When Ericsson portfolio strategy director Mikael Timsäter talks about Web 2.0, his favorite point of comparison is the difference between Encyclopedia Britannica Online and Wikipedia.

“Like Britannica’s online reference, the “old” web was authoritative and it communicated in one direction,” he says. “But in Wikipedia, literally anyone can edit or update or create a page on any topic they wish. That’s Web 2.0 in a nutshell.”

Timsäter says traditional hierarchies are collapsing on the web, and now it’s the user who creates the value. The Web 2.0 values of openness and device independence are available to anyone with an internet connection and a basic web browser.

“With Web 2.0, the distance between the consumer and content owner has become very short,” he says.

It’s in that space that Ericsson is growing its role as an enabler for internet and media companies. Timsäter says Ericsson is also looking to expand its work in beta-testing online services and applications directly with mobile and fixed broadband users.

Drawing on its experience in telecommunications, Ericsson can play a relatively neutral role in bridging the gap between operators and internet players, Timsäter says. “We see new possibilities to deepen the cooperation between both parties. The operators own, for instance, many network assets -- such as location, network-based presence, micro payments, messaging and identification -- that Ericsson can make easier to access in the internet world.

He says that the Internet Payment eXchange is an offering to content providers that Ericsson expects to grow in the Web 2.0 space. IPX has already brokered micro-payment and messaging (SMS/MMS), with the potential to add a lot more for content providers, broadcast media and internet companies looking to reach the subscriber bases of telecom operators.

IPX clients include entertainment and content providers such as Sulake, creator of social networking communities such as Habbo Hotel, one of the world's fastest growing online communities and virtual worlds for teenagers. IPX supports Sulake with a payment solution enabling end-users to purchase digital content to enhance their experience in the virtual community.

“The internet has reshaped traditional communications. It’s no longer just voice and chat; it’s a new level of communication,” Timsäter says. As a company that delivers communications on a global scale, Ericsson is positioned to make a significant contribution.”