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IM Headlines – 2007 Archives

Regulations upping the ante on electronic data management
Rules and regulations regarding what records companies must keep and be able to produce as evidence in the case of a court hearing have been around for decades, with one of the first such laws being the Securities and Exchange Act that passed in 1934. Initially governing only written documents and guarantees, the rule has been expanded to cover new communication technologies, such as email and IM. Such regulations are forcing companies to revamp their electronic data management policies and capabilities, with one of the key drivers being the threat of legal sanctions imposed on them.
IT Director | 12 21 07

Cracking open the cybercrime economy
"Over the years, the criminal elements, the ones who are making money, making millions out of all this online crime, are just getting stronger and stronger. I don't think we are really winning this war."
ZDNet | 12 14 07

Survey: company data losses and leaks impact consumer confidence and reputation
75% of the sample said they would not trust a company that they knew had suffered a data breach or loss, and 79% said they would warn friends or family not to buy from a company that experienced a data breach.
Net Security | 12 13 07

JetBlue introduces free in-flight email, IM
In a welcome first for domestic airlines, JetBlue will be rolling out free in-flight Yahoo IM and email services to passengers packing WiFi-equipped devices, starting aboard its new "BetaBlue" Airbus A320.
Engadget | 12 06 07

IM threats are still very real - what are your options for protection?
Implement an IM hygiene solution that will scan network traffic for IM and P2P and take appropriate action, such as preventing file-sharing, scanning for malicious code, etc. The cost is much higher than doing nothing, but so are the benefits.
NetworkWorld | 12 06 07

Collaboration technology enables leaner, more innovative businesses
After the focus during the first two or three years of this decade being squarely on how to cut costs and reduce overheads, the past few years have seen organisations keen to reinvent themselves as stronger, more effective and more innovative on top of this slimline model
ComputerWeekly | 12 04 07

Microsoft Introduces Unified Communications Tools for Developers
Developers are using our tools to build solutions in three main areas: contextual collaboration, business process communications and anywhere information access.
Web Wire | 11 30 07

ENISA warns of growth in bot network activity
The number of botnets will continue to grow and they could soon turn up in mobile communications.
Heise Security | 11 29 07

On-Premises Unified Communications Market Installed Base Growing at a Rate of 27% a Year
A New Study by The Radicati Group Shows Healthy Growth for UC Solutions Targeting Business Customers of All Sizes
The Radicati Group | 11 26 07

How Instant Messaging Can Make You More Productive
Garrett and Danziger surveyed 1200 computer-using workers about their experience with workplace communications and communications tools.
Web Worker Daily | 11 19 07

McAfee Releases Top 10 Predictions for Security Threats in 2008
McAfee Inc released its top ten predictions for security threats in 2008. The scenario of a ‘flash’ worm via instant messaging (IM) applications has been foreshadowed for years. This threat could spawn millions of users and the globe in a matter of seconds. There has been malware that spreads via IM, but we have yet to see such a self-executing threat. However, this may be closer than ever as the number of vulnerabilities in popular IM applications more than doubled in 2007 compared to 2006.
IT News Online | 11 16 07

IM and presence: Achieving mission critical status in the enterprise
IM and presence are two technologies that are rapidly making in-roads into the corporate setting. Yet very few companies have adequately planned for and / or deployed the technology. In fact, most IM installations are ad-hoc in nature, driven not by company strategy, but by user demand. This is a very risky situation, as companies face increasing security threats all around, and must set and enforce policies that will provide a level of protection against data breaches and compliance regulatory malfeasance.
SearchVoIP | 11 16 07

Survey: File-size e-mail restrictions backfire
In a survey of 306 respondents, Radiance Technologies found 29% use personal e-mail accounts or instant messaging to get around corporate size limits.
USA Today | 11 15 07

Rogue anti-malware lures squirming though Skype
Malicious hackers are using Skype to try to trick Windows users into buying a rogue anti-malware application.
ZDNet | 11 15 07

17 Tips to Be Productive with Instant Messaging
1. Limit your time.
2. Have a purpose.
3. Get to the point.
4. Be concise.
5. Know when to use IM.
GigaOmniMedia | 11 14 07

