Enterprise IM applications offer rewarding benefits to adopting companies. The most important benefit to the company is enterprise security. Many corporate IM providers include encryption, digital signatures, and secure sign-in security features with their product.
Traditional IM software is lacking in privacy and security. Instant messaging worms and exploits generally plague traditional IM networks. Microsoft's MSN network has been the victim of several IM worms causing widespread IT frustration as tech departments scrambled to block instant messaging network ports.
Business IM providers relinquish the control back to the IT department. Messaging traffic can be monitored, encrypted, and scanned for malicious viruses.
Other benefits of enterprise instant messaging include: