Last week, we reported on the growth of electronic markets, linking company buyers with suppliers via internet technology. So far, these have developed in specialised sectors – energy, aerospace, automotive, for example.

But, say market researchers at Forrester, we are on the brink of rapid change. Over the next two years, the company projects, e-markets will spring up in most industries, attacking out-dated business practices and inefficient trading relationships.

"US businesses," Forrester reports, "are universally preparing to buy and sell online, leveraging the net to build deeper relationships with their business partners."

This trend will spread quickly, with the concept of specialised marketplaces being replaced as new solutions emerge to deliver broader coverage of procurement needs.

Elliott Chase