Queue · 2004 · 11 citations · 0 references
Social SciencesCommunicationInformation SystemsCommunication TheoryDigital CommunicationInterpersonal CommunicationCommunication BarriersCommunication NetworksComputer-mediated CommunicationEmail CommunicationInstant MessagingNetworked CommunicationBandwidthBandwidth ManagementConversationsEssential Business FunctionsOnline Interpersonal CommunicationProductivity
It’s a reality. You have IM (instant messaging) clients in your environment. You have already recognized that it is eating up more and more of your network bandwidth and with Microsoft building IM capability into its XP operating system and applications, you know this will only get worse. Management is also voicing concerns over the lost user productivity caused by personal conversations over this medium. You have tried blocking these conduits for conversation, but it is a constant battle. Tools are now available to make this blocking job easier, such as those from Akonix, FaceTime Communications, and NetIQ, but IM is maturing, and your users are starting to depend on it as an essential business tool.