Final answer:
The multimedia industry's top three growing applications are mobile advertising, digital pay plans for newspapers, and Internet-based calling/video calling technologies, all contributing to the dynamic shift towards digital platforms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Identifying the top three applications growing in the multimedia <$100 billion dollar industry involves looking at key areas that are experiencing significant expansion. One of the leading areas is mobile advertising, which has been identified by eMarketer.com as a sector showing the largest increase since 2004, and is projected to surpass traditional media like radio, magazines, and newspapers in ad spending.
Another growing application is digital pay plans for newspapers. As the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism reported, these subscription models are helping newspapers to stay afloat, compensating for some loss in print ad revenue with their digital contributions. Finally, technologies enabling free Internet-based calling and video calls are becoming commonplace due to their cost-efficiency and improved data transmission quality, adding significant value to the multimedia industry.
These trends highlight the shift towards digital media, where platforms like social networking sites, blogs, and podcasts are becoming central to information exchange, even as they present challenges related to the accuracy of content and financial viability.