Issue TOC Print full article Print this page Download as PDF E-Mail this URL Discuss this article Flame the author     In this article Introduction More Than Instant E-Mail IBM Lotus Instant Messaging 3.0 WiredRed Software e/pop Professional 3.0 Sun Microsystems Sun ONE Portal Server: Instant Collaboration Pack 3.0.1 Other Products Reviewed Executive Summary | Web Links Report Card

Instant messaging has made it to the corporate desktop. There's no stopping this tsunami, so you'd better make sure your organization's employees have a secure way to pass those messages.

Instant messaging saves space on the e-mail server and reduces long-distance bills, and the latest corporate IM products provide a host of collaboration features, such as chat rooms, conferences, screen sharing, whiteboards, video and broadcast announcements. The products that made the cut for our review are installed locally and don't rely on the public Internet. In other words, the passwords never leave your network. These IM solutions, from Gordano, IBM, Ipswitch, Jabber, Microsoft Corp., Sun Microsystems and WiredRed Software, can be rolled out to as many as 5,000 people.

We gave our Editor's Choice award to IBM Lotus Instant Messaging because of its outstanding interface, access control and great IM capabilities, including chat and polling. The program will set you back a cool $190,000 for 5,000 users, but if you've invested in a Lotus Domino server, this is by far your best option.

Business applications white papers and research reports

Business applications books

Instant Messaging and Presence Protocol Working Group

"Managing IM: Keep E-Mail as Fallback in Move to Real Time"

"Instant Messaging Gets Down to Business"

"How Instant Messaging Works"

"10 Tips for Using Instant Messaging for Business"

"Before Instant Messaging--Awareness"