10
billion USD in gambling money are predicted to pass through
the net. This makes sense: nothing like a computer to provide
immediate (monetary and psychological) rewards.
Commerce on the net is another favourite. The Internet is a
perfect medium for the sale of software and other digital
products (e-books). The problem of data security is on its way
to being solved with the SET (or other) world standard.
As early as 1995, the Internet had more than 100 virtual
shopping malls visited by 2.5 million shoppers (and probably
double this number in 1996).
The predictions for 1999 were between 1-5 billion USD of net
shopping (plus 2 billion USD through on-line information
providers, such as CompuServe and AOL) - proved woefully
inaccurate. The actual number in 1998 was 7 times the
prediction for 1999.
It is also widely believed that circa 20% of the family budget
will pass through the Internet as e-money and this amounts to
150 billion USD.
The Internet will become a giant inter-bank clearing system
and varied ATM type banking and investment services will be
provided through it.
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