Compared to the total world population of 6.6 billion people, that is an internet penetration of about 20 percent (mf, Dutch).

Since February China has the most internet users: about 220 million. In the United States about 217 millions people are supposed to use the internet, according to research of the BDA China agency. At the end of this year the amount of Chinese internet users will even grow to 280 million (dc, Dutch).

Dutch food order site Thuisbezorgd.nl in 2007 processed about 1 million orders for pizza, shoarma and other deliverable meals. This amount has grown with a factor 10 in five years. In the Netherlands 1,200 restaurants are connected to the site. This year's goal for Thuisbezorgd is to increase this amount to 2,000. Thuisbezorgd.nl was responsible for a turnover of about 20 million euros for connected restaurants in 2007. That is an average of 17,000 euros per restaurant per year (em, Dutch).

Runners with Nike have registered 65,337,765 running kilometers up until the end of 2007.

The internet is about to burst:

• The amount of spam e-mails rapidly increases (now already 94 percent of the total e-mail traffic, evl), and correct e-mails get more and bigger attachments. Almost half of all office employees send between five and ten e-mail attachments a day, and 31 percent send ten to twenty attachments a day in e-mails. This accounts for huge pressure on the network.


• The amount of available IP-addresses is ending. As only real solution the new version of IP, IPv6, was developed ten years ago. In the Netherlands, Europe and the US this version hasn't been used very much yet, although China started using it in 2006.


• Energy consumption is earth-rocking. 50 percent of the money spent on computers goes to electricity companies. If we don't take action, this will rise to 71 percent over the coming 4 years, research shows us. These costs will be passed on to consumers.

(based on am, Dutch). Read further to see that it will even be (much) worse than predicted here (although in the end everything will fall in place). .

Dutch people in 2007 watched less television than in 2006: then a Dutch person watched for an average of 197 minutes per day, in 2007 this decreased to 186.3. The (digital) video recorder won. In 2006 the average viewing time was 0.7 minutes, in 2007 this more than doubled to 1.9 minutes. Per day an average of 7 minutes was spent on watching dvd's in 2006 (mo, Dutch). TV will have to be prepared for hard times. The free consumer doesn't like to have his or her life dictated, not in the physical world and especially not in the virtual world. The digital video recorder is only child's play compared to what will happen when the virtual world transfers to TV. This year we can expect the first breakthroughs in this respect.

For the first time the group of 16 until 24 year olds in Europe use the internet more often than watch TV. 82 percent of this younger target group use internet between 5-7 times a week, while only 77 percent watch TV just as much. This is the outcome of research conducted among 4,000 internet users in ten European countries. The most popular online activity is finding information (87 percent). Shortly after that follow e-mail (81 percent), and communicating with friends and acquaintances through profile sites (42 percent). Instant messaging follows with 38 percent (em, Dutch).

At the end of July, 2007 there will be 3 billion people who use a mobile phone. This means there has been a clear shift in adoption of the device. It took twenty years for the first billion people to start calling mobile. Then 40 months for the second billion, and now only 24 months for the third billion (mc, Dutch). Theoretically, at the end of 2009 every person at this planet should have a mobile phone: a portable device that provides entrance to a virtual world in which they can meet everybody over the whole world. It won't go this fast, but this is the direction we're going. In 2015 we will be pretty far in this. A world in which everybody is continuously connected, in which everybody can see what anybody does anywhere, and what prevailing standards people have in other parts of the world. It will first give a big shock, and after that there will be total quietness.

The amount of internet users in Brasil rises from 9% (17.5 million people) in 2005 to 22% (43.7 million) in 2011 (dc, Dutch). Around 2025 every human being in the world will be connected. From young to old. This will have much more impact than we think now. In the end we will have an understanding world. But that will then take at least another generation. A subject I will definitely write about in my next book.

Due to the implementation of new speech recognition systems at the call center of British company Bristol Wessex Billing Services, its costs have been reduced by 75%. Besides the customer service levels for its 1,100,000 customers have improved, and a 24-hours service has come into service, available 7 days a week. (sw). Brands are completely computerizing their dialogues with their customers. To become a stronger brand, to extend their service, and to reduce costs. This research clearly shows it is really going that direction.

In 2008 advertisers will spend more money on advertisements on the internet than on the radio. According to ZenithOptimedia advertisers (brands!) will spend 288 million euros on the internet next year. The radio will receive 282 million euros in the same year. The increase in internet spendings is stable. In 2006, 164 million euros were spent on the internet, in 2007 this will be about 222 million, the year after that 288 million, and for 2009 ZenithOptiMedia expects the spendings to reach 354 million euros. (em, Dutch). First more than newspapers, soon more than radio, and in the end more than TV. Once the media world integrates, there will be only one important medium, with the internet network as its infrastructure, but with many different kinds of screens, displays, and speakers.

Reviews of other users are becoming more and more important for online purchases through comparison sites, while price becomes less important. Research shows that 49% of the online buyers state that price is the most important factor to compare products, a decline of 9% compared to 2003. Feedback of other online buyers increased by 11% (mf, Dutch). The effect of other people's influence becomes stronger. Now the reviews of random others are still very important. If in the future we get a connection with our social coaching brand, for example Hyves, we will also see the experiences of friends (or friends of friends): people we trust. The effect will be even larger. This means that products (including services) have to become better, for a fair price. And that on a worldwide scale.