Advantages and Disadvantages of an Instant Messenger in Corporate

Communication is the lifeline of any business entity. A safe and swift communication channel like an instant messenger which can bring all teams and groups together on to a single platform for audio/video and verbal communication is what most entities desire and need.

Exchange of data, information, files, and thoughts is imperative for any corporate for its business processes. This necessitates adoption of an apt work messenger by entities. Instant messaging apps ensure the team members are on the same platform despite operating from various geographical territories. Additionally, the cost of communication is slashed down to the minimum. 

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Legacy modes of communication such as telephone, mobile phones and text messaging are passé. In the future, much of office work is accomplished from inside the chat app. You might file your expense reports, respond to customer support inquiries, or check sales figures all from an office instant messaging client.

The global business messenger app market is estimated to be worth $1.9 billion by 2019. Enterprises across the globe have been increasingly navigating towards a reliable and safe office messenger to conduct their daily communication among teams and groups. 

While this being so, several ‘wet blankets’ feel instant messengers might encourage non-official and frivolous chatting among team members. However, the advantages of having an instant messenger for business seem to far outweigh the cons of using such a team-building and sharing platform.

ADVANTAGES

It seamlessly connects people, cutting across territories.

Team members can send and reply instant message in real time. This is a major plus. Unlike the legacy info sharing utilities, an office messenger saves time, increases productivity as well as ups the quality of decisions arrived at. Additionally, all communication is documented for future reference.

Work reports, project estimates etc can be shared in chat session instantaneously

It allows for conducting a virtual conference without bothering to huddle all the team members physically at one place.

The video calling facility ingrained in almost all the business messaging apps facilitates participants to share ideas, exchange docs and get conclusions in a jiffy.

Sales personnel out in the field can never feel away from the office. An instant messenger is like an umbilical cord, connecting them to the parent team/group affording an uninterrupted two-way flow of information.

Integration with third-party apps allows users of business chat platforms to download hundreds of apps without leaving the platform or accessing play store.

Disadvantages

As is with any facility or service, instant messengers too are riddled with a few drawbacks. Notable among them are:

There is no denying the fact that exchange of info is instant, but face to face contact being absent, instant messengers deteriorate into just machines. Personal bonding among team members seems to be lost.

Also, the import of communication is lost. You can't really get a very good emotional bead on someone through Instant Messenger.

Users cannot be sure of who they are talking to through IM. It can be pretty dangerous if they are not careful.

Moreover, users may be hoodwinked into the identity of the person on the other side of the chat. Impersonation, which cannot be ascertained, can prove detrimental when vital information is being shared.

Being dependent on the internet, team messengers are prone to attacks of viruses and hacking. Vital information and files can be hacked, endangering the safety of the entity. Sensitive data may be compromised.

Water fountains were the erstwhile fountainheads of office gossip and grapevine. Instant messengers have the potential to be a good channel to spread gossip among team members. People at workplaces may indulge in wasteful chat, thereby adversely affecting the productivity of employees.

In conclusion :

Entities should weigh the pros and cons of instant messaging before zeroing on the right platform for their enterprises. Most enterprise level instant messenger apps have, embed end-to-end encryption to expel the possibility of data compromise.