Employers fail to manage instant messaging, says survey

 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.