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Technology, and computing in particular, was once an expensive pastime. But the recent downward spiral in IT costs has reached the point where many things are now free. Over the past few months, we've seen a Sunday paper giving away a USB memory stick and broadband providers offering free laptops to their customers. In the world of enterprise, paid-for client software seems to be a thing of the past, and basic versions of enterprise software are

Everyone seems to be giving away office suites, and even Adobe, once the purveyor of eye-wateringly expensive software, has joined Google in offering free online office applications. Let's not forget broadband; what was once £40 a month is now bundled with your mobile phone. A mobile phone that itself was probably free.

It's a trend that can only continue throughout 2008, and that's great if you're a consumer or small business. Your telecoms costs are about to plummet and much of the software that you're currently paying for will suddenly be yours, gratis. It won't be so easy for technology vendors, though, as they'll need to segment their offerings to meet this "free" expectation, making their profits on support, service and higher-end products.

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