IM in the enterprise

From a communication medium, instant messaging has morphed into a frontend that lets managers use enterprise information for faster decision-making. Sushma Naik reports

Gartner calls instant messaging (IM) "The sleeping giant of the Internet" and predicts that 70 percent of employees will use it for business or personal communication by 2005. From a tool for instant message delivery, IM is evolving into a platform that can be a frontend for enterprise applications.

What's new in IM?

There is an upsurge of interest in corporate IM tools. Of the billion instant messages sent everyday, business users account for a third. Secure instant messaging tools have taken over from public messaging software (Yahoo!, MSN) and are starting to supplant e-mail, fax and phone.

The advent of faster mobile technologies and networks such as GPRS and 3G, which can stream data to smart devices (smartphones and PDAs), has ensured a wider set of devices that can be used to access IM. For instance, IM tools from Geodesic are bundled with handheld computers. Beyond simple text messaging, there is a demand for online voice communications (VoIP), group calendaring, shared contact lists, shared document archiving and editing as well as a host of workgroup collaboration tools. IBM is adding vertical-specific templates to its IM tool.

"Lotus Workplace supports messaging, real-time collaboration, document web content management and learning. We have announced 17 workplace templates that mould technology to specific industries," says V Subramanyam country manager-Middleware Sales-Software Group, IBM India.

Applications galore

Once business communications start taking place on IM, there is greater scope for application development. You may talk to a sales representative, decide to make a purchase, and then buy the product—all in a single IM session. IM is acting as a catalyst in reducing enterprise communication costs. These tools can be used for voice or video communication, data transfer, application sharing, training, conferencing or even as a frontend for CRM.

"Instant Collaboration" is the latest mantra from IM evangelists. It refers to the ability to escalate a single IM-session into a multi-party conferencing environment. In addition to conferencing, users can also execute web collaboration applications including web presentations, white-boarding, application or desktop-sharing among others. Given the power of real time communication, some believe that IM may even replace e-mail. "We have reason to believe that IM can be an alternative to e-mail," says Kiran Kulkarni, CEO, Geodesic.

Currently Geodesic's messenger can be used as a frontend for many popular enterprise applications, including ERP. Most enterprise IM vendors have the capability to integrate their systems into backend software.

As a part of the workflow management process, IM can be used by employees to apply for leave. An HR manager can view the employee's leave history using IM and process the application accordingly. E-learning applications involve the interaction of several users. Questions and answers captured during an IM session can be integrated into a knowledge management portal down the line. Policies can be put in place to ensure that data is written once and read many times to ensure that no tampering takes place.

"IM can be used for knowledge management if it sits atop a business application. Voice calls over IM is another killer application. In current IM tools, there are facilities that let you carry on from where you left off. With a click, you could switch over to VoIP. Once WiMAX becomes more pervasive, we will see more IM-enabled applications that will work out cheaper than the current mobile phone rates," says Alvin Lim-general manager, Regional Microsoft Practice,

Datacraft Asia.

Geodesic's IM tool, Mundu, is used as a CRM and digital communication tool by a large financial institution. Kulkarni says that customised IM tools with financial information built in the messenger will be a key tool for the acquisition and retention of a bank's customers in the future. Most banks want to shift routine enquiries from their branches onto the Web. IM can be the next logical step in such a strategy.

"With CRM embedded in the IM tool, an account holder can communicate with the bank. As every query is logged and stored, there is greater accountability for both the customer and the bank," says Kulkarni. With IM, banks also have the ability to cross- or upsell their products. There could be a small banner in the IM tool showing you how you can invest money in your savings account in, say, mutual funds.

Customised enterprise IM

IM tools have gone beyond their traditional boundaries. IBM's IM solutions have APIs that can be integrated into a variety of web-based applications. "It is possible to integrate and embed real time collaboration capabilities into e-mail, calendars, discussion databases, document libraries and business portals, as well as a wide range of web applications," says Subramaniam of IBM.

Security risks

If the uptake of corporate IM has been slow, it is due to concerns on security and audit trails. Unauthorised access to conversations, lack of encryption, the possibility of hacking, eavesdropping and impostors masquerading on the network are security issues with IM tools. To address these issues, vendors are sharing best practices. Users can protect web conferences with a password and limit access to individuals who receive invitations. IM has taken the reverse route and moved from the home to the office. Although this technology may not replace e-mail, it will definitely stake a claim to be the frontend for all enterprise applications in the future.

sushma@expresscomputeronline.com