Google Wave: Up and Running

Reading the Tea Leaves: What’s Next for Google Wave

The Web is a strange place in many ways, and it is difficult to predict what will become of emerging platforms such as Google Wave. Google Wave will evolve and morph as increasing numbers of end users start to utilize the product and as Google’s own development team and external developers continue to extend the platform and protocol. Assuming that this type of widespread adoption comes to fruition, it is likely that Google Wave will steadily build momentum, at least enough momentum to make one or more of its layers viable. (Remember that Google Wave is comprised of three layers: a product, a platform, and a network protocol. Given its breadth, it could be argued that each of these layers will have different degrees of viability in the ever-changing Web.)

Will Email or IM Be Replaced?

Google Wave is exciting and quite powerful indeed, but let’s not get carried away too quickly. Is it likely that Google Wave will replace email or IM (both of which have been around for a while and both of which have massive user bases)? Although it’s impossible to answer that question with certainty, it is possible to state that Google Wave likely could displace some of the use of email and IM for communication and collaboration. It’s also possible that Google Wave could serve in a complementary way with email and IM, as part of a user’s day-to-day communication and collaboration toolkit.

Ultimately, if Google Wave manages to become the predominant ...