MEMORANDUM: INSTANT MESSAGING SYSTEM 2

TO: Sally Myers

FROM: IT department of Pullman Daniels Brokerage (PBD)

DATE:

SUBJECT: Implementing a standardized Internal Messaging system

Instant messaging (IM) is a rapid and on the rise communications medium trendy with both company and home users. From its commencement as easy peer-to-peer conversation service, instant messaging has developed to grow to be a staple mode of contact for millions of internet users. Once restricted to desktops, accepted instantaneous messaging services IM has found its means into handheld gadgets and cell phones, permitting users to communicate from virtually anywhere.

Information security has come to take part in an exceptionally vital role in today’s fast growing, but habitually technically delicate business environment. Consequently, protected communications are required to benefit both companies and customers from the developments that internet is empowering the internet users with. The likelihood of having company’s information out in the open to a malevolent attacker is constantly rising at the present time due to the elevated number of reasons: staff has contact to sensitive and even secret company’s data. Take into account the safety implications of a staff responsible for sensitive company information, browsing the internet insecurely through the organization’s system, in receipt of distrustful emails containing an assortment of destructive attachments. Most instant messaging systems are susceptible to account hijacking, allowing a hijacker to attack another client’s instant messaging profile and impersonate the client in conversations with other clients. In most instant messaging systems password security is very limited. Similar to emails, instant messaging platforms offer the enabling technologies that spread worms and blended threats. A blended danger targeted at a system could potentially spread to millions of computers in couple of hours, delete information, install back doors, and even export sensitive data (Rittinghouse & Ransome, 2005).

In recent times instant messaging has become popular within the business community. Organizations especially in the financial and technology sectors, have taken it up proactively. For example Wall Street equity traders have embraced IM and have made it an essential part of their industry, enabling them to make transactions worth billions of dollars. Far from being the time waster it was seen to be in the initial stages, it’s now seen to be offering enhanced efficiency and venture collaboration to the ability of providing archived IM conversations for legal uses. Instant Messaging has demonstrated return on investment (ROI) benefits in various situations, such as conferencing. IM clients make it easy for people to engage in the same debate at much lower cost and least hassle compared to setting up a phone conference (Dreamtech Software India, 2002).

The basic function of an instant messaging sysstem is to permit text or HTML messages to be passed to other users in real time. This service must be able to allow transfer of files between users and also the capacity to intake email notifications, stock quotes, video conferencing, voice over IP and SMS transfer.  For security purposes a user must first login to the IM server before being permitted to engage the system. The Instant messaging network must be able to encrypt data by default therefore making messaging secure and can even pass critical information. The company should consider recent corporate versions that allow central logging, user access controls and corporate screen names (Sharapov, 2013).

I highly recommend that Pullman Daniels Brokerage (PBD) installs an instant messaging service to enable the company run more efficiently and profitably. The company will be able to trade with other companies or clients. Group members can be conferenced about the globe saving travelling charges and time.IM meetings are more resourceful and least liable to straying off subject matter because of the comparative effort of typing versus speaking. IM also enhances employee satisfaction; employees now recognize the advantages of instant messaging because it assists them complete their duties quickly. IM conversations have become part of information repository that everyone can access, this achieved by archiving IM meetings and conversations.

References:

Rittinghouse, J. W., & Ransome, J. F. (2005). Instant messaging security. Amsterdam: Elsevier Digital Press.

Dreamtech Software India. (2002). Instant messaging systems. New York, NY: Wiley Pub.

Sharapov, E. (2013). Instant Apache Camel Messaging System. Packt Publishing.