Some managers fret that they cannot let their staff loose on social networking tools because they will do no work.

However, I believe that internal social networking will enable people to share data more quickly and free up knowledge and know-how that might not have been previously recognised.

As staff get more used to openly sharing information and collaborating online out of work, the more they are going to expect it within work.

The fact is that most people’s personal computing applications – handhelds etc – enable them to do more than they can through their own companies internal systems. This disconnect is unhealthy and suggests that companies are behind their staff in terms of adoption of new technologies. It will also be intolerable to new waves of recruits who are completely comfortable with social networking.