Allowing your users to use IM while you protect the corporate net, Part 2

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: MICHAEL OSTERMAN ON MESSAGING
06/09/05
Today's focus: Allowing your users to use IM while you protect
the corporate net, Part 2

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Best practices for instant messaging
* Links related to Messaging
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus: Allowing your users to use IM while you protect
the corporate net, Part 2

By Michael Osterman

As mentioned last time, IM is an extremely useful communications
tool that many users have come to rely on for daily work.
Instead of just cutting off IM use to protect the network from
threats, there are several things that an organization can do,
from deploying relatively inexpensive solutions to more
expensive ones:

* There are tools on the market, such as IMlogic's IM Manager or
  Akonix' L7 Enterprise, that can detect IM use by user and
  prevent certain network-unfriendly IM functions from occurring,
  such as file transfers. Eliminating this function can preserve
  the utility of IM for most users while at the same time
  eliminate one key avenue for malware to enter a network.

* There are tools, such as IMbrella Software's IMbrella Blocker
  Plus, that can allow only the use of certain consumer IM clients
  and permit such clients to operate on a network only during work
  hours, for example. While this does not entirely eliminate the
  threats that can enter a network, it gives IT more control over
  which clients are used and when they are used on the corporate
  network.

* A system, such as FaceTime's IMAuditor, can be deployed that
  will provide enterprise-grade functions on top of a consumer IM
  infrastructure, such as content scanning and mapping screen
  names to corporate identities. These systems will also provide
  auditing and logging capabilities and typically allow IM
  conversations to be archived along with e-mail for compliance or
  knowledge management purposes.

* The most expensive alternative, but one that many
  organizations are pursuing, is simply to rip out consumer IM and
  replace it with an enterprise-grade system, such as Lotus
  Instant Messaging, Microsoft Live Communication Server or Novell
  GroupWise Messenger, among many others. For example, in our
  July 2001 tracking survey, only one-third of enterprises had
  deployed an enterprise IM system but this figure jumped to 64%
  in our most recent survey in March of this year. While this
  alternative is the most expensive, it also gives an organization
  more control over its IM infrastructure, since there are fewer
  vendors involved and because these systems typically integrate
  with other systems on vendors' roadmaps, although most of these
  advantages also are provided by vendors of systems that provide
  enterprise level functions for consumer IM systems.

In short, best practices for IM use in the workplace focus on a)
understanding how much consumer IM there is, b) evaluating IM's
business impact for your organization and c) deploying
technology that will limit the impact of threats to your
network.

RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS

IMlogic IM Manager
http://www.imlogic.com/products/im_manager.asp

Akonix L7 Enterprise
http://www.akonix.com/products/l7enterprise.asp

IMbrella Software IM Blocker
http://www.imbrellasoftware.com/product_blocker.asp

FaceTime IM Auditor
http://www.facetime.com/productservices/imauditor.aspx
_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Michael Osterman

Michael D. Osterman is the principal of Osterman Research
<http://www.ostermanresearch.com/>, a market research firm that
helps organizations understand the markets for messaging,
directory and related products and services. He can be reached
by clicking here <mailto:michael@ostermanresearch.com>
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Avaya
Evaluating VoIP in the Enterprise

Got VoIP? More and more companies are answering yes...the
reasons vary from cost savings, network flexibility, and ease of
administration. Yet others are drawn to the promise of advanced
VoIP applications such as unified messaging and collaboration.
Register now and get a free copy of Network World's Got VoIP?
Executive Guide, which outlines the keys to successful VoIP
deployments.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=106315
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

Archive of the Messaging newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/gwm/index.html
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How well do you know your customers?

Accurate customer data directly impacts loyalty and business
planning, yet few companies update data regularly. Experts
address the challenges of ensuring a consistent, coherent
customer view across the enterprise.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=105722
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FEATURED READER RESOURCE
VoIP SECURITY

For the latest in VoIP security, check out NW's Research Center
on this very topic. Here you will find a collection of the
latest news, reviews, product testing results and more all
related to keeping VoIP networks secure. Click here for more:
<http://www.networkworld.com/topics/voip-security.html>
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