I remember about 8-10 years ago thinking that MySpace was all pervasive. That nothing was going to overtake it. Then Friendster came rolling over the horizon and created a whole new category of online participation only to become the first casualty of a resurgent Facebook. The web – if anything – is a story of wave after wave of innovation.
A great example is to look at eCommerce. When Amazon changed the book retailing landscape it seemed that they were so far ahead of their competitors that the industry would never recover. But every industry has a level of resilience. Within a year or two Borders, Barnes and Noble, the Book Depository and dozens of others had responded. And rather than cannibalising their markets, they were able to grow the whole sector.
And today, another goliath enters the fray. Google opens its doors to the world of eBooks. Will they transform yet another industry? Will it create opportunities for new markets and players? It’s too early to tell (and too limited in release, being US-only at this stage). But it does make for interesting pre-holiday season gift giving.