Andrew Nimick Point Concept twitter.com/andrewnim

However, that is what some ‘authorities' have been saying for some time now. Instant messaging and the rise of social media (Facebook) would mean an end to email. Possibly for consumers, but not for business.

Personally I doubted that email would ever die, it may change (and has) but as a messaging system it works, it fits with the way we want to communicate and it can help us from saying stupid things in the heat of the moment.

If email had such a short term future, why do Google, Yahoo and Microsoft try to outdo each other with their ‘consumer' email offerings and why has Facebook now entered the market aiming to supply its 500 million plus users with an @facebook email address? Note also that not long ago the ‘authorities' always pointed to Facebook Y gen users as never using email.

The reason is very simple. As soon as you understand that most consumer mail is web based and not via Outlook or any other email client. Advertising.

Email to an extent provides the ‘privacy' factor (well only if the recipient is trusted) that social media does not, but via the web interface it still allows providers to target ads with a great deal of refinement. So much so that some people actually started using their Gmail as a research tool when shopping for goods or services.

So with 500 million new email address's about to hit the system, email is far from dead, it has outlived many a fad (as Wave turned out to be) and will survive many more yet. It is not the best for every use, but it is a main component of any communication system in the modern world and certainly the modern work place.