The increased uptake of unified communications (UC) tools will lead businesses to abandon traditional office-based working, according to IBM.

Social networking applications and online virtual environments will become accepted alternatives to real-world meetings, tsaid he hardware giant.

Desktop computers and phones will be replaced by laptops and other mobile devices, the supplier predicted. This change will be driven by a shift in work models, as organisations embrace globalisation and green business initiatives that foster working from home.

UC providers will also be forced into offering resources on a royalty-free basis, as the industry moves to encourage open standards and greater levels of interoperability. This in turn will make it quicker for businesses to acquire the information they need, resulting in improved work efficiency.

IBM also forecasts that instant messaging will follow the rise of email to become a widely-accepted business tool.

The predictions were made by Mike Rhodin, general manager of IBM Lotus software, at a conference in Orlando, Florida.