French IT firm bans email

The chief executive of French IT firm Atos, Thierry Breton, will banish email from his workplace and will push staff towards alternatives such as text messaging and IM software.

Breton will implement the plan 18 months from now, with tens of thousands of employees across the world now being pushed onto features such as social media and even phone conversations.

Breton, who is a former finance minister, told Forbes that “email is no longer the appropriate tool”.

“It is time to think differently,” he told the publication. “Companies must prepare for the new wave of usage and behaviour.”

The move comes as a number of firms have also been moving to email alternatives, such as instant messaging programs including Skype and Facebook.