Year in review: News.com special reports

Technology trends turn painfully realistic If one word could serve as a prevailing theme for 2003, it would be "survival." As the technology economy continued to suffer, companies searched for creative ways to cut costs and experiment in new areas without losing their competitive edge or abandoning their core businesses. The result was a partial roadmap that began to show what a recovery would look like in coming years. Computer, Internet and service companies of all sizes were forced to reassess their future in response to a fundamental change in the way the high-tech industry viewed itself: After years of leading the charge into the digital age by peddling the next big things, companies instead found themselves under close scrutiny by customers and demanding concrete results for their purchases. Products that once promised revolution gave way to boring but practical technologies such as , and supply chain systems. Many companies looked for outside their primary information technology markets, ranging from to digital entertainment. Others made sweeping changes in their business plans--such as utilizing wireless networking or --or adopted entirely redrawn strategies, such as finding , experimenting with search engine advertising or attacking market leaders in a different field, as Microsoft is doing with Google. Not surprisingly, the industry's most visible changes were reflected in leading companies such as , , , and . Some businesses looked for answers either in previous technological trends or in future breakthroughs. A few went as far back as in search of areas to develop, while others revisited more contemporary ideas such as and application services. Perhaps wistfully, the industry also observed the anniversaries of various technological milestones, including the creation of the first computer virus, and . Forward-thinking players turned to ideas such as that can track the life of practically any type of product and, farther out, technologies like carbon nanotubes, which some believe will become a miracle material for making everything from paint to computer screens. At the same time, crossing all businesses and technologies were the perennial issues of security and the law. The first issue took some familiar forms in fighting viruses and , but the legal battles broke new ground in areas as diverse as , , , , content liability and . --Mike Yamamoto The wildly expensive business of building semiconductor plants, combined with the faltering economy, is forcing chipmakers to overhaul their business. Jan. 22, 2003 What began as a pet project for technophiles has become a multibillion-dollar industry that provided one of the year's few bright hopes for new business. Feb. 3, 2003 The SQL Slammer worm yielded a lesson far more disturbing than its $1 billion in estimated damage: No matter what protective measures are taken, no network can be considered secure. Feb. 6, 2003 Instant messaging has evolved from a teenage fad to a valuable corporate tool, creating opportunities for companies ranging from AOL and Yahoo to IBM and Oracle. March 13, 2003 Software created a decade ago at the University of Illinois would go on to change everyday life, from global economics and free speech to shopping and online dating. April 17, 2003 A purely digital world could dramatically change the economics, marketing and consumption of music--and, perhaps unconsciously, even the way artists create their works. May 30, 2003 Computer companies are racing for contracts under multibillion-dollar technology initiatives in the life sciences, finance, health care, security and entertainment industries. June 23, 2003 Despite wide praise in the media, Oracle's surprise move can be seen as the desperate sign of a company that must resort to buying its rivals for expansion instead of beating them. June 12, 2003 The software empire hopes to displace Google as the king of search technology, which Microsoft believes could bind its various Web sites, applications and dominant PC operating system. June 25, 2003 As blogs rise in popularity, a fight for control of its technologies offers a glimpse into the byzantine political world of industry standards and their enormous consequences. Aug. 4, 2003 A federal patent lawsuit challenging Microsoft's browser technology has created an unusual alliance of former competitors, who say the case could lead to a crushing burden on the Web. Sept. 25, 2003 After facing an unusually heavy barrage of bad news, Sun Microsystems finds itself at a critical crossroads between its old Unix roots and technology innovation. Oct. 7, 2003 In a relatively short time, thin tubes of carbon atoms have emerged as a miracle material that could revolutionize a number of industries. Oct. 20, 2003 The next Windows operating system may steer software development away from Web technologies and back toward the PC, shifting the balance of power back to Microsoft. Nov. 6, 2003 Technology alliances are proliferating in higher education, where companies sponsor research that advances their agendas, and concerns over conflicts of interest give way to pragmatism. Nov. 11, 2003 Little has been documented about the origin of computer viruses, the works of well-intentioned but naive academic researchers who had no idea what damage they could inflict. Nov. 25, 2003 Studio copyright battles worthy of Hollywood script Web services find new life as corporate bridge XML makes its mark Ruling could threaten long-standing content protections Crisis of limits looms for memory chips 'Pervasive computing' may revolutionize industries

Year in review: News.com special reports

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