10 tools to help your remote workers stay in touch
#1: Instant messaging
TechRepublic | 11 13 07

Massive Cybercrime Indictment: 17 People, 173 Counts
Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau announced the indictment and arraignment of 17 people and one company on cybercrime, identity theft and global trafficking in stolen credit card numbers. The ‘money movers’ relied on anonymous digital currencies, such as Egold and Webmoney, to buy, sell and launder the proceeds of criminal transactions, and conducted their business online, using Web sites, instant messaging (IM) and email.
TMCNet | 11 09 07

The Tricky Business of Network Use Policies
Oberoi said she can see the impact instant messaging has on the quality of work of some of her employees -- especially those who have relatives overseas -- but she has not yet formulated a policy on the tool. "Do you allow it for personal use? How do you control it? We strategized with ways to limit IM for personal use but we couldn't [do it]."
bMighty | 11 08 07

Survey reveals instant messaging, voice mail use present litigation challenges
In its Fourth Annual Litigation Trends Survey of corporate counsel at US companies, law firm Fulbright & Jaworski LLP surveyed respondents on their policies on the retention of employee voice messages and instant messages (IMs). Fifty-three percent of in-house counsel said employees use IM, while the rate among billion-dollar firms was 70 percent. As IM gains widespread use at many companies, businesses have the added burden of capturing and retaining those running online conversations in the event they are needed in a litigation hold instruction.
CCH | 11 02 07

The Web's 12 Scariest Applications
1. Yahoo Messenger, 8.1.0.239 and earlier
eWeek | 10 29 07

IT Managers Claim End Users Are More Stressful Than Hackers
Managing end-user online activity is the most frustrating part of the IT manager role, according to the survey, which found 59 percent of surveyed companies do not block peer-to-peer file sharing, while 47 percent do not enforce Internet usage policies through filtering applications.
CSO | 10 29 07

Dam Data Leakage at Source
Given how hard organizations try to prevent information about data leakage and data theft getting into the public domain, the fact that incidents are now being reported in the press on an almost weekly basis shows the potential size of the problem. Regularly reviewing access control lists is another key component in data security, as is managing emails and IM, because unencrypted emails are vulnerable to interception. These methods are all components in safeguarding data. However, the computing scenario changed so much that, on their own, they are unable to cope with the current state of threat.
Computing News | 10 26 07

Critical Business Information Goes Unsecured
A high percentage of proprietary business communications are being handled nonchalantly through unsecured channels – such as Web email and personal instant messaging (IM) – raising serious concerns about the potential loss of intellectual property, according to new research released at the Microsoft Global Technology Summit in San Jose, Calif. The research discovered that 78 percent of business decision makers and 85 percent of technology decision makers reported they used at least one of a number of insecure public communications tools to collaborate with partners.
CIO Insight | 10 26 07

Sanity check: Will Microsoft be your next phone company?
So the question is whether this latest prognostication will be another clarion call for the IT industry the way the “PC on every desk” prediction was.
TechRepublic | 10 21 07

Unified communications won't displace insecure IM
"We are encouraging people to use Office Communicator for all internal IMing," he said. "But we are a client-driven company, and some of our customers like to use Skype or GoogleTalk. So we don't lock down our employees' computers."
Computerworld | 10 17 07

Microsoft Launches Next Wave of Business Communications Software
"We are deploying Office Communications Server 2007 globally, and already people are seeing substantial time savings and productivity gains,"
PR Newswire | 10 16 07

Top 10 business technologies for 2008
2. Unified communications
UC or unified communications functionality is drawing from five core markets: voicemail, PBXs, email and calendaring, IM (instant messaging) and conferencing and collaboration.
IDG | 10 14 07

IBM Aims to Burst Microsoft's Office Communications Bubble
With Microsoft poised to unleash its next collaboration and unified communication (UC) suite next week, rival IBM is launching a preemptive strike by promising a tight level of integration between its own UC platform and its new, free Lotus Symphony productivity suite.
Jupitermedia | 10 12 07

The trouble with online collaboration tools
71 percent of U.S. companies say they need to add new technologies to enhance their digital collaboration capabilities.
Infoworld | 10 09 07

