My thoughts from DEMO - Five Key Trends

The scene at Demo was cool and exciting, the crowd buzzing on fresh innovation, the hope of being noticed by an investor, and of course, great technology. Love or hate the term, Web 2.0 has breathed a new life into internet and technology business and people are moving and shaking almost as if it were 1998 all over again, with all the promise of big wins, killer apps and good tools (and plenty of VC interest). Demo 2007 was as much an example of what's going on in the industry at the moment, and there were definitely key themes woven in among all of the applications we visited.

Tools for Better Internet Experience
A good majority of the technologies at Demo this year were geared toward help people better navigate and find what they need on the Web (often with a mobile tie-in for good measure). Attendio's solution will allow you to search for events on your PC or cell phone, while Blinkx had video search - the list is long with tons of variation. Splash Cast, Trail Fire and ZoomInfo were crowd favorites for consumers, but several exhibitors (6th Sense Analytics, Buzz Interactive) offered new solutions for business users. 

Ajax
A year of working in the Ajax space can only make you appreciate the new developments seen at Demo this past week. The rich internet experience has already made its way across the Web (you know it when you see it, believe me), but at Demo this year, it was all about making things easier on developers and of course, going mobile. Most notable was Bling Software, who unveiled the industry's first (and only) Ajax client for mobile applications.

Consumer Media
Web 2.0's heavy media element has generated the development of cool media tools for consumers, and it definitely had Demo attendees excited. Most notable was eJamming, which allows musicians to play together via the Web. OurStory puts a new spin on online photos and media sharing, and Jaman delivers straight to Windows and Mac. Expect more development in this area.

Convergence, Connectivity, Communication
These three elements were everywhere at Demo, from video and email messing solutions to new technologies that blend mobile and PC devices. Dart Software enables interoperability across mobile phones, PCs, consumer products and internet servers to allow new applications, services and devices without the need to coordinate with device manufacturers. While video email and messaging hasn't taken a big hold in the past, consumers and businesses are far more savvy - it's very possible these type of products will gain traction at last.

Going Mobile
If there was one dynamic theme to Demo 2007, it was definitely the ability to go mobile with a variety of applications. Convergence in the internet space has driven a demand for technologies that enable access regardless of device, giving users the choice of how they'd like to connect and exhibitors on hand had plenty of options. Mobile portals, mash up applications and other solutions seemed to be everywhere, and you'll find that most VC have at least one mobile-focused company in their portfolio. It was definitely a hot topic last week!

While there was plenty of chatter about whether or not we're in a bubble, what's going to work and what's not, I thought there was plenty to be excited about at the show. I don't know how many of the technologies shown will actually see success in the market, but that's the beauty of innovation - there's always room for failure and chance.

Editor’s Note: This post was written by guest author Patricia Handschiegel who runs a very popular Women's fashion site, StyleDiary.