-networking and blogs.

Supposedly the term Web 2.0 was coined during a brainstorming session between O’Reilly Media and Medialive International. It has been explained that they didn’t necessarily think there was any a new version of the web, they just wanted to make the point that the internet was making a resurgence and today's platform is much more sophisticated and widely accepted than it used to be.

Web. 2.0 fosters an environment that’s much more interactive than the past-tense proverbial version 1.0, which was primarily a platform to retrieve information. Now, software applications are browser-based and so user-friendly that content can be modified by visitors through a simplified user interface. Essentially, the whole “virtual” experience is amplified and becoming as dynamic and flexible as actuality.

Whether you use the web for business, personal or entertainment, discover the wonderful capabilities of Web 2.0. This internet frontier can be leveraged to enhance the promotion of your business or serve as an interactive tool to stay in touch with friends and family. Logon, learn and stay connected.