While it would be very easy to put forward an argument that in fact this is just a migration of the same people moving to a healthier sport where where you can still compete (both in terms of the sport itself and the expensive gear!), I hear and see little evidence that this is a new form of corporate networking. It does however seem to me to be a great way for large companies to bring employees together who normally wouldn't have cause to interact. I would say it would be a real perk of the job for a lot of people alongside other social, team-building and participation events.