A new year wouldn’t be a new year without a vast number of websites making predictions about the future of the web, and 2008 proves to be no different. From a number of different sources, e-consultancy.com have rounded up 10 key trends that they think are the ones to watch out for in 2008.

It makes great reading, and a very positive outlook for vStream and our clients in 2008. The list reads as follows:

1. Social networks advertising becomes scalable

2. Privacy will continue to be a sensitive issue

3. Internet advertising will overtake radio advertising in the US

4. Open Source will continue to dominate

5. The rise of the semantic web

6. Mobile web expected to explode in 2008

7. Video gains ground as a popular advertising medium

8. Local search marketing and advertising platforms can expect growth

9. Behavioural targeting will become more widespread - and something which is expected

TV viewers are apparently much more ‘engaged’ when they watch content online, rather than on their TV sets, according to a study.

Researchers at Simmons found that respondents were 25% more involved in programmes they viewed on the web, rather than in the conventional way.

There was also good news for advertisers – viewers were reportedly 47% more engaged in ads shown during online TV shows.

The study, via MarketingVox, measured engagement by looking at different ways respondents’ viewed content – whether they found it ‘inspirational’, ‘trustworthy’ or ‘life-enhancing’, for example.

It found women and younger consumers had slightly higher levels of engagement online than average.

SALINAS, California: A new report from AccuStream iMedia Research shows ad revenues from streaming video and audio totalled around $1.37 billion (€935; £697m) last year, up 38% on 2006.

The firm estimates that during 2007 there were between 2.1bn to 2.7bn views of streaming or progressive-download content each month, via ad-supported or free content areas on the web. The figures exclude user-generated videos.

The report also revealed that pre-roll ads generated around $420 million.

Data sourced from Wall Street Journal Online; additional content by WARC staff, 18 January 2008