2009 in review: US wrestles with transitions

The US has had a stormy year in the tech world

This year has in many ways been a time of transition in the US. As the country worked to withstand and emerge from economic crisis, a new president settled into the White House and new social and economic issues took centre stage.

Similarly, transition and debate shaped much of the climate within the IT industry as the tech world found itself rethinking its relationships within the market and with the population and government as a whole.

President Obama took office in January and adopted a new approach to the way the presidency addressed the web. Throughout his campaign, Obama made unprecedented use of the internet, and the trend continued after he took office and remade the Whitehouse.gov web site.

The changes also extended beyond the web. Among Obama's first priorities was to appoint a chief information officer and the country's first chief technology officer.

Additionally, Obama sought to boost technology through his landmark stimulus package, which included a provision of $18bn (£11bn) for new broadband and smart electric grid projects.

While the White House looked to make advances online, Congress struggled with how to deal with progress. A firestorm of debate was triggered when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) slipped a net neutrality provision into its plans for broadband expansion.

Telcos and Congressional conservatives pledged to fight the plan, accusing the FCC of trying to take over the nation's IT infrastructure.

Regulatory groups also had a busy year, and the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission both dealt with enforcement actions and regulatory issues.

Among the targets were stock option backdating, conflicts of interest between Google and Apple, and a filing against Intel over alleged bullying tactics against other vendors.

Cyber crime finally became a major target for law enforcement agencies in the US this year, as Federal authorities looked to shut down not only cyber criminals, but the hosting firms that were enabling them.

As the year draws to a close, the US once again finds itself in the midst of an economic debate, though this time with those outside the country.

Faced with opposition in the European Union, government officials in the US have stepped in on behalf of Oracle and Sun in the hope of fast-tracking the approval of a $7.4bn (£4.6bn) merger between the two companies.