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The benefits of Instant Messaging (IM) are
so great that it could displace email by the
end of the decade, Symantec has claimed
following a nationwide survey commissioned
by the security specialist.
The YouGov survey found that three out of
four office workers who use Instant Messaging
(IM) value it for its speed and immediacy. More
than half (55%) of those who use IM at work
say it cuts down on email traffic and 50% find it
more efficient than email.
Almost two thirds (64%) of those who use
IM do so to ask colleagues questions needing
immediate answers; 46% use it to distribute
information quickly; and 47% acknowledge that
IM allows them to multi-task.
The real-time nature of IM means that 29%
of office workers who are able to utilise IM do
so to conference colleagues, while 45% say it
is better for relationship building than email
communication.
Even so, only a quarter (25%) of offices take
advantage of these benefits, as fears about IM
security and its perceived informality hamper
wider adoption. Almost a quarter (23%) of office
workers who don’t use IM at work say their
company restricts the use of IM in the workplace
due to security concerns and 16% do not allow
it because bosses regard it as unproductive.
Almost a quarter (23%) mistakenly believe
that conversations on IM can’t be archived for
retrieval at a later date.
Symantec says its intelligence shows that
concerns over security are valid with 1 in 11.3
links sent over IM connecting to malicious
websites. But points out that with a better
understanding of its features and uses, and with
the right security measures in place, IM is ripe for
businesses to exploit its true potential.
To help businesses regulate business
IM behaviour, Symantec recently launched
Symantec Instant Messaging Security.cloud
(IMS.cloud) with support for Microsoft Lync.
IMS.cloud scans messages and attachments
for malware, blocks malicious URLs and logs
messages for compliance purposes without the
need for additional hardware and software.
www.symanteccloud.com/freetrial
BIG prize
Cisco has launched the BIG Awards for the UK’s
most innovative start-up digital businesses
and SMEs, with a top prize valued at $200,000,
including $100k cash, 12 months’ mentoring
from Cisco and a 12-month support package
covering PR, marketing and legal services. There
are additional cash and technology prizes for
runners-up. Entrants (individuals and businesses)
are invited to submit a technology concept or
prototype for one of five categories: BIG Data,
Collaboration, Future Cities, Internet of Things
and Mobility. The closing date for entries is
March 31, 2012.
www.thebigawards.co.uk
3CX resellers to offer
hosted IP PBX
3CX, the developer of Windows-based PBX
software, has released a cloud-ready version of
its VoIP IP PBX. 3CX Phone System Multi Tenant
will allow resellers to host a 3CX phone system
for smaller companies who don’t want their own
dedicated server. Up to 10 3CX Phone System
instances can be hosted on just oneWindows
operating system, allowing partners to save on
additional hardware costs andWindows licenses.
The ability to host a customer’s PBX themselves
means partners will no longer need to give up
control of their customers to a third party hosting
company and can retain revenue generated from
technical support.
www.3cx.com
Business leaders who regularly use mobile
social networking are more likely to be
growth-oriented and optimistic about the
role of small businesses in the economy than
counterparts who don’t use the technology,
claims BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion
(RIM).
Its study of the impact of new technologies
in small businesses found that digital
communications, mobile computing and social
networks are an important part of business
operations for three quarters (74%) of all
respondents, with a quarter (24%) positioning
digital as an ‘integral part’ of business operations.
Seven out of 10 (67%) agree that these tools
have allowed them to build closer relationships
with their customers and partners; and almost
one-third (31%) of enterprise mobile social
networkers have expanded into new business
lines to help strengthen their product or service
offering compared to only one in 10 (12%) of
those not taking advantage of mobile networking.
Over half of business leaders using mobile
social networking (53%) are pursuing a growth
strategy. In comparison, 70% of leaders who
have not adopted social media tools are focused
solely on cash management during this period of
economic uncertainty.
Businesses already using social networking are
twice as likely (18%) to see opportunities to win
clients from larger competitors than those that
aren’t (10%).
According to RIM, these results complement
a new research paper from Gartner suggesting
that by 2015, 20% of businesses employing social
media beyond marketing will lead their industries
in revenue growth.
Much of the take-up of mobile social
networking is being driven by businesses that
already make use of eCommerce. European small
businesses who work solely online are much more
engaged with mobile social networking than
those who only function from a physical location
(82% and 18% respectively).
Anti-bribery standard
BSI has launched a new standard to help organisations show they have robust anti-bribery
policies and systems in place.
BS 10500 – Specification for an anti-bribery management system
responds to the growing requirement for an anti-bribery standard following the UK Bribery
Act 2010, which came into force in July 2011 and introduces a new offence of “failure of a
commercial organization to prevent bribery”. BSI says the standard has particular relevance
for organisations in defence, oil and gas, mining, engineering and construction.
BS 10500 –
Specification for an anti-bribery management system
has been designed for use alongside
existing management systems such as ISO 9001 and BS OHSAS 18001.
www.bsigroup.com
Instant Messaging to displace email by 2020
James Ginzler, co-founder of Fishy Fishy, uses mobile
social media to ensure his business runs smoothly.
He says: “The key challenge for any start-up business
– particularly a restaurant – is to make sure every
aspect of the business is running smoothly. That
means making sure the food is fresh, the service is
good, pricing is accurate, front of house looks great.
We use email, Twitter and Facebook on BlackBerry
to share little bits of information, to communicate
amongst our team and with our customers in a
non-intrusive way. Those conversations are key: they
determine what we’re going to do next, where we
might take the business.”
01474 824711
magazine
09
Mobile social networking key to business growth