The internet is a common mode of conducting business today and most offices have internet connectivity in some form.
The convenience and flexibility of email has seen it labelled one of the greatest developments in modern business communication in recent history.
The benefits of email are widely acknowledged but the myriad uses of the internet in business are limitless.
Many companies exist solely on the internet and have no offices or shop fronts.
These companies can generate unbelievable levels of profit and many of them stand out as shining examples of the productive capacity of the online world.
But as with anything, there are dissenting voices against the internet focused around its effects on business productivity.
Many of these voices come from companies who see their productivity going down the gurgler because of the distractions the internet can cause their employees.
This is not totally unfounded and there is documented evidence that employees do waste productive time surfing the web instead of working to achieve outcomes.
There are so many examples of these arguments and their validity cannot be denied but a negative approach to the potential of the internet could cost a company just as dearly.
For many established businesses it is not possible to use the internet to achieve the success of online companies and many of them have no need to do so.
That said there is no reason email needs to be the end of the line for businesses when it comes to their online activities.
The internet provides a great platform for internal business management and web-based business applications have the potential to boost productivity markedly.
Web-based business applications are the new email.
They can serve functions that make your business more productive and professional and often come at a fraction of the cost of software and other management systems.
The idea that the internet is just for “pornography and pictures of cats” is becoming increasingly outdated: web-based applications are really giving the internet some purpose and productivity is the beneficiary.