by Fiona Chan

AS SOON as Mr Ang Yuit gets into the office every morning, he logs on to Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger and spends the day sending and receiving instant messages.

But Mr Ang, who runs a Web development company, is not slacking on the job.

He and his staff of 23 at The Adventus Consultants rely on the messaging software, better known as MSN, for efficient communication within and outside the office, especially if they have to travel for work.

'You can be sitting across the table from someone but talk to them with instant messaging because it's just more convenient,' explained Mr Ang, 36.

Sending URLs and electronic files, which make up a large part of Adventus' daily communications, is also much easier using real-time instant messaging - or 'IM-ing' for short - than phone calls or e-mail messages, he added.

Once the province of Internet-savvy teenagers, instant messaging is quickly beeping its way into corporate life, especially among smaller companies with younger staff in creative, technology or consulting industries.

A recent study by Microsoft showed that an increasing number of people are now using MSN for hours at a time. In Singapore alone, some 1.3 million people use the messaging service for an average of 12 hours a day, trading 55 million messages each day.

The average user logs on the moment he reaches the office, about 8am, and bangs out messages until he leaves at around 6pm. Some then go home to pick up where they left off, with a portion of those leaving the program on throughout the night to receive messages even as they sleep.

Of course, messaging systems are not new to workplaces. Many integrated business applications, such as Lotus Notes, come with a built-in messaging function for people to chat within the office.

But smaller businesses which do not use Lotus Notes-type software are turning to IM programs, available as free downloads from the Internet, as substitutes. They say many of the perks that caused IM's explosive popularity with the younger set can also hold corporate appeal.

IM applications support file transfers, video conferences and group chatting. They allow you to hold several different conversations at the same time and log message histories for archival purposes. Best of all, they are mostly free, although some offer advanced features for a small fee.

Sceptics say 'IM-ing' in the office causes distractions and decreases productivity. Many big corporations still ban the installation of third-party IM software on work computers and even block access to Web-based e-mail sites to prevent employees from checking their personal e-mail in the office.

But supporters of IM-at-work argue that instant messaging provides unparallelled convenience and boosts productivity by cutting costs and keeping staff in constant contact with clients.

iGlobal Consultancy, which specialises in investor relations and public relations, has slashed its monthly phone bills by more than half simply by making it 'a must' for all staff to install and use Skype, an instant messaging program that also allows users to make free telephone calls over the Internet.

The firm has 10 employees in Singapore and six in China. Before Skype, it spent up to $2,000 a month on overseas phone calls, but now the bills come up to only $800 or $900, said chief executive Alan Chan.

'Not only have costs come down, productivity has also gone up,' he said. 'IM is even more efficient than e-mail: If clients want anything from you, they just type it in over IM and you can communicate instantly.'

Also, there is no limit to the sizes of files transferred over Skype, unlike those sent by e-mail, Mr Chan added.

But IM is not without its risks, which is what has kept some companies from adopting it. iGlobal suffered two IM-related virus attacks before it changed its computers from Windows PCs to the more secure Apple Macs.

Auditing firm Ernst & Young has also been quoted as saying that instant messaging poses security threats. 'Such peer-to-peer networks really increase the chances of viruses, malware and other cyberthreats flowing into the office system and attacking it,' said Mr John Ho Chi, a partner at the firm, in June.

But another auditing firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Singapore, has a more flexible IM policy. It uses IBM Lotus Sametime as its official IM platform, but 'remains open on the usage of other external IM as we trust our staff to adhere to our ethics and business conduct', said Ms Deborah Ong, a human capital partner at PwC.

'The firm believes that with the increased mobility, coupled with a more tech-savvy Gen Y workforce, 'staying connected' is part and parcel of their lifestyle,' she added.

One way to manage the pros and cons of IM is to adopt the example of The GMP Group, a staffing and human resources consultancy that allows selective 'IM-ing' within the firm: Only senior management and staff who need to communicate with overseas partners and employees frequently are given IM rights.

So far, the firm has benefited from IM's cost efficiency and immediacy, with some partners preferring to communicate through IM so they can clarify doubts instantly, said Mr Josh Goh, the group's senior manager of corporate services.

However, as a safeguard against security threats, confidential matters are handled via the company's e-mail, he added.

Another drawback is that 'some staff might abuse the privilege' of 'IM-ing', which can be counter-productive. 'While we entrust the freedom of IMs to our staff, the onus falls on them to control their non-work-related usage.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on September 1, 2008.