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Instant Messaging: The
future of communication?
Instant
messaging has become a part of today’s workplace culture. MOHAN BABU
writes that IT managers are aware that if not properly controlled, it can
lead to a decrease in productivity and also inadvertent exposure of
sensitive business information.
A few days
ago, I was in my office, trying to explain a complex problem I had been
working on to a colleague when an MSN message popup announced, “Hi Mohan,
it’s dad here.” Surprised and amused, my American colleague exclaimed that
he didn’t even keep in touch with his dad who lived a hundred miles away in
Denver on a day-to-day basis; and here I was receiving an instant message
(IM) from my dad ten thousand miles away. This was not an unusual event by
any means, but illustrates the kind of point-to-point personal communication
facilitated by Internet technologies that have become ingrained in our daily
lives.
We have come
a long way since the early use of e-mails and Internet. Most workplaces,
especially those in the high-tech world, are connected to the Internet and
use of instant messaging systems is growing by leaps and bounds. IM is
changing corporate communications, even without the encouragement or even
approval of executives and IT managers. Combining the real-time advantages
of a phone call with the convenience of an e-mail, IM is so compelling it
often gets implemented through the back door, with distributed workgroups
downloading public IM clients and using them without getting the nod from
IT.
Realising the
advantages of instant communication, businesses are encouraging the use of
IM tools to speed-up and ease communication. However, corporations generally
discourage the use of “open” systems like MSN or AOL IM, preferring instead
to install internal products like IBM’s Lotus Sametime or Presence Platform
(from Bantu). Even Microsoft, realising the importance of IM as a business
tool has integrated its MSN messenger with proprietary NetMeeting
collaboration software. Interestingly, IBM makes an encrypted version of
Sametime used by the academia and military. US Navy uses the encrypted
version of Sametime to help sailors communicate at sea.
Even though I
consider myself as being pretty technically savvy, I was not quick to jump
the IM bandwagon. When my company first rolled out its proprietary instant
messaging systems a few years ago, I was reluctant to adopt it, fearing
disturbance from colleagues if messages popped-up at inopportune times. Of
course, a few months of stalling and realising that I was missing the party,
convinced me to jump ship and I became a convert. Actually, after this, the
pendulum swung to the other extreme when I not only installed UMIM but also
Yahoo, MSN and AOL IM. I haven’t looked back since then.
Different
companies have varying policies on sharing lists of people who are willing
to be IMed. For instance, at IBM, some 220,000 employees worldwide are
registered for instant messaging. Users can search in-house experts on a
whole range of topics and requisition their expertise at any time. Even
though IM is a compelling business tool, IT managers realise that many
employees will be tempted to use it as a means of chatting
with family
and friends. If not properly controlled, IM can lead not only to a decrease
in productivity but also to the inadvertent exposure of sensitive business
information. Many companies have started documenting detailed corporate
system use policies including sections on IM and e-mail use (and abuse). As
IM technology develops, real-time chat capabilities will be combined with
clear voice and video communications. When this technology is available,
companies will be able to set up video conference calls without all the
costs and equipment required today.
The main
difference between e-mail and instant messaging systems is that IM
technologies are close-ended. The disadvantage with the use of open IM
technologies provided by MSN, Yahoo and AOL is that they do not talk to each
other. For instance, a user of MSN Messenger software needs to install the
package on his/her machine, signup for a login ID and use it to communicate
with other users. He cannot use his MSN account to communicate with a friend
who has an AOL or Yahoo account. He will need to do the same if his friends
use AOL or Yahoo.
Most of us
think of IM systems as transient carriers of messages without realising that
every message sent can (and generally is) stored on Internet servers of
either the ISP or the corporations that provide the service. These messages
can be tracked and even used in evidence. Financial companies and brokerage
firms use systems that archive IMs for regulatory purposes.
As the global
village gets more integrated, individuals in a networked world are going to
expect instant communication and receive it. Instant messaging technologies
that are practically free and provide instantaneous communication are poised
to provide connectivity in a networked world.
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