John Daniel, the Open University's vice chancellor, will deliver a warning and a promise to British business and universities on Monday.
Sir John is giving the opening address at the World Open Learning Conference at Wembley Conference Centre, London, which brings together key figures from academic institutions and business.
He cautions that, as new technologies increase the scope of open learning, organisations have to be clear about their aims. "Infatuations with new technology cannot be the sole basis for introducing open learning into an organisation, although it can be a legitimate subsidiary one."
Sir John promises, however, that the benefits of open learning are available to both large and small enterprises. "Knowledge media", a term coined by his OU colleague Marc Eisenstadt, has the power to transform relationships between people and knowledge.
"The point is that in open learning, scale helps. That doesn't mean only big business can use it. Small business should look for suppliers of the open learning it needs before developing materials itself."
Sir John offers universities and business the "tripod" model of open learning - first-rate materials, close personal support and good logistics - in urging them to develop strategies for using technologies in open learning.
The conference has four themes: strategies for choosing open learning models, implementation, technologies, and the higher education connection.