Instant Messaging

Management Trend brief

Prepared By Last Update

: :

XXXX XXXXX December 03, 2012

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRO UCTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! " # PROS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! " " CONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! $ $ MITI%ATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!& & SUMMAR'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( ( REFERENCES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(

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1 INTRO UCTION
Instant Messaging (IM) is a technology that allows instant communication between employees an customers in the wor!place" It can be utili#e to impro$e the e%%iciency o% communication where employees wor! remotely %rom each other" &nce $iewe primarily as a communication me ium use by teenagers, IM has mature into a $iable communication tool %or all businesses, small to large as part o% a social networ!ing an collaboration strategy" 'ccor ing to the Second Annual AP-AOL Instant Messaging Trends Survey, 2( percent or one in e$ery %our a ults, use IM at wor!" In a ition, many IM technologies

inclu e both $i eo chat an $i eo con%erencing" )owe$er, although IM o%%ers many bene%its, it also intro uces the potential %or a number o% negati$es an ris!s which must be a resse with employees in

or er to pro$i e an e%%icient an e%%ecti$e communication system" 'll implications must be consi ere be%ore instituting a company wi e IM system" *he %ollowing sections outline some o% the pros an cons associate with IM"

# PROS
More +%%icient ,ommunication

IM is more e%%icient because wor!ers can communicate instantly an remain in constant contact without the elays associate with waiting %or email messages" It also a$oi s the unnecessary small tal! that occurs with phone calls as well as the tiring game o% phone tag associate with $oicemail"

Impro$e ,ollaboration

IM pro$i es a means %or remote teams o% employees to communicate an collaborate" Many IM solutions pro$i e not only tra itional IM clients but also -i eo chat inclu ing the ability to share es!top applications an $irtual whiteboar s"

.ewer Interruptions

/hone, email, an in person $isits are typically more time consuming than IM communication" IM communication can typically be one without completely stopping tas!s per%orme by a participant

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which is a eparture %rom the isrupti$e an time consuming wor! stoppages associate with answering phone calls an %ace to %ace con$ersation which %re0uently e$ol$es into small tal!"

Impro$e ,ustomer 1er$ice

ress issues instantly" It also

IM allows customers to interact with customer ser$ice in real time to a

allows customer ser$ice wor!ers instant access to others resources such as managers an area e2perts to re0uest in%ormation while the customer is online" *his ser$es to re uce customer response time an increases the 0uality o% the o$erall customer e2perience"

,ost +%%ecti$e

IM sa$es the tra$el e2penses re0uire %or remote teams to collaborate as well as some tra$el costs associate with con ucting meeting with customers" 3emote employees an customers can con uct meeting an collaborate on ocuments all in real time without the nee to tra$el to other o%%ices"

" CONS
4egal 3is!

*he casual nature o% IM communication can lea employees to type inappropriate remar!s which can cause legal issues especially those associate with iscrimination, harassment an the sharing o% con%i ential in%ormation about clients an co5wor!ers" ,ompanies are at ris! un er the legal principle o% $icarious liability %or the actions o% their employees i% someone sen s an instant message that triggers a se2ual harassment complaint, a tra emar! in%ringement lawsuit, or other claim" +mployees shoul be remin e that all IM e2changes shoul remain pro%essional an appropriate" *hey shoul also be ma e aware that they shoul ha$e no e2pectation o% pri$acy in IM communication an that all e2changes are isco$erable as e$i ence in legal procee ings" *here%ore, it is important that the business properly retains an archi$es their employee6s IM messages"

1ecurity

IM systems, li!e any networ!e application, are not completely secure an there%ore at ris! %rom cyber criminals" *his lea s to potential ris!s to pri$acy as the in%ormation e2change in IM messages can contain con%i ential an pri$ate in%ormation about the business, employees, an clients inclu ing Confidential Page 4 12/11/2013

the loss o% proprietary in%ormation to competitors" *he use o% IM can also e2pose the networ! to $iruses, worms, an phishing scams" *here%ore, businesses must set policies which restrict what type o% in%ormation that employees can share through instant messaging"

In%ormation 3etrie$al

7nli!e email, in most IM systems it is generally more i%%icult to organi#e an retrie$e past con$ersations" *here%ore, %in ing an retrie$ing speci%ic con$ersations is more challenging than email"

Decrease pro ucti$ity

IM can be a signi%icant istraction %or employees while wor! when they engage in personal chat at wor!" 'ccor ing to Workplace E-Mail and Instant Messaging Survey, 89 percent o% IM users engage in non wor! relate communication causing a ecrease in pro ucti$ity"

$ MITI%ATION

+%%ecti$e /olicies an + ucation

,lear an en%orceable policies surroun ing the appropriate use o% IM be implemente to protect the security o% the company an the pri$acy o% client in%ormation" *hese policies shoul also a ress the

appropriate use o% IM by employees to ensure that all communications are pro%essional" *he policy shoul also in%orm employees that they o not ha$e a reasonable e2pectation o% pri$acy an that company6s has complete control o$er IM use inclu ing the right to monitor an retain recor s o% IM communications"

1ecurity an Management

1ince IM accounts are easy to hac!, companies shoul use an enterprise IM solution installe behin a %irewall that integrates with the omain security mo el so that employees can i enti%y the person they are communicating with" *he IM solution shoul also pro$i er retention an archi$al %eatures, screen %or $iruses, an bloc! content" +mployees shoul be e ucate about the proper use i% IM to Confidential Page 5 12/11/2013

minimi#e ris!s %rom $iruses by instructing them not to open attachments, %iles, or lin!s sent through IM communications"

& S)mmary
*he mar!et to ay re0uires that businesses 0uic!ly a apt an inno$ate in or er to respon in the %ace o% %ierce competition" Inno$ation in turn is epen ent on the ability o% employees to 0uic!ly collaborate" 1ocial networ!ing tools are a necessary me ium in to ay6s business en$ironment in or er to promote creati$ity an inno$ation in teams that o%ten ha$e members wor!ing remotely %rom each other" IM is one o% the !ey social networ!ing tools to support the inno$ation organi#ation especially with enterprise IM systems which also support $i eo chat, group chat, an $i eo con%erencing" *he pros o% using an IM system outweigh the cons in light o% the nee to collaborate as the cons can be mitigate using the same management metho s an policies use to mitigate issues with email" *he policies re0uire %or proper use, e2pectations %or pri$acy, personal use an security are all nearly i entical to those encountere with email" ' business shoul be able to up ate the section o% their current enterprise technology policy regar ing email with little re$ision to inclu e the use o% IM when the system is implemente "

( REFERENCES
http:::www"msnbc"msn"com:i :1;8(<8;1:ns:technology=an =science5 tech=an =ga gets:t:te2t5message5generation5entering5wor!place: http:::smallbusiness"chron"com:pros5using5im5wor!place51083;"html

http:::smallbusiness"chron"com:cons5using5ims5wor!place511989"html

http:::www"entrepreneur"com:article:91080>

http:::www"slclaw"com:3esources:bulletins:90"html

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http:::www"wileyrein"com:publications"c%m?sp@articlesAnewsletter@;Ai @1(81

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