Security needed for messaging
"If you apply the same experience we've had with email - deploy a corporate solution, manage it and educate your employees on what is appropriate behaviour and activities - it's another great tool we can add to business."
Australian IT | 10 09 07

Unified Communication: Connected Anywhere, Anytime
In an increasingly global economy, unified communications should be on the top of the to-do list for small and midsize businesses (SMBs), according to a new report.
Destination CRM | 10 08 07

Guitar Legend Riffs On Microsoft's Communications Server
"In our industry, a missed phone call is a missed opportunity cost," said Benner. "We want to be a reliable provider and get a guitar into the hands of an artist last minute. Now we can."
Information Week | 10 05 07

The Evolution of Instant Communications Within the Enterprise
Enterprises are continually moving towards the ideal convergence scenario, where real-time communications and collaboration between employees, suppliers, and customers can instantly be initiated on any device, at any location.
Technology Marketing Corporation | 10 04 07

Instant Messenger 'can benefit business if securely governed'
The rising use of Instant Messenger technology, from Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger to companies' own chat software, can be of benefit to businesses if security is properly understood and governed, delegates at an IDC security event were told this week.
ComputerworldUK | 09 26 07

Instant Messaging in the Workplace
Why some professionals applaud the technology, and why your employer may loathe it
Black Enterprise | 09 25 07

IM is the biggest, most overlooked threat
Messaging guru Michael Osterman discusses the overlooked IM threat, the best low-cost archiving solutions and how social networking affects the enterprise in this chat transcript.
Network World | 09 19 07

New zero-day flaws found in AOL, Yahoo IM
TechRepublic | 09 18 07

MSN Messenger users forced to upgrade
MSN Messenger users are being forced to upgrade to Windows Live Messenger in response to a vulnerability in the older program.
PC Advisor | 09 18 07

Sanity check: The six consumer technologies that are destroying traditional IT
Earlier this year, the researchers at the Gartner Group published a series of reports on the invasion of consumer technologies into the enterprise and the challenges that this phenomenon created for IT departments. Whether it is Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, Skype, Google Talk or a variety of other IM clients, the fact is that IM has spread to the point that as many as 20% of business users or more are now running it at work. Those are US stats. The percentage is higher in Asia and far higher among younger workers everywhere.
TechRepublic | 09 14 07

file transfer is here at last!
We’re only allowing meebo account holders to send files, but anyone can receive… even your friends who are not on meebo.
Meebo | 09 10 07

IM worm squirming through Skype
Internet phone company Skype is warning about a new piece of malware spreading through the software’s instant messaging feature.
Zdnet | 09 10 07

Microsoft to Spackle Holes in Windows, Messenger, Visual Studio
Microsoft will release fixes for holes that could lead to system hijacking in Windows, Messenger and Visual Studio.
Channel Insider | 09 07 07

The 8 most dangerous consumer technologies
#1 - Instant messaging - People use instant messaging for everything from making sure their kids have a ride home from practice to communicating with co-workers and business partners.
ComputerWorld | 09 05 07

Yahoo Messenger patches security flaw, again
Yahoo on Thursday issued a patch for a highly critical security flaw, just a week after it issued another Yahoo IM security update.
CNet | 08 30 07

The 2007 P2P survey shows the continuing relevance of P2P and the growing popularity of new applications like Skype, Joost and media streaming.
Preliminary results show P2P traffic still ranging between 50% up to 90% of all Internet traffic. The 2006 survey saw BitTorrent slowly surpassing eDonkey as the most popular P2P network. This trend has continued. BitTorrent has become the globally-dominating P2P protocol with a share of 50-75% of all P2P traffic.
PR Inside | 08 29 07

5 Essential Technologies for 2007
Instant Messaging: I admit that at first I thought IM was a total bother. I still leave it shut down to avoid interruption on most days, but it's great when you're doing a lot of back and forth to make a quick decision and you don't want to store dozens of email messages.
Yahoo Tech | 08 28 07

Today's trends, tomorrow's tools
More than ever, new technology gains acceptance first in consumer markets and then finds its way into business. Think about it: caller ID, Internet access, email, instant messaging, mobile phones – all of these were widely adopted by consumers before they found widespread acceptance in the business world.
Michigan Live | 08 23 07

