Agenda Setters: Where are they now... Eric Schmidt

As the countdown begins to silicon.com's seventh annual Agenda Setters poll of tech's 50 most influential individuals, it is time to look back at those who held top 10 positions in 2005. Today we catch up with last year's number 1, Eric Schmidt.

Let's go out on a limb here and say Eric Schmidt will absolutely, definitely, 100 per cent be in the top 10 again this year. In fact it's about as certain as stating that night follows day to declare the Google boss will be in the top five. And that's before the votes have even been cast, let alone counted.

Google has seen its public image take a battering this past year over issues as diverse as web censorship in China and the protection of its brand name.

What a year it's been for Schmidt and if anything Google will only continue to break new ground and gain an ever-greater slice of 'planet internet' over the coming year.

Recent acquisitions in the business web space suggest office apps are going to receive a strong Google-push this year as the company moves on from a contented domination of the consumer web to focus on all areas of our connected world.

That will further renew the barely simmering hostilities with Microsoft. While few people feel much sympathy for the Redmond behemoth, Google has also seen its public image take a battering this past year over issues as diverse as web censorship in China and the protection of its brand name in the 'to google or not to google' debate.

But Schmidt's ranking on the Agenda Setters list is unlikely to be damaged by these incidents. More likely, he will be seen to be leading a company that continues to innovate and serves as a flagship for the web 2.0 movement.

The rate of innovation at Mountain View has been frenetic over the past 18 months and so it is almost impossible to talk about what Google might achieve over the coming year but through acquisition and in-house development we can safely expect it to be considerable.

Put your house on Schmidt finishing high up the list.

silicon.com's Agenda Setters panel, made up again of CIOs, analysts, VCs, consultants, lawyers, academics and other experts, convenes in September with the results revealed at the end of the month. If you want to pass on your comments for our experts - about Eric Schmidt or any other contender - drop us an email at editorial@silicon.com.