Instant messenging for businesses has been dismissed
because of the threat to security. However, Simon Moores is keen to
explore the business benefits of IM.
Instant Messaging (IM) is something that most of us
associate with Hotmail or AOL. For business, it’s mostly something
that they would prefer not to encourage, for security purposes if
nothing else.
Lotus Development, now part of IBM, has been trying to get
corporate IM off the ground for years in the shape of Lotus
SameTime, and I can remember it being offered to the then e-Envoy
at a meeting at the Cabinet Office three years ago.
It didn’t really take off, although government bought into Lotus
Notes big time, and when I was asked to comment on e-mail and its
importance to the Hutton enquiry last month, I did have one
thought, which I kept to myself.
Imagine for a moment if all the thousands of e-mails produced as
evidence at the enquiry missed out something rather more
innocuous?
After all, if I didn’t wish to have something kept "on the
record" then I would quite possibly, IM rather than e-mail.
This is, of course, why large businesses are not all that keen
on facilitating IM through their firewalls, as it offers a great
exit route for all kinds of information without the inconvenience
of an audit trail.
This year, IM is making a bit of a comeback as Microsoft leaps
into the rather interesting concept of corporate IM, refashioning
what Lotus started and adding a little extra spin to suit the
times.
Computer Weekly reported that Microsoft sees the release of its
Office Live Communications Server as a "key moment" in establishing
IM as a business tool.
Using Live Communications Server, companies will be able to run
their own enterprise IM network and address security concerns
related to public services. It can log and manage employees' IM
usage.
The product is capable of determining whether a user is online
and available for communication in Office applications and can
extend this "presence" information to other applications such as
custom portals.
If you still aren’t convinced, then the reason I’m writing about
IM today really comes about as a consequence of the research work I
have been doing on what business want from directory services in
the new age of 118.
Well, they want telephone numbers, mobile and landline and,
perhaps, e-mail addresses too, if they could all be lumped
together. But there are other ideas, such as shared directories
between companies, and the opportunity to contact a business
associate in real time, on any device and through the office server
and not through Hotmail.
This is extending the concept of "presence" into the business
space with a model which business can feel more comfortable
with.
Lotus Development always had a habit of trailblazing a little
early - look at Lotus Notes - and it’s normally Microsoft which
leaps in to a technology when the time is ripe, although I would
concede they have “struggled” to find a good home for their IM
ideas until now.
I think there’s a new and interesting space for IM services in
the corporate space. Rather like pushing a large stone over a hill,
the time has come for IM to pick up momentum as a useful corporate
solution that benefits from convergence in a number of different
areas, the potential for shared directories being one example.
That leaves me with one final question. I wonder, did Alistair
Campbell have a Hotmail address?
What do you think?
Do you see IM as a viable business tool?
Tell us in an e-mail >>
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Setting the world to rights with the collected thoughts and
opinions of leading industry analyst Dr Simon Moores of
Zentelligence.
Acting globally, Zentelligence (Research) advises
governments, suppliers, business and the media on the evolution,
application and delivery of leading-edge technologies and
specialises in the areas of eGovernment and information
security.
For further information on Zentelligence and its research,
presentation and analyst services visitwww.zentelligence.com