The Embedded Browser Revolution
A Survey of Internet Appliances
By Susan J. Shepard
Forget about traditional Web browsers. Over the next few years, Internet appliances (IAs) with sophisticated embedded software for using the Web will rival the PC and office-bound network as the means of Internet access. IAs will comprise 42 percent of the total information access devices deployed in the United States in 2001, up from 4 percent in 1997, according to a study by International Data Corporation.
Other studies indicate that in countries where current PC penetration is low, the adoption of IAs may be even higher because people will be able to get the information they need without the hassle or expense of a computer. Given this trend, it's not surprising to hear that the Gartner Group predicts that within eight years, a majority of enterprises will utilize e-cash, wireless data, intelligent messaging, and intelligent agents. Developers seeking to support these new devices will need to learn about new infrastructures that supply data and store information; individual IAs will be designed to retrieve information from a designated source, such as a corporate intranet or the Web.
