I'm entirely with Jon Udell on the issue of old tech not getting replaced. I think the urge to reinvent instead of repurposing is sad. So much could be done by simply extending the way we use the workhorse protocols of the internet: The email protocol suite, http and various XML transports over http.
What we need, and don't have, is an email client that is as conducive to innovation as the browser is - but we don't have that and it's an open question whether or not the good hackers could beat the bad hackers in a war to control such a client.