Pros and Cons of using Instant Messaging in the Workplace As communication in businesses continues to grow, many different methods are used and one of those methods is instant messaging. Instant messaging is one of the most popular communication methods in the workplace. The Radicati Group, Inc. A technology market research firm in Palo Alto, CA, has been conducting an ongoing study and found “In 2015, the number of worldwide Instant Messaging (IM) accounts, not including Mobile Messaging, totaled over 3.2 billion.” It has increased by about 4% in 2016 and is expected to annually grow to reach 3.8 billion users by the end of 2019 (Instant Messaging Statistics Report, 2015-2019). As with any communication methods it has its own benefits and
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While there are many different types of communications to be used instant messaging is definitely one that should be considered by all businesses. While there are many pros to instant messaging, such as rapid responses, lower costs, wide availability on devices, and easy to use and learn; there are just as many cons, such as security risks, difficulty organizing messages, the inability to message users on competing instant messaging systems, and spam. There are just as many negatives to instant messaging as there are positives and it is up to businesses to look at those and determine if instant messaging is the right type of communication method for them to use. Misjudging the risks and benefits can be harmful to a business. According to the American Health Information Management Association, “There are two schools of thought on IM use for business operations. Some believe that IM poses limited risks, while others believe IM opens doors to dangerous risks” (Dinh). It is without a doubt however, that as instant messaging increases in popularity and the user base grows, more and more businesses will follow and use it as a result. This could be a major form of business communication in years to
While there are many different types of communications to be used instant messaging is definitely one that should be considered by all businesses. While there are many pros to instant messaging, such as rapid responses, lower costs, wide availability on devices, and easy to use and learn; there are just as many cons, such as security risks, difficulty organizing messages, the inability to message users on competing instant messaging systems, and spam. There are just as many negatives to instant messaging as there are positives and it is up to businesses to look at those and determine if instant messaging is the right type of communication method for them to use. Misjudging the risks and benefits can be harmful to a business. According to the American Health Information Management Association, “There are two schools of thought on IM use for business operations. Some believe that IM poses limited risks, while others believe IM opens doors to dangerous risks” (Dinh). It is without a doubt however, that as instant messaging increases in popularity and the user base grows, more and more businesses will follow and use it as a result. This could be a major form of business communication in years to