Much the way many businesses discovered the Internet in 1995, 2007 is the likely tipping point for several new technologies that will change the way we do business.

The first of those technologies is RSS -- also known as Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. Even though the technical community doesn't seem able to agree on the words that go behind the letters of the acronym, there is widespread agreement that the technology is extremely useful; and it has already been catching fire with those who are technically savvy.

The RSS concept helps information holders post new and updated information on the Internet about a subject and immediately informs potential users that it has been posted so they can read it immediately.

This real time update capability is simple to implement. All the posting company must do is create something called an RSS-feed and include the information in that feed. The people who want to learn more can subscribe to that feed, much like they do to an e-mail newsletter. The subscriber's software automatically checks the RSS-feed to alert him to new posts, and once the alert comes in, he can check the new information.

It's easy for both parties, it's immediate, and it provides an excellent way for companies and individuals to maintain contact, which helps both parties.

Similarly, expect podcasting to take off this year. Podcasting allows companies and individuals to place multimedia files on the Internet, after which individual computer users can automatically download them to their computers, making them ready for listening or viewing on their computer or a portable device.

Although it looks on the surface to be similar to the streaming technologies that we've been using for years, podcasting is very different. It automatically moves the files to the listener or viewer's system, even when that person is not there to do it himself. It doesn't require an Internet connection to be active while the listening or viewing is happening. And it can often be synchronized with the user's iPod or other portable media player or personal digital assistant. The whole process is totally integrated, reducing the work required by the user.

Why is this year the tipping point? For podcasting, it starts with the millions of portable media devices that have reached the market during the past couple of years. That trend is leveraged by the number of media companies who are finally providing entertainment, news and sports programming. The growth in these items -- including music and TV shows -- is making it more compelling for individuals to learn how to use podcasts.

Finally, the release of Internet Explorer 7 is the most important factor that will cause RSS and podcasting to become mass realities. Internet Explorer 6, the browser you probably have been using for several years, did not have native RSS capabilities; so individuals needed to use alternative browsers -- such as FireFox or Opera -- or use external software to get their RSS feeds and podcasts.

Microsoft decided to push IE 7 automatically to virtually any user whose computer is capable of running it. Millions of people have already discovered this new, startlingly different browser on their systems. Within the next year, millions more will find it when they arrive at work or turn on their home systems. So most users will soon have easy access to RSS and podcasts.

Don't be surprised if companies and end users embrace these technologies so fully that they -- and you -- will wonder how you got along without them, much like you think about e-mail and the World Wide Web.