How the web has powered work for 20 years

It's safe to say that Berners-Lee's invitation to potential collaborators went fairly then. That initial web page has expanded to more than 19 billion pages and there are millions and millions of workers across the globe who rely on the World Wide Web to go about their daily lives. In those 20 years, the changes to the workplace that have taken place thanks to the Internet are nothing short of remarkable. Email is as good a place as any to start.

Later, when Web-based email began to grow in popularity, it transformed communication in the workplace. You could now receive a response to a question within minutes, especially once broadband connections became more commonplace. You could send information and documents to colleagues around the world at the click of a button.

But innovation was now developing at a pace that seemed astonishing even to those who worked in the industry, and email, afterwards a honeymoon period, hit problems. "Too intrusive," said some. "Too much of it," said others. "Not quick enough," moaned the rest.

The workplace - AIM launched in 1997

When consumer-based instant-messaging technologies infiltrated the workplace - AIM launched in 1997 and Yahoo! Messenger in 1998 - users were on the spur of the moment able to communicate with co-workers in real-time. Years later, these tools would often be integrated into a platform that as well included voice over Internet protocol, shared whiteboards, video conferencing and file transfer features.

It was around this time that social networks as well began to establish a presence. Some of these are truly more consumer-focused, nevertheless there can as well be no denying that Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have had a massive impact on working life, too. The ability to communicate and share content with your extended network has transformed many of our traditional working practices. As then as enabling businesses to engage in two-way conversations with their clients, these social networks are now a central part of the recruitment process. Last year, I wrote a piece on how Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter can enable you to find a team of peers without breaking the bank of recruitment agencies. You can tap into your workforce's network and find like-minded, talented people to become part of your company.

This has all been made possible by the World Wide Web. From Skype to smartphones and social networking to SaaS, it's all underpinned by the internet and the changes to the workplace of 20 years ago are just extraordinary. With a global mobile worker population set to hit 1.19 billion by 2013, one can only wonder what the Internet will bring us then. Bring on the then 20 years!