Google properties made up three of the top 10 most significant e-commerce developments of the last decade, according the Software & Information Industry Association.
The SIIA unveiled its top-ten list on the 10th anniversary of the White House eCommerce Framework.
“Electronic commerce has provided a significant engine for the growth of the global economy and has sparked the delivery of a multitude of innovative products and services,” said Ken Wasch, President of SIIA. “These developments reflect the unique nature of the Internet, which has allowed creativity, ingenuity and entrepreneurship to flourish.”
The Top Ten of the Last Ten Years
1. Google (1998): With a third of all Internet users searching on Google, and half of Americans, the SIIA says the company “did more to fundamentally change the way we use the Internet than any other event in the last 10 years.
2. US Broadband penetration reaches 50% (2004): Until this happened in 2004, the Information Superhighway “felt more like an old dirt road.” Though it took longer than expected, broadband created a dramatic change in how ecommerce is done. Broadband penetration is expected to reach 90% by the end of 2007.
3. eBay (1997): Empowered sellers to quit their day jobs and work from home, reaching a larger market faster, competing with other sellers “in ways unimaginable in a physical market.”
4. Amazon.com (1997): Solidified the online shopping’s place in the market and set the standard for online stores with ease of use and wide selection.
5. Google AdWords (2000): Representing 40% of the online advertising market, keyword advertising became the simplest, most cost-effective way to target audiences, enabling even small businesses to do so.
6. Open Standards (HTML 4.0, 1997): “It has probably been the most influential and important data standard in the history of publishing. Open standards can grow an entire industry, leaving more room and more opportunity for everyone.”
7. Wi-Fi (802.11, 1997): Paved the way for people to untie themselves from their desks, and removed location limitations for business.
8. User-Generated Content (YouTube 2005): Though full ramifications are still unknown, citizen journalism was ushered in thanks to YouTube. The SIIA calls it “the embodiment of Web 2.0” and “a must-be-seen place for presidential candidates, a battleground in the copyright wars, a vital distribution point for major media.”
9. iTunes (2005): Legitimized digital music, revolutionized the music industry by directly impacting CD sales, and led to increase in bandwidth use.
10. BlackBerry (1999): a.k.a. “CrackBerry,” the device created a new mobile business culture where employees were given the freedom to do their jobs from pretty much anywhere.
“It’s no surprise to see Google rank as the most important eCommerce development in the last 10 years,” said Wasch. “But the list also includes several eCommerce tools that have become so commonplace, we almost forget they didn’t exist 10 years ago. Ubiquitous broadband access, extensive WiFi connectivity and access to open standards are simply fundamental to eCommerce today.
