WHAT IS INSTANT MESSAGING?
1. It is a type of online chat that offers real-time text transmission over the internet.
2. Instant messaging technology is a type of online chat allowing real-time text transmission over the Internet or another computer network.
3. Instant messaging (IM), form of text-based communication in which two persons participate in a single conversation over their computers or mobile devices within an Internet-based chatroom.
4. Instant messaging, often shortened to IM or IM'ing, is the exchange of near-real-time messages through a standalone application or embedded software.
*Instant messages can be a quick, easy way for two people – or small groups of people – to chat and share information.
*They give the participants a very simple and efficient way to have a conversation while also working on other tasks at the same time.
* There are many instant messaging programs for domestic and business use, often coming as part of other software packages.
*Examples include WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, WeChat, Telegram, Slack etc.
INSTANT MESSAGING ADVANTAGES
There are advantages and disadvantages of instant messaging. Some benefits of instant messaging include:
1. EXPEDIENCY OF COMMUNICATION
Because instant messages are just that – instant messages – they can help facilitate short, sharp conversations and allow people to share information quickly.
Because instant messages are just that – instant messages – they can help facilitate short, sharp conversations and allow people to share information quickly.
2. MORE VISIBLE THAN EMAIL
Instant messenger systems are more likely to be paid attention to by employees than emails are. Emails can sit in peoples’ inboxes for hours unnoticed – if they are even opened at all – while the nature of instant messages is that they capture peoples’ attention more quickly.
Instant messenger systems are more likely to be paid attention to by employees than emails are. Emails can sit in peoples’ inboxes for hours unnoticed – if they are even opened at all – while the nature of instant messages is that they capture peoples’ attention more quickly.
3. EASILY CONNECTS PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF LOCATION
Whether you’re on the other side of the office, or the other side of the world, an instant messenger will let you contact a colleague and share ideas and information quickly, in real time. It’s especially useful in situations where colleagues are working in remote or hybrid flexible styles.
Whether you’re on the other side of the office, or the other side of the world, an instant messenger will let you contact a colleague and share ideas and information quickly, in real time. It’s especially useful in situations where colleagues are working in remote or hybrid flexible styles.
4. EASY TO USE
Instant messengers are intuitive and easy to use, requiring very minimal technical skill, making them a democratic communications tool in any workplace. People are used to using them in their daily lives to talk to family and friends and business instant messaging tools are a natural extension of this.
Instant messengers are intuitive and easy to use, requiring very minimal technical skill, making them a democratic communications tool in any workplace. People are used to using them in their daily lives to talk to family and friends and business instant messaging tools are a natural extension of this.
INSTANT MESSAGING DISADVANTAGES
1. PRODUCTIVITY ISSUES WITH INSTANT MESSENGERS
While instant messaging for business can cut down on a lot of unnecessary time spent on ineffective communication, and reduce long-distance telephone charges, they are also potentially open to misuse. Some cohorts of employees could spend hours each day using instant messenger, gossiping or generally wasting time while looking to the world like they are actually busy, doing work.
Messenger notifications can also still be just as distracting as a phone call or incoming email for someone who is trying to concentrate on some critical work or attempting to meet a deadline.
While instant messaging for business can cut down on a lot of unnecessary time spent on ineffective communication, and reduce long-distance telephone charges, they are also potentially open to misuse. Some cohorts of employees could spend hours each day using instant messenger, gossiping or generally wasting time while looking to the world like they are actually busy, doing work.
Messenger notifications can also still be just as distracting as a phone call or incoming email for someone who is trying to concentrate on some critical work or attempting to meet a deadline.
2. SECURITY ISSUES WITH INSTANT MESSENGERS
Very simply, most instant messenger platforms aren’t secure and you should not trust them to send information that you wouldn’t want being shared outside of your company.
The external instant messenger platforms are essentially on public networks, which means that they could easily be intercepted or hacked by external parties. Some instant messengers have better security protocols than others.
Your organization goes to a lot of effort to protect its classified, confidential or otherwise secret business files and store them securely on servers that can’t be easily accessed by the outside world. When files are shared over instant messenger, all these security protocols go out the window unless you know you can trust that it is properly encrypted.
Chats conducted over an instant messenger can also be easily copied and pasted and end up in the wrong hands.
There are other vulnerabilities too around passwords and authentication, meaning information can fall into the wrong hands.
Very simply, most instant messenger platforms aren’t secure and you should not trust them to send information that you wouldn’t want being shared outside of your company.
