How much higher can Twitter go?

After reading the Article "The Twitter Effect," I was extremely surprised to learn that Twitter is the most widely used work in the English language, with a close second being Obama.  As a non Twitter user and someone who doesn't really pay much attention to social networks, I wonder how much further Twitter can go as a business.   Already valued at approximately $1.1 billion, the brand name Twitter has accomplished a lot in only 4 years.

This begs the question, would Twitter be as successful if it had a different name?  I often wondered the same thing about Google, who's name is now correlated with tech innovation and supremacy.  I really thing the catchy sounding tune name of Twitter has played a large role in the explosion of the social networking giant.  This leads me to believe that once the Twitter craze is over, Twitter will find it harder to remain as potent in its market.  I see Twitter reaching its peak in the next 2-3 years, before being supplanted by the next social networking tool that is bound to come.

Will The Microsoft Smart Phone Succeed?

With the release of the Windows Phone 7 smartphone coming Oct. 11, one must wonder how much market share Microsoft can take from Apple, Blackberry, and other smartphone providers.  With Windows limiting its provider to AT&T, they are pretty much in direct competition with Apple.  I believe as well as the article  "5 Reasons the Windows Phone 7 Will Fail" that limiting the provider to AT&T could be a colossal mistake.  This limits the availability of the phone that will already have struggles trying to penetrate an established market with strong reputations and brand loyalty.

One advantage, on the other hand, is the monopoly Microsoft has on the software market.  This could allow the Microsoft Smart Phone unparalleled compatibility with their smart phone and personal computers, thus creating a competitive advantage.  I believe this alone will allow Microsoft to take a good chunk of the smartphone market, mainly from Blackberry rather than the iPhone as most users of the iPhone are more than satisfied with Apple's product.

All in all, I believe the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 will be a moderate success as its going to face large problems entering a market well behind its competitors.  The real key will be being the innovative leader during the next generation of smartphones, which Microsoft already has a step up on its competition with its software compatibility.