In its latest issue, BusinessWeek Magazine publishes a special report, “E-Biz Strikes Again!,” which states that after transforming the book, music and travel industries, the Internet is well on its way to deeply affect six more industries, such as jewelry or real estate sales. The online version of this report includes an interview of Paul Saffo from the Institute for the Future, “Trading In A Cloud Of Electrons.” In it, Saffo talks about the big changes that the Web has brought to business and culture. He also delivers some provocative thoughts about what's next.
He says that services will replace physical products as business opportunities. For example, he thinks that the auto makers will give you cars for free, making money by selling you lots of services, such as a $30 chip which will transform your car into a Ferrari-class vehicle. This overview contains some selected excerpts of the interview. [Smart Mobs]