On the top of my list for conferences to attend this month is Mix07--I'm quite curious to see in person what Microsoft is bringing to the web table.
That's not the only conference I'd really like to attend this month. Next week is Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco that's sure to have a string of exciting announcments from startups and established players in the web 2.0 world.
Take this presentation, for instance, on trends in online app development for small businesses. This discussion, which includes players from Microsoft, Google, Zoho, and others is sure to have some interesting tidbits about where things are headed. I want to know: What's the role of the developer community, if any, over the next two or three years? Will applications be built first and extensibility later? Or will companies opt for closed systems that they can build faster under their own control? Or will the focus be on mashups and external extensions rather than traditional plugins? Or does anyone know right now? Lots of questions remain.
I'd also challenge the notion that these apps are simply for the small business market--or should be designed in such a way. Take a look at almost any large enterprise and you'll see tons of "small enterprises" within it that have plenty of room for cost-saving "small apps." Done right, there's plenty of market from small to large corporations for the forthcoming collection of online apps.


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