The external instant messenger platforms are essentially on public networks, which means that they could easily be intercepted or hacked by external parties. Some instant messengers have better security protocols than others.
Your organization goes to a lot of effort to protect its classified, confidential or otherwise secret business files and store them securely on servers that can’t be easily accessed by the outside world. When files are shared over instant messenger, all these security protocols go out the window unless you know you can trust that it is properly encrypted.
Chats conducted over an instant messenger can also be easily copied and pasted and end up in the wrong hands.
There are other vulnerabilities too around passwords and authentication, meaning information can fall into the wrong hands.
3. INEFFECTIVE TOOL FOR MASS COMMUNICATION
As mentioned above, instant messaging for business is a good place for informal chat and for quick exchanges of information between two people or very small groups. Beyond that, they become unwieldy and it can be hard for everyone to keep up with the chat when many, many voices are added to the mix.
So if you wanted to use one to broadcast information to all employees as a way of grabbing their attention, you are more likely to have your message drowned out by other voices chiming in… or it might go unnoticed entirely.
While instant messaging systems are a good way to bypass email – which has become a problematic way to share information in and of itself with many office workers suffering from email fatigue and not opening every message that hits their inboxes – it can also suffer from some of the same setbacks.
Instant messages cut down on small messages that can contribute to the volumes of electronic mail cluttering peoples’ inboxes. But many workers see them as another annoying distraction and switch them off or mute them… or never even log into them in the first place. Many workers see it as “just one more thing” they have to do, and another thing that becomes distracting and overwhelming. These workers will never be reached if you have something urgent to impart.
As mentioned above, instant messaging for business is a good place for informal chat and for quick exchanges of information between two people or very small groups. Beyond that, they become unwieldy and it can be hard for everyone to keep up with the chat when many, many voices are added to the mix.
So if you wanted to use one to broadcast information to all employees as a way of grabbing their attention, you are more likely to have your message drowned out by other voices chiming in… or it might go unnoticed entirely.
While instant messaging systems are a good way to bypass email – which has become a problematic way to share information in and of itself with many office workers suffering from email fatigue and not opening every message that hits their inboxes – it can also suffer from some of the same setbacks.
Instant messages cut down on small messages that can contribute to the volumes of electronic mail cluttering peoples’ inboxes. But many workers see them as another annoying distraction and switch them off or mute them… or never even log into them in the first place. Many workers see it as “just one more thing” they have to do, and another thing that becomes distracting and overwhelming. These workers will never be reached if you have something urgent to impart.
4. PROBLEMATIC SYSTEM FOR ARCHIVING
Some instant messenger systems won’t enable you to search for previous conversations when you log in to a new session, meaning you can’t go back and look for previously shared information at a future date.
Other instant messenger systems have archiving functions, but you would need to develop a whole range of protocols around what to name the files so they can be useful and searchable.
A primary reason to improve internal communication within an organization is to facilitate information sharing and to improve corporate knowledge, and break down “silos”. Many instant messenger programs will not help with this, and only contribute to it.
Some instant messenger systems won’t enable you to search for previous conversations when you log in to a new session, meaning you can’t go back and look for previously shared information at a future date.
Other instant messenger systems have archiving functions, but you would need to develop a whole range of protocols around what to name the files so they can be useful and searchable.
A primary reason to improve internal communication within an organization is to facilitate information sharing and to improve corporate knowledge, and break down “silos”. Many instant messenger programs will not help with this, and only contribute to it.
5. CANNOT BE CONTROLLED BY MANAGEMENT
While certain features can be turned on and off, depending on the system, ultimately users of corporate instant messaging can send their own content to one another and it might not be correct, useful or constructive. In fact, it could even be contradictory to official information that management is sending elsewhere.
While certain features can be turned on and off, depending on the system, ultimately users of corporate instant messaging can send their own content to one another and it might not be correct, useful or constructive. In fact, it could even be contradictory to official information that management is sending elsewhere.
SUMMARY
The benefits of instant messaging include:
1. Being able to communicate in real time with other people
2. Being able to multitask while communicating with others
3. Better than having to speak on the phone
DISADVANTAGES OF INSTANT MESSAGING INCLUDE:
1. Having less time to deliberate before sending the message compared with when composing and reviewing an email
2. May contain ads if using a free service
3. Privacy and security concerns.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF INSTANT MESSAGING AND TEXTING?
There are several risks to beware of when using instant messaging and texting in the workplace. These include:
1. Viruses and other malware
2. Identity theft
3. Data leaks
4. Instant messaging spam
5. Firewall tunneling
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