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Secure Instant Messaging
Why secure instant messaging is necessary for businesses to remain safe and competitive
September 21, 2005
By: Alice Osborn
All companies want to communicate more efficiently, and
Instant Messaging or IM systems address this need. However,
all companies should ensure that their secure instant
messaging system is:
- Secure against SPIM (spam for instant messaging)
- Helps employees manage and/or limit their personal
instant messaging time
- Reliably archives and retrieves instant messaging
conversations for government regulatory purposes
- Searches and retrieves instant messaging
communications from a single graphic interface
According to the Radacati Group, an IT research firm, 85
percent of companies have public instant messaging in use,
but only 12 percent support the use with enterprise security
technologies and instant messaging-specific policies. The
best secure IM systems are those that accomplish all of the
above and also provide mobile messaging, Voice Instant
Messaging, and document transfer to the workers’ desktops.
Examples of enterprise instant messaging systems include
e/pop Professional 3.0 by
WiredRed
Sofware, IMlogic IM Manager by
IMlogic,
and the ICS system by
Ipswitch.
Secure IM saves time and offers virus protection
Obtaining access to instant messaging is now a
fundamental requirement for businesses to increase their
productivity and communication between managers and team
members and between clients and account executives. The
instant messaging tool is a valuable one for the user since
it provides instant updates, information and timesaving
answers any time of the day.
However, in order for records and files to remain secure,
the instant messaging system software must allow its
encrypted data to cross firewalls and networks without
falling prey to viruses, data theft or inappropriate
connections. Instant messaging is especially vulnerable to
virus attacks because the virus can easily attach to a
user’s Buddy List. Businesses also use this secure
enterprise software to limit the amount of non-business
communication that is prevalent among their workers.
How secure IM became a necessary business tool
America Online first introduced instant messaging in chat
rooms and its messaging success has generated a prolific
amount of instant message programs. Now technology has taken
this innovation outside the home and has made companies,
especially those in media and publishing who conduct most of
their instant messaging transactions in real-time, realize
how much more efficient they can be with a customized and
secure IM service. For example, headquarters now can reach
reporters and photographers in the field across time zones
to meet deadlines.
With greater access to instant messaging, comes greater
loss of communication integrity. Decision makers must always
obtain a reliable and secure IM system in order to keep
their data safe and keep their businesses competitive.
About the Author
Alice Osborn is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Web-Conferencing-Zone.com. Your
definitive guide to web conferencing services,
online collaboration software and
web meetings for business.
Also See:
[ VoIP service integration --
web conferencing using VoIP services ]
[ Interactive
web conferencing solutions for 3-D virtual meetings ]
[ What is web
conferencing? What are the benefits of web conferencing? ]
Home Page:
[ Web-Conferencing-Zone.com ]
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