It’s only a few years since the internet was nothing more than a carrier for emails, informational web pages and a few newsgroup postings. The bulk of most computers’ lives was spent on far less frivolous tasks, such as word processing or spreadsheet calculation.

But all that is slowly changing. Over the last two years the rise of the ‘web application’ has seen the role of the traditional desktop diminish and the importance of online connectivity rise.

Most of the credit for this tends to lie with Google, who certainly have the most high profile online apps that the general public is likely to use. Before GMail, webmail systems were slow, awkward to use and had ridiculously small allowances which meant that it was sensible for most to use Outlook Express or a similar desktop email client. By being faster, more intuitive and just as flexible, many people have ditched Outlook for GMail.

Next came Google Docs and Spreadsheets. Why fork out for Microsoft Office on your desktop when you can write document and spreadsheets online?

Now there are several music and video editing applications appearing online too. It seems more and more traditionally desktop bound applications are moving online. There are a host of audio and video editing programs becoming available and it won’t be long before it’s possible to do everything through a web browser that would normally be done through the desktop.

But what are the wider implications of this migration? Undoubtedly it’s been caused by widespread access to faster and faster broadband. As the connections get faster, it’s perfectly possible that hardware manufacturers will certainly feel a pinch. Sites like Yousendit enable transfer of vast files and online storage areas are another boom application area that reduces the need for users to have vast hard drives themselves.

At some point in the future it may be faster to read and write to online files than it is to a local hard drive. Until then though, there will still be a speed lag and as more users take more and more bandwidth, finding ways round that is a race the ISPs will have to run to keep up with user demand.

With more and more companies eyeing a share of the online app pie, a key issue businesses need to face is one of security. Each organisation offering an online service needs to have strict security controls in place to ensure sensitive client data isn’t compromised by hacking. In the online app world, a business can no longer rely on it’s own firewalls.

Be very careful when signing up for an online document service that you know how your data is being cared for.

For all the potential pitfalls, there are huge benefits to moving applications online. The collaborative nature means anyone across the world can work on a project, without having to be connected to the company intranet.

Indeed the wider global implication could be immense. Over the next few years, many third world governments are investing in WiMax networks which will provide fast broadband to even the poorest people. While many of these people may nto be able to afford a high-end computer, the speed of network access coupled with the use of online applications means they can be just as productive online as those in the West. It could be that web 2.0 and the concept of the online operating system is the thing that truly bridges the third world to the first.

Recently I’ve noticed I’ve been using the web on my mobile a lot more. It started with using web’n'walk to check my email. Then I wanted to look up the local cinema times. Now I’m even checking social networking messages.

I can’t be the only one who’s using their phone to go online more and more. With more and more WiFi phones coming to the market, and more open WiFi zones across cities in the UK, this is sure to rise, especially amongst business users.

Most companies spend thousands of pounds on their websites, but one has to wonder whether they’ve considered their mobile audience. So many sites look wonderful on a large monitor, but awful on a mobile screen.

With that in mind, we’ve just launched a mobile reversioning service. We’ll happily take a site that’s unwieldy on a mobile platform and adapt it to fit the new medium. Your site will still look the same on monitors, don’t worry!

If you want to see if your site needs a mobile makeover, we’ve set up a nifty little tool (in conjunction with Opera Mini) for you to try. Just enter your URL at our mobile reversioning page and you’ll see your current site through a mobile phone without it costing you a penny.

Welcome to the Deeper Shade blog. Over the next few months we’ll be bringing you news, opinions, hints and advice to keep you up to date with the latest digital technologies and help you make the most of your new media offering.