Instant Messaging

Instant Messaging

Management Trend brief

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION 3

2 PROS 3

3 CONS 4

4 MITIGATION 5

5 SUMMARY 6

6 REFERENCES 6

1 INTRODUCTION

Instant Messaging (IM) is a technology that allows instant communication between employees and customers in the workplace. It can be utilized to improve the efficiency of communication where employees work remotely from each other. Once viewed primarily as a communication medium used by teenagers, IM has matured into a viable communication tool for all businesses, small to large as part of a social networking and collaboration strategy. According to the Second Annual AP-AOL Instant Messaging Trends Survey, 27 percent or one in every four adults, use IM at work. In addition, many IM technologies include both video chat and video conferencing. However, although IM offers many benefits, it also introduces the potential for a number of negatives and risks which must be addressed with employees in order to provide an efficient and effective communication system. All implications must be considered before instituting a company wide IM system. The following sections outline some of the pros and cons associated with IM.

2 PROS

• More Efficient Communication

IM is more efficient because workers can communicate instantly and remain in constant contact without the delays associated with waiting for email messages. It also avoids the unnecessary small talk that occurs with phone calls as well as the tiring game of phone tag associated with voicemail.

• Improved Collaboration

IM provides a means for remote teams of employees to communicate and collaborate. Many IM solutions provide not only traditional IM clients but also Video chat including the ability to share desktop applications and virtual whiteboards.

• Fewer Interruptions

Phone, email, and in person visits are typically more time consuming than IM communication. IM communication can typically be done without completely stopping tasks performed by a participant which is a departure from the disruptive and time consuming work stoppages associated with answering phone calls