Management consultancy firm Accenture has said global technology trends are pointing towards a "we economy", helped by the "i

nternet of things”, which is driving new opportunities by bringing every object, consumer and activity into the digital realm.

Accenture's Technology Vision 2015 report says "pioneering" enterprises are tapping into an array of digital businesses, customers and devices at the edge of their networks to create digital "ecosystems".

According to the report, which is based on a survey of 2,000 IT and business executives, enterprises are making the shift from “me to we” and business leaders are viewing the digital connection to their firms, employees and customers as an opportunity to connect to the global network of businesses and individuals.

The survey found 80 per cent of respondents believe industry boundaries will blur in the future as platforms reshape industries into interconnected ecosystems.

Seventy-eight per cent of the executives surveyed said successful businesses would manage employees alongside intelligent machines, ensuring collaboration between the two.

Some 77 per cent of respondents believe that within three years companies will need to focus on training their machines (using intelligent software, algorithms and machine learning) as much as they do on training their employees.

"In last year's Technology Vision report we noted how large enterprises were reasserting leadership in their markets by adopting digital to drive their processes more effectively and transform how they go to market, collaborate with partners, engage with customers and manage transactions," said Accenture chief technology officer Paul Daugherty.

“Now that digital has become part of the fabric of their operating DNA, they are stretching their boundaries to leverage a broader ecosystem of digital businesses.”