Digital Diva: IM Is Not Just For Kids Anymore
DAVIS
I can remember the good old days when the only way onto the Internet was through AOL (or Compuserve). After sitting through that scratchy dial-up noise, the only thing worth doing was to IM (instant message).
And, oh, did we IM. We IMed with our friends. We IMed with weird people we didn't know. It was fun. It was subversive. It was … completely useless.
And that's pretty much how I've always felt about online chatting (another word for instant messaging). It seemed like a way to communicate, but a completely useless way.
However, I'm starting to come around on IM. At home, I'm using chat more to stay in touch with some of my far-flung friends. I'd like to note that I refuse to use Facebook chat; I can't stand it when people try to interact with me when I'm in online stalker mode.
Since I've found chatting useful at home, it's occurred to me that there are applications for the business environment, too. Email is getting overwhelming. And it's so frustrating when you know an important email is just sitting in someone's inbox. IM, with its short, instantaneous communications, seems like a way to break through the email fog and get some real work done. I also hate using the phone, so anything that helps me avoid calling someone is a plus.
Turns out I'm a little late to the office IM party. There are plenty of businesses out there that have been using IM for years. And if you think about it, there's a chance IM might help you and your team work more efficiently.
Ping Me
Chris Devaney, manager of marketing communications at Eaton (formerly Wright Line) in Worcester, has been an office chatter for several years. It started to become more valuable about two years ago when Wright Line, a Worcester-based manufacturer of office systems, was acquired by Cleveland-based Eaton. He started working closely with other marketing folks in Raleigh, N.C., and found that IM was an easy way to stay in touch.
Mostly, Devaney says, his colleagues in North Carolina use the IM program Microsoft Office Communicator to "ping him" to see if he's available for a quick phone chat. He also admits to using IM instead of walking downstairs to see if a coworker in his Worcester facility is available.
So has IM solved Devaney's communication problems? Is he more efficient? Able to finish projects in a single keystroke?Not really. He finds it useful, but it does have its drawbacks. For example, one time he was on a phone call and had three people IM him at the same time.
"On the one hand, it was kind of comical," he said. "On the other hand, it was stressful."
But overall, he said, IM "can be a nice tool for a quick conversation with somebody who may not go into their [email] inbox" all the time.
Options
While many companies use Microsoft Office Communicator, there are a plethora of IM programs out there. Along with the Microsoft product, another big dog in the market is SameTime by IBM.
There's actually a bit of local connection with SameTime, according to Karen Lilla, IBM's global communications manager. The product is managed out of IBM's MassLab, a large complex located on the Westford/Littleton line.
SameTime can be tailored for small and large businesses, and IBM even uses the product to help facilitate communication among its 400,000 employees in more than 100 countries. In fact, IBM employees send 50 million IMs per day, which is kind of unbelievable when you think about it.
"It's a critical part of my everyday business," Lilla said. "I don't find it to be a distraction at all," she added, noting that SameTime, like many chat programs, allows you to note your status so people can tell whether you're available. The status also notes where you are – whether you're on your desktop in the office or on your mobile device.
Beyond programs like Office Communicator and SameTime, there are also free options such as those through Skype, Google or Facebook. But opting for a free service can have its drawbacks, according to Craig Anderson, director of internal operations and product management for Auburn-based IT firm Akuity Technologies (Disclosure: the Worcester Business Journal is an Akuity client). Letting your employees chat about business-related issues can put sensitive information at risk. In many cases, a software program installed on a company-owned server offers needed security.
Anderson reports that he hasn't seen many chat software installs with Akuity clients, but he does see the value of IM in the right environment.
"The nice thing with chat is that it's not persistent," the way email is. "If you don't happen to be available at the moment, then that email is still there in your inbox, as opposed to a chat. You're either right there right then or you're not."
But it can also be a challenge to get a group of employees to use a chat system.
"It's one of those things that becomes a part of the culture or it doesn't," Anderson said.
Got news for Digital Diva? Email Christina H. Davis at cdavis@wbjournal.com.
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