Traditional marketing avenues and strategies are getting upheaved as we move full force ahead into a digital media world. Advances in digital video and streaming media have opened up many opportunities. The digital media industry is a consumer driven market influenced by the demands for improved experiences on all platforms. Opportunities are being created across a variety of segments within the digital media industry. The Gartner Group projects that 80% of all consumer software and 50% of all enterprise software will be delivered via ESD in 2008. That means there are huge opportunities for software companies to maximize on their revenue and reduce costs through smart digital media plans.

What’s next for most companies in this new digital space? Figure out a way to produce cutting edge content delivery methods that allow them to monetize their digital assets by creating high-quality, media-rich online experiences and then be able to protect that experience while measuring their return on investment. Sounds easy right?

First off, I have to say that I’m a big fan of Gartner’s Hype Cycles. I find the way they analyze the hype and potential viability long-term to be truly fascinating. While there is no Hype Cycle for the iPhone, there are my predictions.

Second, I do believe that some hype truly is worthy of the attention. Take for instance the future of running applications on the iPhone. The addition of being able to have truly well designed applications running on the iPhone is going to make the days of carrying around a separate laptop in the past.

For people like me, app’s on the iPhone will be a dream come true. I have one computer that I currently use at work and then our various home computers. Because I’m currently working at Microsoft with their strict equipment policies, I can’t combine my personal computer with my work computer. During the day the only piece of technology that I have with me at all times is my iPhone. I’m continually wishing that I could manage my budget on my lunch break or write up a blog entry and if I could do things on my iPhone with an integrated application life would be good.

I’m currently contributing to the creative of a few different iPhone applications in development by Semanteme, Inc. and I believe that when Apple rolls out the final green light for running app’s on the iPhone that the we will see a huge wave of people rushing to both develop applications and to buy iPhones because when the dust settles, it’s either going to be all hype or the future of mobile devices. My vote is for the future.