Codrington was commenting on a YouGov survey commissioned by Symantec on the pros and cons and increasing use of instant messaging in business. IM in business is being driven by the emergence of a new generation in the workplace, a generation that grew up using and being relaxed with the use of instant messaging. It is being held back, however, by the existing hierarchy within business who are not so familiar with its use and more concerned about the security aspects.
The concern is somewhat overplayed, suggests Symantec. While there are obvious security issues, these can be suitably overcome. The result is that many businesses are still missing out on all of the advantages of IM. These include immediacy and intimacy: “it is better for relationship building than email communication within the working environment”, say users.
Symantec intelligence shows that almost 10% of links sent over IM connect to malicious websites. However, Tom Powledge, vice president of product delivery at Symantec, believes that “with the right measures in place companies can easily log conversations, scan for malware and block inappropriate or sensitive content from crossing the boundary of an organization. By combining proper guidance for employees on how to use the right communications channel for the right message, IM can enable companies to improve productivity, support mobile and remote workers and gain operational efficiencies.”
This is what persuades Codrington to suggest that “once a company's IT department opens up the use of IM, the uptake in usage and change in communication culture happens quite quickly.”
Meanwhile, to help the process, Symantec has launched its own IM service – the Symantec Instant Messaging Security.cloud (IMS.cloud). “IMS.cloud scans messages and attachments for malware, blocks malicious URLs, protects organizations from data loss and logs messages for compliance purposes without the need for additional hardware and software”, says the company.