IBM recently published a case study, showcasing how IBM is using instant messaging (IM) across the company as well as with BPs and customers, to improve communication and employee productivity. Internal usage analysis points out that IM surpassed e-mail as the preferred communication method within IBM. Amazing !
Adam Gartenberg wrote about IBM’s own experience with Lotus Sametime, specifically the MONEY point – we saved over $100M in travel and phone expenses because we use instant messaging to communicate. With other IBMers, with business partners, even with customers (Sametime Gateway).
A local Israeli website also picked up the translated version of the story (Hebrew).
The full case study (PDF) is available here: IBM CIO Office case study – use of Lotus Sametime.
I ask about instant messaging (IM) in every customer visit. In my next post I’ll comment about some of Lotus customers in Israel who are using Notes/Domino and Sametime – and can’t imagine a life without it.
IM is an old technology – ICQ were the first, then came MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, Skype, Facebook Chat and others. All excellent services, but all public. Not secured, not behind the firewall, not enterprise ready. Lotus Sametime is 10 years old. It was born in 1996 by a small company in Israel called Ubique, and announced officially in 2000. With more than 100 million corporate users, Lotus Sametime is the leading corporate IM solution in the world. And instant messaging is a business tool, not something my kid plays with.
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hi Dvir,
I think it’s important to be proud in the fact that Ubique was actually before ICQ in the field of IM – it was not part of IBM then, but still – the people who are now IBMers were there first.
Lior
Hi Lior, what’s up?
I wasn’t sure exactly when Ubique’s IM solution was introduced, so I didn’t mention it.
But you know better than me – being at Ubique since its inception 😉
Dvir: As businesses using IM and other technology create ever-growing mountains of electronic records, lawsuits erupt over the records in e-discovery and record retention disputes. Knowing that litigation is inevitable, businesses can use IM and other technology proactively to render the records potentially more benign. –Ben http://hack-igations.blogspot.com/2008/05/nix-smoking-gun-e-discovery.html
Hi Ben,
Interesting perspective. Personally I haven’t got into it. Yet.
Since IM usage is increasing, I’m sure businesses will have to be more pro-active in protecting their records (chat history) and minimize the risk of potential lawsuits.