Envisioning the Future of a Multi-Channel World By 2020

Abstract

Envisioning the future is always challenging, and the multi-channel environment is no exception to that rule. The objective of this study was to hypothesize upon the kind of digital services that will likely develop by the year 2020 in a networked, multi-channel business environment. Our starting point was to approach the analysis from a business perspective; in other words, we tried to avoid the typical technology-focused e-business forecasting, which charts the development of new technologies and devices. Instead, we tried to survey for services that would be available across different electronic channels and meet customer needs in the future, as well as what types of businesses would develop around these services. Consequently, this study gives answers to questions like, what will be the future of e-services, who needs and uses them, how will the customer want to buy such services, who will produce e-services and what will the earnings logic be based upon?