The Lowdown on VoIM

Given the wild popularity of IM (instant messaging), it’s no wonder that the matchup of VoIP and IM would happen. Together, these hot technologies present a new and cost-effective collaboration channel between mobile users and their office-dwelling counterparts. More than simply a means to reduce the cost of international calls, VoIM (voice over instant messaging) lets users integrate video, voice, IM and file-sharing activities through various clients.

VoIM is catching on fast. According to the Radicati Group Inc., there will be more than 1 billion IM accounts in use by 2009. What’s more, a high percentage of those accounts will have direct access to VoIP within the same time frame. As the number of accounts grows, usage is expected to increase to 46.5 billion messages per day by 2009; 39.5 billion of those message will be sent on public networks, while 7 billion will be sent on enterprise networks.

But as usage rates rise and security threats abound, many companies are recognizing the value of purchasing enterprise-grade VoIM solutions from vendors. Some of these solutions offer computer-to-computer VoIM, while others integrate with IP-telephony infrastructure to provide true unified communications.Microsoft Office Communicator 2007, for example, is a unified-communications tool that allows users to communicate using a range of different options, including IM, voice and video. Ignite Realtime’s Spark is an open-source, cross-platform IM client designed for businesses. Special features include built-in support for group chat, telephony integration and security.Another VoIM solution, Effusia Business Messenger, provides easy access to a host of business IM tools such as user-contact lists, two-way IM, broadcast messages, online meetings and file transfers. And IBM Lotus Sametime’s enterprise IM capabilities promise to streamline communications; connect with supported mobile devices and IM networks; and include built-in VoIP, video chats and presence awareness.

Despite varying features, the one thing that these solutions hold in common is the promise of greater security than that currently provided by public IM networks. As IM-borne worm and virus attacks proliferate, companies are looking to VoIM solutions with built-in security functions for added protection. That’s because public IM networks make it difficult for IT managers to track, filter and cleanse traffic. In fact, according to a report by FaceTime Communications Inc., real-time consumer applications like IM, P2P (peer-to-peer) and VoIP technologies are often introduced into a company network without permission or approval and, as a result, cause all kinds of problems.According to the study, a typical organization has nine such applications running on its network, and virtually all (99 percent) of the IT managers surveyed said that they knew of at least one application interloping on their network. Nine in 10 IT managers reported a security incident involving either IM, P2P or VoIP technologies within the last six months, and IT managers said that they deal with an average of 39 incidents each month related to these unsanctioned applications.

The consequences of IM-related security issues are costly. FaceTime Communications' study revealed that the average cost of recovering from a security-related incident has more than doubled in the past year. IT managers reported spending an average of $289,000 each year to repair or reimage PCs after malware attacks over IM, P2P or VoIP. What’s more, 40 percent of  those surveyed said that public IM use at work poses a "serious risk," while another 46 percent acknowledged that IM poses "some risk."

Upping the ante is a spate of regulatory-compliance issues that require companies to archive and log traffic — a difficult feat for those that rely on a public IM network. Said Mark Tauschek, an Info-Tech Research Group senior analyst, “With public IM networks, it’s challenging for companies that have to comply with regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley, because they simply can’t grab the necessary call streams, and they can’t record them.”Fortunately, enterprise-grade VoIM solutions from vendors including IBM, Microsoft and Effusia offer built-in security features such as 128-bit SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption to safeguard against intercepted messages and IM-based viruses. Another safe alternative is for companies to turn to IM-management vendors  — such as Akonix Systems Inc. and FaceTime Communications — that provide security and compliance services for corporate use of IM and other real-time communications. When it comes to marrying two hot technologies like VoIP and IM, you’re better safe than sorry.