Final Blog!

I first began my blog discussing how instant messaging is a convenient tool that our generation has access to-it is a form of real time communication that is made easy and convenient for us. Nowadays, IM has a plethora of capabilities such as video conference calling, linkage to a cell phone, and file transfer. I also opened up some pros and cons of IM in a business setting. Some pros were the video conference calls, which save employees time and money commuting for a meeting, eliminating small talk from email or phone calls, and the file transfer. Some cons were the spreading of viruses and a lack of productivity due to distractions such as gossip. I pondered that IM could be very useful to businesses if monitored and controlled to keep an employee on task. On my next blog I elaborated on how bosses can keep track of employee IM use to make it a more efficient tool in businesses. There is now programmed software that allows the boss to limit IM usage. This can be done by prohibiting IM use on certain days of the week, certain hours of the day or certain other uses, depending on the bosses’ needs. This software could help prevent employee IM abuse, but one of the cons is that it can be very costly to install. Finally in my last blog, I discussed the topics of digital capital and the acceleration of tranquility adapted from our readings. . As for digital capital, I talked about American Idol as an example. This TV show has grown dramatically over the last decade. IM has been a big part of this-by allowing viewers to vote by sending an IM text, viewer count has progressively been skyrocketing. American Idol has introduced millions of people to the phenomenon of text messaging which will undoubtedly transform business strategies afforded by internetworking. IM will lead the world to faster means of communication that fax and email-tool we once were astounded by. IM lets the quickest bidder win out a job or take an opportunity, allowing one to beat out the competition. Yet, there are complications of the lightning speed of communication. Though we may want to seize opportunities quickly, we try to hurry and do not give ourselves time to think about what we are bidding on, often rushing our decisions. I hope you have all been able to reflect a little more about this simple technology we have been taking advantage of for the past couple decades and see how it has had a huge impact on our business society today.

FINAL BLOG!

ACCELERATION OF TRANQUILITY
As the name implies, instant messaging (IM) used in the business world of the 2016 director leads to even faster means of communication beyond faxes and emails. With IM, we can make an offer instantaneously or respond on the spot beating out our competition every single time. There is no excuse whatsoever for passing up or neglecting an opportunity. But yet there are dangers of the convenience and lightning speed of IM. As the author points out, convenience can be destructive. On the other hand, the 1906 British statesman was allowed time for reflection. In this he could see both objectives and principles (the details as well as the big picture). He was afforded the time to contemplate on his decisions because his tranquility was unaccelerated. He was not relegated to rushed and impulsive decision-making that can expose a company to greater risks and larger problems in the long-term.
DIGITAL CAPITAL
As mentioned on pages 6 and 7 of the article, in our world today, attention has become a scarce commodity as we are constantly bombarded and overwhelmed by information overload. Who do we pay attention to? Therefore, in order to “To capture and retain customer experience, a business must provide a pertinent, attractive and convenient total experience.” A prime example of how instant or text messaging helped increase viewership and popularity of a television program has been in the tremendous success of American Idol. Season after season, American Idol has undoubtedly been one of the most watched programs (repeatedly No. 1 in the Nielson ratings). The decision to add IM voting has also resulted in geometric increase in voting. Allowing viewers to vote by IM opened up a convenient means to participate in selecting the next American Idol. This also allowed them a positive “customer” experience because they avoided the frustrations of busy signals. In the show’s fourth season, more than double the wireless subscribers from previous year have the ability to text message their votes (50 million in 2005 vs. 21 million in 2004). In its most recent season, there were 178 million text votes. American Idol has introduced millions of people to the phenomenon of text messaging which will undoubtedly transform business strategies afforded by internetworking.

Overseeing Instant Messaging Usage

I found an article online about monitoring IM usage-a tool that could be useful for businesses that incorporate IM into their daily lives. Now, there are a variety of software that allow for businesses to oversee employee IM usage. Some examples are IMlogic, Akonix L7 Enterprise, and Facetime's IM Auditor. With these softwares, companies can allow certain conversations, search for specific keywords, or even disable specific file transfers. IM use can be restricted to certain times of the day, or even certain days of the week with these software. As I mentioned in my previous blog, one of the challenges businesses face with IM usage, a tool capable of great communication, is employee abuse. But with one of these monitoring software, employees would feel a need to be more productive at work and are less likely to abuse IM. These software could be a great contribution to companies who are concerned about employee IM abuse.

