Future employees will face a very different work life from today – never tethered to one location and able to share and access knowledge more easily.

That is thanks to the acceleration of consumerisation and the influx of devices and platforms entering the workplace, according to analyst group Ovum's study 'Enterprise 2020.'

A wide range of interconnected, social, mobile and cloud-based collaboration platforms on multiple devices will enable employees to participate in the “shareconomy."

“The way in which we work will change dramatically over the next seven years, more than in the previous 30, meaning the enterprise of 2020 will need to be more agile and more responsive than it is today,” says Richard Edwards, principal analyst, Ovum.

“To remain successful, there will have to be significant change in operations, systems and cultural levels.

"By 2020, knowledge workers will need and want a set of tools far different to those of today, so for the CIO, the important choice will be which vendor to follow.”

Ovum says businesses must act now to adapt to this changing landscape or risk being left behind by both their markets and their employees.

A little dramatic maybe? Tell us your thoughts below