Users outwit IT when deploying consumer apps
In fact, end users are so confident in their ability and authority to bring whatever Web-based applications and consumer devices they want into the workplace, 31% of them claim to circumvent IT altogether, according to a recent survey from Boston-based Yankee Group Research Inc. Although Yankee Group’s numbers suggest that locking down computers doesn’t stop employees from using consumer technologies, IM and social networking sites, Nick Garbidakis, CIO and CTO of the American Bible Society in New York, whose department serves 200 end users, said it’s effective for the average user.
TechTarget | 08 22 07

Instant messaging spells doom
“An example of malware that has used this type of program is MSNDiablo.A. This specimen included a link which supposedly allowed users to view a series of animations of George W Bush. However, the link actually downloaded a Trojan,” says Matthews.
IT Web | 08 22 07

The End of Communications As We Know It
New research released by Dimension Data shows that email has overtaken telephony as a communication tool in the workplace. Other electronic communication tools are also reaching high adoption levels. The research reveals that email and telephony is most widely offered by organizations, and just as popular among users. 100% of the end users surveyed use email, followed by fixed-line telephony (80%), mobile telephony (76%) and instant messaging (66%).
Cellular News | 08 20 07

IBM Ships Lotus Notes And Domino 8
IBM said Friday that it is shipping Lotus Notes and Domino 8, the first major upgrade to its email and messaging software in two years. The package contains a host of modules that are designed to help users create a Web 2.0-style communications environment, with applications for instant messaging, real-time collaboration and built-in support for RSS feeds included.
Information Week | 08 17 07

Yahoo IM undermined by flaw
A new vulnerability in Yahoo's instant messenger program can potentially cause unwanted code to run on a PC, according to security researchers.
TechWorld | 08 15 07

Businesses must embrace tech to attract young workers
This group of people born after 1990, the so-called Realtime Generation, have essentially grown up with the internet and the tools that come with it, and expect to use them at work, the research noted. Over 90 per cent use an instant messaging application at least once a week, and 55 per cent expect to use the tool at work.
IT Pro | 08 09 07

Employees bypassing IT departments
The report, titled "Zen and the Art of Rogue Employee Management," is from the Yankee Group, a Boston-based market research group focused on global connectivity.

According to the report, nearly 50 percent of employees feel more empowered than IT to control their personal IT environment, a development that could lead to a potentially "hazardous mix of secured and unsecured applications in the enterprise."
Boston.com | 08 06 07

Instant Messaging Market Heating Up
Revenues in the Instant Messaging Market, including all segments, is expected to grow from $203 million in 2007, to $530 million by 2011.
Market Wire | 08 06 07

ROI, ROI, ROI
All major technology projects require a Return On Investment calculation that presumably shows the company making more money as a result of the implementation than it put into it. The executives rank instant messaging as having the most value to their organizations. At the bottom of the list is blogging. IM was rated by 37 percent as delivering ‘substantial value’, while only 11 percent rated blogging as such.
Fast Forward Blog | 07 31 07

Legal matters: IM can cause trouble later
Many organisations consider that instant messaging is transient, and therefore even if its use could incur legal liabilities, it is not worth monitoring - there will, after all, be no evidence. That too, is simply not the case.

Instant messaging tools have history folders that record exchanges. Even if the history file is deleted or switched off within the organisation that originates it, the recipient may well have a copy. These history files are admissible as evidence in court, and a court can order them to be disclosed in relation to court proceedings.
SC Magazine | 07 27 07

Five steps to building information risk management frameworks
It is no secret to security and risk management professionals that security is a function of people, processes and technology. But when it comes to spending, historical data tells a very different story. Time is almost always money. You might not be worried about your instant message conversations being eavesdropped upon, but the company’s Web site, which brings in $2 million a day, can’t be threatened or knocked offline, even for a few minutes.
TechTarget | 07 25 07

Instant Messaging Invades the Office
Employees started to sneak instant messaging into the office in the late 1990s, but now more companies are endorsing it. Faster and more casual than email, instant messaging can foster broader collaboration among employees even as it further blurs the boundaries between work and life.
The Wall Street Journal | 07 24 07

