The debate began several months ago and is only intensifying with every passing day. Will social networking supersede e-mail as the preferred mode of communication over the Internet?
Different organizations have said yes, although the question is moot.
A report from Gartner last week has stated that social networking will replace e-mail as the primary vehicle for business communication for 20 percent of employees by 2014. The argument is that the younger workforce has clearly shown its appeal for communicating via social networks and their support is only bound to get stronger.
While it is true that e-mail alone cannot provide all the combined networking capabilities of Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and social channels, it is definitely a secure channel for professional communication.
Would the inclusion of more powerful cloud-based services increase e-mail usage in the next couple of years? What social attributes can e-mail take in the future? These are loaded questions indeed.
The motivation to deliver such a “hybrid” service should effect individual as well as collective growth in both paradigms. Internet trends are becoming harder to predict as people’s needs are changing so fast.
It’s going to be an impatient wait for those who are excited to know what the future holds. The upside is that it’s got to be better than what we have today. Let’s wait and watch.
