Collaborative Economy

A new article by Dr. Mallik Tatipamula (CTO, Ericsson) and Dr. Vinton Cerf (Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist and co-inventor of the Internet) maps the evolution of the web in “The 7 Phases of the Internet.” Their framework moves far beyond Web 4.0, outlining a connected future where human collaboration, artificial intelligence, and even quantum physics converge to form a single global ecosystem of shared intelligence. Connectivity as Collaboration The Internet began as a simple idea—linking research computers to share data. But, as Tatipamula and Cerf describe, each new phase has expanded not just connectivity, but collaboration itself. Phase 1: The Internet connected computers and people across institutions. Phase 2: The Mobile Internet made connectivity personal and portable, allowing billions to communicate, transact, and co-create on the go. Phase 3: The Internet of Things (IoT) linked the physical world, turning homes, factories, and cities into participants in a...