10 tips for using IM in businesses

The scene at a large advertising agency, where dozens of professionals are sitting silently in front of a computer screen close to each other, a working room without walls and lots of division. Sometimes just a laugh can break the calm atmosphere. But, no one said. They only communicate with each other via instant messaging (IM).

' When I visited this company, I noticed this (no one talked). It seems to be an odd thing to outsiders, but this is now their corporate culture , 'said Helen Chan, an analyst for Yankee Group, who has many friends working at the firm. .

An original technique designed for personal conversation between one person and another in a work place. Many people are choosing IM communication in writing rather than phone calls or emails. They like its immediate effectiveness and capability for real-time communications from partners, suppliers and colleagues working remotely.

IM is essentially a textual version of the conversation. In large and small businesses, more and more people are using this type of communication. In many cases it has been used to support email problems and some other emergencies - evidenced after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Wall Street Journal magazine reported that there are now more than 100 million people have sent instant messages. In the 'IM: The Sleeping Giant' report, a Gartner Group technical advisor predicted that from 2005 IM will be used more than email and become one of the major online communication tools.

That said, IM has a lot of benefits for businesses that are working in groups or projects rather than in retail users, independent experts and other members. It also shows that IM enhances collaboration, but does not itself open new members. Even so, aside from the issues it brings about the time and cost savings, IM still has risks and unsafe issues when used.

If you are an entrepreneur or a person who uses IM, or both, here are 10 tips to tell you what to and should not :

1. Use a user policy for Instant Messaging . If you are a business owner, your employees must know if you consider Instant Message as an appropriate means of communication with customers or business partners. Any policy must have its common use principles. You might think that it doesn't matter - unless you know the story of a director who caused a major scandal by using Instant Messaging to spread false rumors about software companies. (The words in it are, the software company's stock is down, and the director and his company have some problems right away.)

2. Don't use Instant Messaging to communicate sensitive and important information . Learn the lesson from the example above. If your company is a business that provides information about stocks, finance, health, and laws, it is absolutely not advisable to use IM here. Instant messaging will be used more appropriately for quick information about the status of certain projects, conference times or someone else's accommodation.

3. Set up a contact list to clearly share business contacts with family and friends contacts . Make sure your employees do the same. Except for the possibility of social contact that can be mixed within a business like a partner or a customer.

4. Do not allow excessive personal messaging at work . Make personal phone calls at work, send personal emails and allow your employees to do the same. Encourage exchange by personal IM done during breaks or lunchtime - or chat to create new customers or collect business benefits.

5. Remember that instant messaging can be stored . You may think IM is great because it can reduce the danger because the messages will be wiped out when the conversation ends. What you don't notice is that you can copy and paste your entire IM to a notepad or word file. Some IM services allow you to store all your messages. Be careful what you say, like what you did with email.

6. Do not compromise your company's legal responsibility, or your own reputation . Courts may still be able to collect instant messages in the form of libel, insults and other legal reasons. The statements you have made about others, your company or other companies may not take you to court, but it may damage your reputation and credibility. So be careful what you say.

7. Must have knowledge of viruses and related security risks . Most instant messaging services allow you to transfer files through messages. Alexis D. Gutzman, the author and e-commerce advisor, talked about her recent study in a book that IM attachments often carry viruses, and viruses that follow this path are easy to access. more easily through firewalls than email attachments. 'Instant message [carries the virus] will run through the firewall' she said. You have to pay much attention to quality research in firewall protection so you can decide whether to transfer files through Instant Messaging.

8. Don't share personal data or information through instant messaging . Even if you trust absolutely in someone because the lines of text you type are kept slow at the server to route to your contacts. 'If someone connects and can see that traffic, they can see your personal information in this way,' said Chris Mitchell, director of MSN Messenger. In this case to ensure safety you should send them via encrypted emails.

9. Keep your instant messaging simple and know when it's goodbye . How to use instant messaging. Kneko Burney is a director of e-commerce research center Cahners In-Stat Group, likes it for observing whether colleagues are at his desk. 'It seems like peeking into someone's office,' Gutzman considers Instant as a way to help research and get information quickly from advisers and lawyers. She used IM in researching a book, saving all her correspondence in her personal archives. Even so, you have to limit your requirements, avoiding unnecessary blooms. 'With IM, you don't need a lot of polite comments,' Gutzman said.

10. Don't mess up your contacts by falsifying your username or status . Instant Message Usernames are like email usernames that must be appropriate throughout your company. Users must perform their status updates throughout the day, so contacts know if they are suitable for sending instant messages.