A new survey, carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the CBI, confirms that the majority of financial services companies believe their future lies in e-business.

Half of those questioned expect the internet to reshape the industry - though attitudes vary in strength from sector to sector. Nearly all those in banking expect e-business to mean major change. Yet about a quarter of insurance brokers anticipate only moderate impacts.

The difference in outlook seems to reflect differences in judgements of what competitors are doing and what customers might do. For example, a significantly higher proportion of banks and securities firms have a better knowledge of customer online behaviour than do insurance companies - and are already feeling the pressure to handle business in new ways.

In any case, says PwC banking partner Angus Hislop: "It is clear that a lot is going to happen over the next 12 months, and no one wants to be left behind."

i-FM reported recently on a similar survey, carried out by workplace consultants AWA, in which facilities and property managers in the financial sector said that the one piece of knowledge they would most like to have is the impact of e-business on their companies over the next two years.

Elliott Chase