Workplace 2005

Demographic projections are uncertain. War, immigration patterns, government regulation, and cycles of boom and bust cast doubt even on predictions that are based on the relatively stable characteristics of populations of millions of people. With that in mind, and considering that such terms as "e-commerce" and "Web portals" didn't exist even five years ago, it's probably unreasonable to expect anybody to forecast exactly how new technology will affect workplaces in 2005. But one thing is certain: The effect will be huge.

Computers will certainly become faster, smaller, lighter and cheaper, according to the OfficeTeam CIO survey. But an even more significant trend might be the increasing access of homes and offices to high-speed data communication, in the form of cable modems and low-cost digital telephone lines, says Celente. "We believe the greatest changes that will come about from broadband will be interactive, three-dimensional video communication with colleagues," he adds. "It's going to be like you're all in the same room. And when that happens, people in the service economy will truly be able to work wherever they want."

Wireless communications and voice-activated technology are more top trends identified in the CIO survey. A rapid merger between cellular phones, personal digital assistants and pagers is creating compact, intelligent, inexpensive and user-friendly tools that will make communication instantaneous and easy, no matter where you are.

This article was originally published in the November 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Workplace 2005.