Office trends that will disappear by 2017

LinkedIn surveyed more than 7,000 global professionals in 10 countries to find out which tools and trends will disappear from offices by 2017.

Most of them have become "outdated" because technology is able to substitute them. For example, why need thumb drives when you can use a cloud?

Here are the "endangered species" LinkedIn came up with:

Copiers — 13% said these are disappearing
Business cards — 15% said these are disappearing
An office with a door — 16% said these are disappearing
USB thumb drives — 17% said these are disappearing
Cubicles — 19% said these are disappearing
The corner office for managers/executives — 21% said these are disappearing
Formal business attire like suits, ties, pantyhose, etc. — 27% said these are disappearing
Desktop computers — 34% said these are disappearing
Desk phones — 35% said these are disappearing
Standard working hours — 57% said these are disappearing
The Rolodex — 58% said these are disappearing
Fax machines — 71% said these are disappearing
Tape recorders — 79% said these are disappearing

While open plan offices using systems furniture are becoming increasingly popular due to the communication between employees it allows, we think cubicles, offices with a door, and manger/executive offices still have a long life ahead of them.  Tape recorders, fax machines, and the Rolodex definitely deserve to be on the endangered list though.

Which office items and tools are on the rise?  According to the same survey, it’s tablet computers, flexi-hours, smartphones and cloud computing.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/trends-that-will-disappear-from-the-workplace-2012-9?op=1#ixzz2dBv14ZPi