Securing a small business network
At the very least you should consider restricting access to specific protocols such as FTP, for example, which can be used to copy data in and out of your network, and peer-to-peer data sharing and instant messaging protocols.
IT Week | 07 19 07

The Radicati Group, Inc. Releases Q2 2007 Market Numbers Update
Real-time communications are also steadily finding traction in the market, as the Instant Messaging Market is expected to double in revenue from $203 million in 2007, to $530 million in 2011.
Radicati Group | 07 06 07

IM at Work, Part 2: Tools for Locking Down
Akonix uses an appliance system that runs its proprietary OS (AkOS), which is a Linux derivative. Akonix offers all three components -- security, monitoring and inspecting content. The measures are applied through corporate directory by user, by group or by time of day.
TechNewsWorld | 07 06 07

Gartner Says Companies Must Embrace Consumer Technologies as Additional Opportunities to Innovate
Corporate attitudes toward consumer-led technology extending into the enterprise must shift from ‘unavoidable nuisance’ to ‘opportunity for additional innovation’, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner analysts said employees will continue to push consumer technologies into the enterprise, particularly in areas such as personal productivity tools and communications. Technologies that initially targeted and were adopted by consumers have long made an impact in corporate IT – from PCs to today’s invasion of the enterprise by consumer-grade instant messaging and desktop search products.
Business Wire | 06 27 07

Compliance and Policy Management Market Poised to Grow to Over $2.4 Billion by 2011
The latest study by The Radicati Group, Inc. ‘Compliance and Policy Management Market 2007-2011’ provides market size, four-year forecasts and competitive information on the quickly growing compliance and policy management market. The compliance market today is shared by anti-spam, email archiving, IM management vendors and pure-play vendors. The total worldwide market value of these solutions is expected to reach over $674 million in 2007, and grow to $2,463 million by 2011.
Earth Times| 06 25 07

CSO: Security Veto Can Impede Business
No CSO has ‘veto power’ explicitly stated in his job description. But security is one of the few things other than money that can bring a project to a screeching halt. Fully two-thirds of the responding companies decided against using a technology or service because of security concerns. Many were forgoing investments in collaborative tools (instant messaging, wikis and so forth). Our research shows these tools can have a direct impact on top-line performance, when used by sales, for example. Insufficient investment in security can therefore lead to competitive disadvantage.
CSO| 06 22 07

Gartner: IM will rule the communication spacee
Gartner Predicts Instant Messaging Will Be De Facto Tool for Voice, Video and Text Chat by the end of 2011
myADSL News| 06 21 07

Collaboration tools offer success - and risks
For the IM component especially, demand the "mesa" factor – the ability to monitor, encrypt, store and authenticate. Sending IMs out over the public network without these protections is inviting anyone to eavesdrop and capture your most confidential business communications. Moreover, these features also take you a long way towards meeting evolving compliance mandates for the handling of corporate messages.
SC Magazine| 06 20 07

MySpace Launches Early Version Of Messaging Service
News Corp.'s Internet social network MySpace said it officially launched the early version of its instant messaging service, MySpaceIM, which has been available to some users for about a year.
Information Week| 06 20 07

Cyber Threats
Face it—employees use instant messaging whether it is sanctioned or not. Make sure they know not to open attachments or click on links, as some anti-malware solutions do not extend to instant messaging programs. Better yet, install an anti-malware program that covers IM use and make sure employees use the most up-to-date version of IM programs containing the latest security fixes.
Success Magazine | 06 19 07

Trillian critical security update released
Cerulean Studios on Monday released a "highly critical" security update for its Trillian multi-protocol chat software.
ZDnet | 06 19 07

Update enterprise security for blogs, IM, Wiis and other consumer IT at work, says Gartner
"Consumer e-mail, instant messaging (IM), voice over IP (VoIP) and other communications services are becoming intrinsically tied to people’s online personalities."
Tekrati | 06 12 07

Personal data on 17,000 Pfizer employees exposed; P2P app blamed
A Pfizer Inc. employee who installed unauthorized file-sharing software on a company laptop provided for use at her home has exposed the Social Security numbers and other personal data belonging to about 17,000 current and former employees at the drug maker.
ComputerWorld | 06 12 07

Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (Public Beta)
Microsoft's Office Communications Server 2007 (OCS) is due for release later this summer and will replace Live Communications Server 2005 (LCS) as the software giant’s offering for unified messaging.
ZDnet | 06 08 07

Yahoo releases critical security patch for IM
Yahoo's advisory on the problem states that anyone using a version of Messenger obtained before Friday should download the update.
CNet | 06 08 07

Google gears up to take on Microsoft
In many ways, desktop productivity applications are a key component for the future of unified communications, since the integration of these applications with e-mail, instant messaging and collaboration tools can increase end user productivity significantly.
Network World | 06 07 07

Messaging techniques spawn new security policies
As messaging technology overlaps and more employees communicate using a variety of tools, IT shops will have to respond with new user policies to lock down corporate data.
SearchSecurity.com | 06 06 07

Corporate IM still lacks security, policies
IM messages between businesses grew by roughly 25% from 2005 to 2006, from 1.4 billion to 1.9 billion, according The Radicati Group Inc., a research company in Palo Alto, Calif. That number is projected to skyrocket in the next two years, according to Radicati, jumping to 4.3 billion IM messages by 2008.
TechTarget | 06 04 07

Laser targeting by hackers
Nearly one quarter of the individuals targeted were in government, and that sector was the most commonly targeted by these attacks, by a two-to-one margin.
GCN | 05 21 07

Bush Worm Dances its Way into Computers
"Using fake and real stories about world political leaders is a tried and tested way of malware proliferation," says Rohini Sonawane, Chief Operating Officer of MicroWorld. "From death stories of Vladimir Putin, to the heart attack of Australian Prime Minister to the resurrection of Boris Yeltsin, these ploys have always triggered an instant reaction from a good number of computer users."
Hardware Zone | 05 21 07

Pidgin 2.0 Offers New Name and Interface
After resolving legal issues with AOL, the developers of Gaim have released the next version of their popular open-source instant messaging client.
Digital Trends | 05 04 07

Trillian Vulnerabilities Open to Remote Exploitation
In its latest version of Trillian, the company fixed three vulnerabilities in the IRC (Internet Relay Chat) module that could have been exploited remotely and given attackers the ability to intercept private conversations or execute code
eWeek | 05 01 07

Enterprise communication: Flexibility trumps security
Consumer instant messaging (IM), and the plethora of free "2.0" e-communication systems, are today's traffickers of business information. No longer the primary domain of executive management, everyone can participate in the risk of exposing private information on public networks. Tools that are free, easy and fun, while serving some business purpose, will be used by the average knowledge worker.
ZDNet | 04 27 07

Consumers' Perceptions of Network Security Varies Significantly By Vendor
Organizations are beginning to show their dissatisfaction over the current maintenance state of heavy security applications. However, organizational security priorities such as voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and instant messenger (IM) security are not reflected in the spending habits of the same organizations.
TechWeb | 04 19 07

ICQ Reinvents Instant Messaging
ICQ today launched the new 6.0 version.
Business Wire | 04 18 07

Skype IM malware smut surfaces
Skype's Instant messaging client has once again been misused as a vector to spread malware.
The Register | 04 16 07

Most businesses struggle to address VoIP and IM security risks
A survey by Infosecurity Europe has found that 93% of companies believe that instant messaging (IM) and Voice over IP (VoIP) usage is moving faster than corresponding security.
Security Park | 04 13 07

ICQ, AIM Flaw Poses File Transfer Trouble
People who use AIM or ICQ for instant messaging are vulnerable to a file transfer path traversal vulnerability that could be remotely exploited.
Security Pro News | 04 10 07

Expansion of Capabilities Drives Adoption of E-mail and Instant Messaging Applications
“IM, which was largely seen as a standalone consumer application, has now emerged as a front-end technology for file sharing, initiating voice and video conferences, and a medium for file and application sharing in enterprises,” explains Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Krithi Rao. “Furthermore, the rising demand for real-time enterprise-level communications is driving enterprise IM adoption.”
NDTV Profit | 04 04 07

