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September 28, 2004
You Might Be A Luddite If....
Okay, I will admit it. I am a bit of a Luddite at heart. I think I was one of the last business owners to install a fax machine back in the 1980s. That same decade saw me holding out for vinyl when everyone else was building up their CD collection. In the 1990s I held out putting in an e-mail system in our business and launching a website as long as I could. And I still use video tapes rather than TiVo.
Well, the next wave of technology is about to crash over me. It seems that IM, that annoying messaging system that my kids used as teenagers, is now fast becoming a major mode of communication in businesses across the country. Red Herring reports on the IM boom as a business communication application.
"Instant messaging may be regarded as a waste of time in many corporate offices, but new studies suggesting that it can increase productivity may open the door for widespread adoption at work. But whether it's a drain on human resources or a boon to the bottom line, for some, instant messaging means a clear path to big profits."
Why? Because it is fast and cheap. And now there are new applications of IM being developed just for business use by some entrepreneurial communications companies.
"While that may seem like pocket change to the likes of MSN, AOL, and Yahoo -- all dominant IM portals -- it's quite a profit for smaller, IM-focused companies like Jabber, Akonix, and FaceTime. These new companies are developing customized IM programs for companies who see the benefits of real-time communication."
This is a classic example of a niche strategy that could allow some small companies to sneak up and grab some significant market share from the communications giants if they are not paying attention or able to adapt.
Posted September 28, 2004 07:25 AM
Comments
I worked at an accounting firm in town this past summer and we were equipped with this IM tool. I liked it because I could put off my work just a little bit longer. I worked in an audit room of about 10 people and everyone is quite aware of how hard you were working. The IM was a social tool that just allowed people to talk to other employees at other audit job sites without it being obvious that you aren't working hard. I don't want to say that it cut into productivity but it certainly didn't help it. What is wrong with just picking up the phone?
Posted by: Dan Soukup at September 30, 2004 05:44 PM
Hi,
You surely look to me as having been very successful. Different tools for different people. for you, it is important to communicate to a wider audience, and blogging is much more efficient. IM is good for one to one, and certainly I cannot imagine how it would be helpful to you, except waste you a lot of time.
Posted by: wilson ng at October 4, 2004 07:17 AM
at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. He consults with a variety of businesses on start-up and growth related issues, and with larger corporations on re-establishing entrepreneurial cultures within their organizations. Dr. Cornwall's current research interests include entrepreneurial finance and entrepreneurial ethics. He has authored or co-authored four books.