One of the cons of these software is that it is very costly. The article estimates the cost of installing this software on a midsized companies hardware at $30,000-$50,000. Again, this depends on the size of the company, but as you can see, this software is not cheap. In the end, companies must decide whether the IM abuse outweighs the cost of the software download. I just thought it was interesting that companies now have the power to secure, control and manage employee IM use. Sure it takes away from employee privacy, but IM should not be used for personal use in a business setting.

Lastly, one of the controversies about installing security software is that social networking sites, like Facebook, now have pop up chat features embedded on their websites. Because Facebook is a website, not an instant messaging software, employees are now being found on these kind of social networking sites rather than signing onto AIM. This type of IM abuse is difficult to track, and perhaps I'll look into it a little more in my next blog. Stay tuned!

Instant Messaging in a Business Setting

Instant messaging, when used properly, can be a very effective tool to increase efficiency in a business setting. There are many great reasons why businesses should incorporate instant messaging as a part of their companies.

Instant messaging can reduce time and effort communicating. After typing a message, one must press 'enter' and the message will pop up in the other user's screen almost instantaneously-quite a remarkable tool. This is much easier than sending an email and also eliminates the small talk that is usually done via telephone calls. Another pro of instant messaging is that nowadays, clients can download a mobile version straight to their cell phone for no charge. Also, clients can communicate with one another via the mobile IM in places where a telephone call wouldn't work out. Nowadays, IM is also capable of holding video calls-a huge advantage for the business world. Instead of traveling many miles to have a face to face conversation, businesses can now hold conference calls via IM. This save a lot of time and money and can be a very effective tool. In addition, file transfer is also available on IM and is just as great as sending an attachment via email.

Although there can be great benefits to IM in a business setting, there are huge challenges that companies may face. I know from firsthand experience how distracting IM can be. You can sign online to merely ask a homework question and instead, find yourself gossiping online for several hours without even realizing it. This could easily occur in a business setting, thus decreasing productivity. Another risk of IM is the spread of viruses and worms on a computer system. Links for these viruses spread easily through IM, contaminating the computer with potential spam and hackers that can steal confidential information.

In a business setting IM can be a very useful tool, but rules about its use definitely need to be established. Along with the use of IM must come responsibility and usage for the efficiency of the company.

Instant Messaging

Communicating through IM (instant messaging) is a very convenient tool that is used frequently by the younger generation (e.g. Millenials, Generation X and Y, etc.). For example, when we need help with homework help or plan the night out, we can sign online and ask our friends whatever it is we may need through this means of real-time text communication. There are distinct advantages of the use of IM that could also be incorporated in the business world. As technology advances, IM capabilities expand offering conference calls, live video, and file transfer. I think these methods of communication could be especially useful in large companies. If all company employees have access to an IM server with security and privacy, more casual (informal) modes of internal communication can be done rather than formal emails. For many, IM is a lot simpler and more convenient to use rather than picking up the phone to make a call or meeting face-to-face. Companies can successfully use IM for rapid communication (explanations and questions), keeping in touch, and organizing tasks. Certain limitations of IM are that because voice is usually not heard, it can be difficult to get a point across without the use of nonverbal communication, such as hand gestures, volume and tone of voice, facial expressions, etc. More senior employees (Boomers like my parents) may also be reluctant to use IM in a work setting as opposed to emails or phone calls. Because it is less formal, IM does not provide a “paper trail” which could be good or bad, depending on the situation and what was said. This can hurt in some cases or help in others. In addition, since we can connect with virtually anyone, it could be a major distraction in the workplace, thus decreasing productivity. The dangers of IM include the spreading of online viruses, privacy issues, and other inappropriate uses.