How much data do we generate?
INSTANT MESSAGING: There will be 250 million IM accounts by 2010, including consumer accounts from which business IMs are sent.
Biz Community | 04 04 07

Reuters Collaborates With Yahoo! to Provide Enterprise Level Instant Messaging Connectivity to the Global Energy Markets
With the introduction of IM connectivity to Yahoo! Messenger, Reuters Messaging 6.0 offers the ability to send text based messages, view presence, and access conversation history between networks by signing into one service.
PR Insider | 04 03 07

Cunning worm burrows into Skype
Enterprises are coming to terms with Instant Messaging (IM), finding that it has become the best way to accelerate new forms of collaboration and communication among their distributed workforces and stay productive as e-mail inboxes swell with spam.
Techworld | 03 23 07

Enterprise IM strategies
Enterprises are coming to terms with Instant Messaging (IM), finding that it has become the best way to accelerate new forms of collaboration and communication among their distributed workforces and stay productive as e-mail inboxes swell with spam.
Computer World | 03 20 07

How to Avoid IM Security Problems
Aside from the bulk of financial services corporations, most companies aren’t totally shutting employees out of IM communication in the workplace. In fact, in an exclusive Computerworld survey of 113 IT managers, 40% said their companies use instant messaging as a sanctioned form of interoffice or intercompany communication.
Computer World | 03 19 07

AOL Introduces Location Plug-In for IM
AOL is offering users of its AIM instant messaging service new capabilities to see where people on their buddy lists are physically located. The first phase of this push is with an unusual software plug-in developed by Skyhook Wireless, whose backers include Intel Corp. Skyhook tracks locations by using the continuous wireless pulses emitted by all Wi-Fi transmitters and Wi-Fi-enabled computers, rather than more common satellite-based approach.
KSTP | 03 19 07

Cyber-Criminals and Their Tools Getting Bolder, More Sophisticated
"Basically we're at the point where the scammer can go into the virtual tackle store and buy all the equipment he needs to get a phishing scam working," said Lance James, founder of security-software developer Secure Science.
Washington Post | 03 14 07

Groundbreaking study forecasts a staggering 988 billion gigabytes of digital information created in 2010
There will be 250 million IM accounts by 2010, including consumer accounts from which business IMs are sent.
AME Info | 03 13 07

Human Error Causes Most Data Loss, Study Says
Human error accounts for three-quarters of incidents where sensitive data is lost, new research has revealed. A report from the IT Policy Compliance Group says a fifth of organizations are hit by 22 or more sensitive data losses a year, with customer, financial, corporate, employee and IT security data going missing because it is stolen, leaked or destroyed. The main channels through which data is lost – in order of risk – are PCs, laptops and mobile devices, email, instant messaging, applications and databases.
PC World | 03 12 07

IBM enhances software development program
IBM Corp. is enhancing its software developer's support program by creating a software code exchange. IBM's Code Exchange will be used to help developers design applications to run on IBM's instant messaging (IM) platform Sametime, said Kathy Mandelstein, director of IBM's worldwide developer marketing and developer relations.
Computer Partner | 03 12 07

Report: Some Companies Lose Data Six Times a Year
TJX's massive data loss is just the tip of the iceberg. Almost seven out of 10 companies—68 percent—are losing sensitive data or having it stolen out from under them six times a year, according to new research from the IT Policy Compliance Group. An additional 20 percent are losing sensitive data a whopping 22 times or more per year.
eWeek | 03 07 07

Interoperability and security remain issues for instant messaging, but for how much longer?
A report published by analyst Gartner in November predicted that business use of IM is moving into a period of high growth. The analyst estimated that by 2010, 90% of users with business email accounts would also have IM accounts controlled to a certain extent by their IT departments.
VNU | 03 01 07

Schools look into archiving e-mails, IMs
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling requiring school districts to keep track of electronic messages has the technology director at Bellingham High School facing a daunting task.
Country Gazette | 02 22 07

Evolution of employee monitoring stretches far beyond email
The concept of organizations keeping a watchful eye on employees during company hours is nothing new. From the introduction of the time card 120 years ago, which required employees to clock in at the beginning and end of the work day, employee monitoring has evolved from simple confirmation that individuals are present and accounted for, to more detailed insight into employee activities taking place while "on the clock."
SC Magazine | 02 21 07

