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The significant majority of technology experts and stakeholders believe that embracing digital tools and online collaboration will result in more effective and answerable businesses, charities, and government agencies, according to a survey by the Pew Research Centre's Internet & American Life Project and Elon University, North Carolina's Imagining the Internet Centre.

From a sample of digital experts, stakeholders and critics, 72 per cent agreed with the statement: 'By 2020, innovative forms of online cooperation will result in significantly more efficient and responsive governments, business, non-profits, and other mainstream institutions.'

Whilst just 26 per cent felt that these organisations would retain a similar structure in the future, and relationships with citizens and consumers would remain largely unaltered.

Though respondents differed as to timeframe of the change, the great majority of those surveyed have very positive expectations of the role of digital media in public and private institutions - seeing a trend towards transparency, answerability and collaboration. Gary Kreps, chair of department of communications, George Mason University, Washington DC, said: 'Online communication is already increasing public participation in political, educational, and social activities and will continue to connect people in the future as more people go online. Active participation in political, health, and educational affairs will enable people to access relevant information to make informed choices and better decisions. Access to new media will give greater voice and empower increased public participation and representation in the future.'

Some of those questioned suggested that those industries that cannot harness new technologies will flounder and fail. Jeff Jarvis, professor at City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism, said: 'By 2010 we are seeing many of these institutions and industries crumble and rise again from the ashes in new forms. What is happening to newspapers will happen to retail, advertising, many sectors of manufacturing, education, and government. There is no going back. There is no protecting the past.'

Respondents also seemed less confident of the public sector's willingness and ability to adapt to digital advances than that of private businesses. Peter Norvig, director of research at Google, stressed the obstacle of repressive government to openness and international cooperation: 'The remaining battlefield will be in countries with repressive, controlling regimes: will they open up to compete with freer countries, or clamp down in an attempt to prevent their citizens from seeing what is going on elsewhere?'

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