When we return to years of fruitful product and service introductions, you'll notice Internet will not be all rage that it was in 1999 and 2002. Much of innovation will be Internet-based, Internet developed and will have Internet components, but Net will no longer be center of innovation. Instead, it will be network on which innovation lives.

As we learned to shift bank funds by using our push-button phones, we didn't marvel at what our phones could now do. The Internet will have a central role in coming new technology. It will be core of new developments, but it won't be focus. The Internet will become so ubiquitous, it will become invisible.

We may see a flood of special-interest television programming coming through our cable service. New features on our television may give us ability to choose from thousands on movies or let us view a network program at anytime of our choosing. We may be able to use television like an encyclopedia, or call up home videos from buttons on our remote. Our PC, game platforms and television will likely become indistinguishable.

The Internet will be very lifeblood of these innovations, yet it won't look like Internet. No more scratchy dial-up or waiting for pages to load. No more jerky, short video clips that threaten to freeze and crash. No more dusty wires crammed into a surge breaker.

These innovations are being developed now. Many are ready and waiting. Some are wireless, some are broadband, most incorporate Internet in one way or another. They won't be revealed until consumers and executives demonstrate renewed optimism. This seemingly quiet period of tech decline is just a breather. Once we catch our collective breath, we'll enter next new world of tech breakthroughs that will again change our lives.

Vendors are very hungry these days. For first time in over a decade it's a buyers market. Enjoy it while you can and get some revenge on those vendors who would not lower their prices last year - make them sweat.

Postpone hardware purchases - I don't know about you, but pace of hardware changes during past few years has been very difficult to manage. It seemed like we would just purchase 200 megahertz machines when 400 megahertz models came out. We'd upgrade, then then 600 megahertz models were released.

I would recommend carefully considering all hardware purchases, especially upgrades, for a year or so. Sure, your users may want to upgrade to newest 2 gigahertz machines, but I'll bet their 933 megahertz processors are working just fine.

Look closely at what your consultants are doing - If you use consultants, this is a great time to very closely examine what they are doing for you. Honestly look through their project list and question every single item. Discard projects that are not absolutely necessary, postpone what you can, lengthen tasks where you cannot postpone. Consultants are incredibly expensive, and often tasks they perform can be cut back dramatically.

Renegotiate consulting contracts - This is an excellent time to discuss rates with your consultants. They may not want to lower their rates, but you most definitely have upper hand in this economy. I've been able to get cuts of fifty to sixty percent lately just by spending a few minutes talking.

The point is simple. Money is tight and will probably get tighter before things loosen up. Now is time to look over everything you do and reduce those costs. Not only will it help keep people employed, but it will impress boss and company managers.