Keeping Tomorrow's Staff
So, what can we IT people do? We can start to make our environments more collaborative. We can set up a company wiki, IM in the workplace and blogs on the intranet. We can clean up application interfaces as maintenance occurs. It’ll be a great investment that pays off bigger each year.
ComputerWorld | 02 12 07

AOL Still the Leader by Far When It Comes to Instant Messaging Software
Thankfully, within the past few months, instant messaging has woken up. The three big kahunas of the IM world - AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft - have each released new, much-improved versions of their free programs.
The Ledger | 02 11 07

Businesses need to take steps to protect departing employees from stealing corporate data
Nearly a quarter (23%) of those that admit to sending documents outside of the business have used Instant Messenger services to transfer company business plans while one in five (20%) have sent company financial information and spreadsheets using IM.
Security Park | 02 05 07

Instant messaging – a useful business tool or an unwelcome distraction?
“IM’s main strength is its immediacy. If people can get an instant answer they are far more likely to ask for input on projects that they are working on. Another advantage of IM is that it frees up email for customer communication. And with an increasing number of people choosing to work from home, I believe that IM will play an even more important role in the future. It is useful for maintaining contact with off-site workers, and for project work for teams that are based in different locations.”
Living IT | 02 01 07

Face threats head on
This year will see the emergence of a new group of security threats – more sophisticated and persistent than anything most IT managers have experienced before. Computing spoke to a range of security experts and asked them to identify the top 10 emerging security threats for 2007.
Computing | 01 25 07

The benefits of interoperability
Better interoperability key toward advancing the use of IM in the workplace
Network World | 01 23 07

MSN password stealer released as torrent
The password stealer was released for download via BitTorrent earlier this week by a hacker using the handle "Our Godfather".
The Register | 01 23 07

Yahoo! keeps Reuters on message
Reuters already has deals with AOL and Microsoft's MSN Messenger but it sees the tie-up with Yahoo! as a coup.
Guardian News | 01 22 07

Secure Instant Messaging to Save the Earth from 14.2 billion lbs of CO2 Every Year
Widespread adoption of secure instant messaging could reduce carbon emissions in the UK by a staggering 14.2 billion lbs of CO2 - the equivalent to planting 713.5 million new trees annually - according to new research from technology consultants BWCS.

BWCS believes that within three years, 25% of UK office workers will cease their daily commute -opting instead to use technologies such as presence networking to remain in touch with colleagues whilst working from home.
Search by Headlines | 01 22 07

Poker, IM most addictive web apps
Microsoft's MSN Messenger came fifth on the list of apps, with monthly use totalling three hours on average.
Eye on Gambling | 01 16 07

WAN2CHAT? 10 Tips for IM-ing at Work
Whether or not your organization has implemented a formal IM policy, follow these suggestions when IM-ing at work and it will be NBD (no big deal), simply BAU (business as usual).
WomensWallStreet | 01 16 07

Information Security is Top IT Career for 2007, Says FindTheRightSchool.com
With instant messaging (IM) network attacks increasing, information security is expected to be one of the hottest careers in information technology in 2007.
PR Web | 01 08 07

The war for the '4th screen'
For functions from e-mail and instant messaging to mobile MySpace and ESPN, computer users are increasingly turning to the "fourth screen" — the one on their cellphones
International Herald Tribune | 01 08 07

Is IM better for brainstorming?
According to a paper in the latest edition of the journal Computer Standards & Interfaces, the answer is yes.
New Scientist | 01 05 07

Preventing data leakage becomes a prime issue
However, that ease of use and ubiquity represents a significant Achilles Heel for organizations of all sizes: data can easily be sent to the wrong party, employees can accidentally send all sorts of confidential data to competitors and others; and users can be tricked into sending information to people they shouldn't.
ComputerWorld | 01 05 07

Ready to produce IMs in court?
Companies will now be on the hook to retain and produce a broader range of digital data than before. Flash drives, voice-mail systems and instant message archives will all be added to the mix.
ComputerWorld | 01 05 07