Email is such a staple of the modern office that it might seem like even the mention of a world without it is ludicrous. Others, however, feel like their inbox is keeping them from pushing toward bigger and better things. Email might hold a special spot in our hearts, but realistically, does it stand a chance in the future?

According to John Brandon of Inc, it’s not likely. He predicts that email will be replaced in the future by other communication mediums, arguing that there are plenty more ways to message others both professionally and informally. He explains this phenomenon by examining his own experiences with email in recent years:

In my own workday, email has become less and less important. There are entire groups of people (public relations, for one) who contact me primarily on social networks first. Friends never send email anymore. They almost always send a text or chat on Facebook. Even a few of my colleagues tend to use apps like Campfire more than email.

Furthermore, he explains that email isn’t a reliable method of communication, even under the best of circumstances. Many people either ignore their email completely, or they take their sweet time responding. When people do receive messages, they can get lost underneath a mountain of spam. Many people (especially the younger generations) don’t even have a personal email account outside of work or school, simply because they don’t need one.

It’s true that email is a pain point for many small and medium-sized businesses out there. Even the thought of hosting your own email solution might be daunting, especially due to how intensive the process can be.

Despite email’s shortcomings, technology solutions exist that are capable of eliminating some of the drawbacks of business email. For instance, a spam blocking solution like the one Britek Solutions provides is capable of blocking the majority of spam before it hits your inbox. We can even host your Exchange server for you, which frees up time and resources best spent elsewhere.

As advocates of using technology to augment your business’s operations, we wouldn’t necessarily say that email will be obsolete in a few years; but it can’t be denied that society as a whole is moving toward other communication mediums that are less formal and more direct. Technology is continuously changing, and a new solution might surface as time goes on; but until that happens, we’re stuck with email, whether we like it or not. So, why not make it a little easier to handle for yourself?