Rapid increase in IM use suggests continuing trend
Four-fifths of enterprises will use instant messaging by the end of 2008
Enterprise instant messaging (IM) use is soaring as more global businesses turn to it for their real-time communications.
According to market watcher Radicati Group's latest study, 20 per cent of all enterprise users worldwide currently use IM, and this number is expected to grow to 80 per cent of enterprise users by the end of 2008.
The analyst predicts that by 2008 there will be 670 million IM users, with 88 per cent using public IM networks and 12 per cent using enterprise networks.
Bob Tarzey, service director at analyst firm Quocirca, told CRN that resellers could take advantage of the rapid uptake in IM by selling the fast-growing number of security and management products designed help corporates control the technology's use within their organisations.
"IM use is definitely on the up and this creates opportunities for the channel. At the moment, IM use is uncontrolled," Tarzey said.
"Firms are waking up to the fact that they need to control this for security and regulatory reasons. The main opportunity for resellers lies with supplying the appliances and filters that allow companies to control IM usage."
The survey reveals that almost half of companies questioned had deployed enterprise IM to increase intra-office communications, while a third did so to reduce long-distance phone charges.