The survey of more than 2,000 UK consumers reveals that,
when left unmanaged, instant messaging is increasingly used for
inappropriate communications.
Bad things
One quarter of all respondents said that they had used IM to say
something their boss wouldn't approve of. This figure is
particularly high in the 18–29 age group, where four in 10 admitted
such bad behaviour.
Sixteen percent used IM to send or receive sensitive company
information or documents, 25% used it for gossip about work
colleagues, and 7% of 18–29 year-olds used it to liaise with
prospective employers.
The survey also found that IM was often used excessively for
personal communications and file transfers at work, particularly by
younger workers, with 80% of 18–29 year-olds using it to chat to
friends and family at work, 25% using it to download music and
movie trailers at work, and 45% sending pictures over IM at
work.
Good things
However, the survey also acknowledged that, when used
responsibly, IM could be a valuable business tool, increasing
productivity and enabling faster decision-making.
Forty-six percent of respondents thought that IM improved
communications with customers or partners; 39% thought it improved
information gathering; 38% found that it helped in establishing and
maintaining a network of contacts and 33% thought it increased the
speed of decision-making.
More bad things
Despite this, many companies are not taking action to ensure the
proper and effective use of IM.
Only 21% of respondents reckoned that their company had a
general policy in place for IM use, while only 19% worked in a firm
that had technology installed to manage or block IM.
Sixty-two percent of firms were shown to be totally unprotected
with no policy or technology in place.
"The use of IM in the UK workplace is growing rapidly, but our
research shows that the majority of organisations are unprepared to
deal with the potential security and management issues associated
with this rise in use," said Peter Shaw, CEO of Akonix.
"We know that 97% of IM transactions are constructive and
legitimate, but the 3% of inappropriate transactions could be
hugely damaging to businesses. The findings of this survey should
be a wake-up call to UK companies: IM should be embraced but
protect your business adequately or the consequences could be
severe," he warned.
