Instant communication
Being able to communicate with staff in real time at no extra cost to your company seems like an ideal situation, and it's one that is made possible through the use of instant messaging (IM) applications. Once installed, IM software sits on the user's desktop and, as its name suggests, enables instant communication through the internet with other users who are running IM clients. The application stores a list of the names of the user's colleagues and notifies the user when they are online. Users can then initiate "live chat" with a colleague who is online by sending them a text-based message.
The are a number of benefits of instant messaging applications, not least that of the immediate delivery of information. In today's fast moving business environment, staff members can get immediate answers to important questions, unlike e-mail for example, which can often take longer to respond to. In addition to text, users can also send files via instant messaging applications.
Businesses can opt to use consumer IM applications, which can be downloaded for free, or enterprise IM packages. While applications such as Yahoo Messenger, Microsoft Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger are predominantly focused on the consumer market, they can be suitable for use in small and medium-sized businesses. These applications are available to download here:
While these free applications are useful and can offer many advantages to smaller companies, it should be noted their use is regarded as "unsecure" in so far as once a message leaves a company's firewall, it is transmitted via the internet, potentially exposing the data to viruses and other common security threats. Enterprise instant messaging (EIM) packages are considered far more secure in this regard and would perhaps make a better choice if a company is planning to transmit sensitive data via IM.
Unlike consumer applications, EIM packages are not free. Many providers of EIM packages offer free trials though, and a selection of these can be downloaded at the following links:
EIM packages allow a company to leverage all the benefits of instant messaging while providing the message encryption and monitoring that ensures the integrity of the company network.
More recently, IM applications have been improved upon significantly, with the addition of features such as voice chat and video chat. These value-added features bring even more benefits to companies, as they can facilitate meetings with staff in remote locations, for example.
VoIP: telecoms alternative
The three main providers of consumer IM applications - AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft - along with Google, which recently entered the IM market, have lately all equipped their IM offerings with voice over internet protocol (VoIP) capabilities, a move that testifies to the growing popularity of VoIP.
VoIP, or internet telephony as it is also known, simply involves making telephone calls over the internet. It takes advantage of broadband internet services and IP (internet protocol) networking, the standard upon which the internet is based. IP phone calls are far less expensive to complete than traditional PSTN calls, a fact that businesses are now taking advantage of in huge numbers all over the world. Some of the main VoIP providers in the market are Vonage, Skype, Blueface, Voice Ireland and Gossiptel.
With the rise of broadband usage, VoIP has begun to present businesses with a viable alternative to traditional telecommunications. The main advantage of VoIP is the cost factor: VoIP calls - local, national and international - cost a fraction of those made via traditional means.
A VoIP system can be set up in a number of ways: by plugging a normal telephone into a broadband connection via an adaptor; using a dedicated VoIP telephone with no adaptor; or via a PC using a softphone - a software phone which allows you to call people over the traditional phone system from your computer's desktop.
For more on VoIP systems, visit our How To section from an earlier issue.
In the next issue, we'll take a look at a range of mobile technologies that are increasingly being harnessed by businesses to improve their communication flow, including mobile email and group SMS.