What is Google Wave? Glad you asked. There is a link to an hour, 20 minute video on you tube if you’re so inclined… or you can just have a peak at a brief summary here:

So what does Google’s Wave, (founded by the two who brought you Google maps, brothers who founded start up – Where 2 Tech that Google quickly sucked up) mean for us 12 months from now? In two words: crazy fast. But let’s see how I came up with that.

1. First and foremost I believe conversation to be king. Some would argue content. It doesn’t matter. They’re both important but conversation is more important! HAH!

2. We are in an evolution that allows us to use GPS and Google Maps instead of buying a paper map. We use email, e-cards, e-invites, and e-grams instead of snail mail. We skype (video, phone and screen sharing all in one conversation) instead of picking up the ol’ rotary phone. We use wikis, blogs, and podcasts to disseminate thoughts to the masses. We enable socially inclined tools to allow our audience to engage us, agree with us, disagree with us or just tell us about the train that stopped running out of Boston!

3. Today’s statistics about market trends, emerging media and the evolution of consumer behavior are staggering. This new online space is controlled and shaped by consumers. Marketers can participate in this space but the rules are very different.

4. Bite size pieces please: Our chicken comes in popcorn size. Blogging has gone micro. Music has gone nano. Movies went from VHS to DVD to MP3 to streamed on your laptop.  We tweet/ txt/SMS in 140 characters. We eat 100 calorie type chocolate bars and we read Glamour in hand bag size. <ok. that is not new to us… but it supports my point so I’m keeping it>. For whatever reason, we are more inclined to process information in bite size pieces knowing full well that any one of those bite size morsels can lead to truck loads more information.

5. Co-llab-or-a-tion. People are powerful in groups. They know it. We know it. I’ve been to more seminars and read more books about how this social space shifts the power to the people – heck I’ve even suggested it takes the power from your boardroom and places it into the hands of your consumers. Don’t buy it? Google Wholesale foods. Oh! or the Nissan Cube. oh! or Dove anything. My point is this… People want to connect with people who are like them. they want to buy from them. Sell to them. Refer them. Hang out with them. Create with them. This absolutely translates online. Flash mobs are another fun, yet powerful effect that all stems from like minded people collaborating.

Alright – Google Wave. Let’s pretend you agree with me: Conversation is king. We are evolving at unprecedented rates. We prefer to process <certain content> in pieces. And finally we is better than me.  Google Wave is feverishly working on it’s very beta’d version of Wave to bring conversation and collaboration together. Period. They are convinced that communication is the future. They have figured out how to enable people without the traditional barriers of email, wikis, and the rest of it so that multitudes of people can organize, create, share and evolve.

So what does this all mean 12months from now? Yikes! Crazy Fast!

1. Crazy Fast answers to your questions. Imagine kicking off a project with all key stakeholders sat around your wave with the ability to add, edit, share, create and all traceable back to author. Hmmm. heaven – non?

2. Crazy Fast good quality ideas be it for business or dealing with a terrible two year old at your finger tips.

3. Crazy Fast timing for people to bring things to market. Product, Service or Start Up.

4. Crazy Fast and efficient communication means geography will really and truly be irrelevant. sort of.

5. Crazy Fast organizing of groups to support causes.

6. Crazy Fast travel for news. Yes. Faster than it is now.

7. Crazy Fast mobilizing of consumer groups to take action against something you just did that thoroughly pissed them off.

8. Crazy Fast abilities to work with your group on a school project.

Time will tell of course. But I can’t help but imagine that more efficient tools that mobilize like mined individuals, virtually, will only contribute to the evolution and the speed at which things happen.