H1N1 is already having a huge impact on our daily lives, with as many as 80 million reported cases from April through December 2009. Not surprisingly, this has prompted organizations such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to roll out major awareness/vaccination campaigns. But could the first flu pandemic in more than 40 years also change the face of IT in the global workplace?

Yes, it could, according to Burton Group, a Salt Lake City-based IT industry research/advisory services organization. In a new report, "IT Contingency Planning for H1N1 Pandemic," a Burton research team indicates that the wave of outbreaks will likely greatly encourage corporate managers to more quickly adapt technologies that allow for better collaboration and mobility. The Burton research team compiled its report after extensive interviews with industry executives, analysts and government officials—as well as enterprise managers who have come up with business continuity plans to prepare for H1N1. Here's what the research reveals:

• H1N1 influenza is projected to infect between 10 percent and 40 percent of the work force, and business continuity plans need to reflect specific preparation for this scenario. Corporate managers are facing the reality that what's called "social distancing" may be needed to limit contact among workers by closing public and private gathering areas. This presents a wealth of opportunities for the IT industry to come up with better solutions for a remote work force—with improved e-mail, IM and Web conferencing capabilities.

• Virtual private networking (VPN) infrastructures will need to scale more effectively to serve the increase in demand for remote operations. With more employees working from home, businesses will likely need to invest in more business-class dedicated network lines, Burton indicates, as opposed to relying on residential-quality Internet services that won't be able to support a company's needs. Security assurance tools will also increase beyond prior demand, as employees working from home networks and computers increase the risk of compromised accounts and passwords, and the spread of malware.

• Web 2.0 applications should also increase in value to companies, with workers using community spaces such as wikis to share ideas and work on projects, regardless of where they are physically. Cloud services with top software-as-a-service (SAAS) tools will allow professionals to easily upgrade products even if displaced from their routine work environment.

"IT organizations can make significant contributions by providing the tools to allow the business to continue to function, even if parts of the business have been disabled by an outbreak," says the report's lead author, Phil Schacter, who is director of Security and Risk Management Services for Burton.