Instant Messaging (im) Systems

The use of Instant Messaging (IM) systems in the workplace has brought with it new legal and security issues that need to be considered. Industry analysts estimate that unauthorised IM use in the workplace is between 75% and 90%. This indicates that nearly everyone using IM in any given organisation is doing so without the manager's knowledge. This shows there are clearly no rules or usage guidelines in place, and no way of knowing what sensitive information could be being divulged. Furthermore, if managers are unaware of IM usage, then there is unlikely to be technology in place to control the risk of security breaches.

The SMS and IM boost can be looked at as a critical success factors, because if harnessed they would enable the sharing of knowledge, which in turn will lead to being more prepared for situations arising in the business, leading to strategic success.

This shows that it is a feasible project for the organisation to undertake and will be based on more than just the security and legal issues.

The Benefits and Risks of using IM in the organisation

Â* One of the major benefits to the business is that IM saves on call costs although Voice over IP is reducing this benefit due to the savings available although it can also be seen as a compliment to voice and e-mail.

Â* IM is more popular than e-mail due to it being more personal and less 'intrusive' than a telephone conversation

Â* A major worry for IT managers is the loss of productivity due to people not realising how long they have been using the IM and the fact the information takes longer to convey across IM than by voice.

Â* Radicati Group indicated, "most IM users in enterprise environments used the technology more for casual intra-company communication and personal use than for communicating

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