MUMBAI: Ubiquitous access, simpler production tools, and the falling costs of technology have made sure that the boom of the Internet is here to stay, unlike in 2000 when net 1.0 burst.

Google President (Global sales operations and business development) Nikesh Arora feels that users having laptops or personal computers expect net access through Wi Fi. “This feature has gone from ‘nice to have’ to ‘must have’. Secondly the tools of production have become simple. Earlier you needed a camera to take photos. Today you have camera mobile phones that allow you to work on the fly. Thirdly, the cost of technology is steadily falling.”

Speaking at the Ficci Frames 2010, he said 30 to 50 per cent of content will be digitally distributed five years down the line. The time people spend on the web will grow and result in ad spends shifting towards the online medium. At the same time, the net has changed the mode of distribution.
 
There are differences in terms of how the net facilitates content delivery. “In India, the net will be pushed by the mobile. The advantage for us at Google is that it allows us to take Indian content like the IPL to a global audience,” he added.
The Internet is also affecting consumer behaviour and consumers want information immediately. Figures show 150 billion emails are sent everyday.  
 
But there are challenges like maintaining users’ privacy and respecting copyright, he said.