The last webDotWiz column had a couple of links to a 2007 report entitled Developing the Future. This report was commissioned by Microsoft U.K. and co-sponsored by Intellect, a trade association for the U.K. hi-tech industry, City University of London and the British Computer Socieity to examine the impact of the software development industry on the local U.K. and global economy.

The report (in PDF format) is divided into several sections: globalisation, innovation, skills and the future. Key academics and industry specialists have contributed articles on various topics in each section.

Here's a brief list of the main challenges facing the U.K. technology industry:

• instead of focusing on the use of software and technology, the school curriculum needs to change direction to promote creation of software and technology innovation;
• the technology industry needs to look to female recruitment not only to fill the skills shortfall but also to raise the poor percentage of female participation;
• the Knowledge Economy is the fastest growing section of the U.K. economy - by 2010 it will contribute fifty percent of U.K. GDP;
• a basic question is whether the U.K. will have sufficient people working in the primary IT sector to develop the software, tools and technologies that will be needed in other sectors that rely heavily on IT.

A full reading of Developing the Future is worth the time and then thinking about what Australia's knowledge economy would look like if a similar report were commissioned here. Perhaps our leaders can't see out of the big holes we're digging for outselves.

A lot of work is being done to produce 3D mapping of the U.K. for Live Maps and it's expected that the terabytes of data thus generated will go online and be complete by the end of 2007. Similar work is being done to cover Germany and then Europe, as well as the U.S. by the end of 2008.

Live Chronicles has announced that Canadians will soon be able to apply for @live.ca domain names in the northern hemisphere autumn. It's assumed that @live.au domain names will become available for Australia at the same time. Unfortunately it doesn't seem that there will be an automatic changeover from @hotmail.com domain names to @live.xx domain names so as soon as they're available, you'll have to jump in to get the ones you want.

Outlook users who also have a Windows Live Hotmail account can now install the Outlook Connector so they can read all their mail in one place.

For other Windows Live news, especially the announcement that Windows Live Messenger 8.5 (trial version) is available for Australia, keep an eye on webDotWiz Online has the Space.

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