Informal face-to-face (FTF) communication has been shown to serve many important functions in organizations, including complex coordination, problem solving, and social learning. First attempts to build tools to support informal communication focused on audio and video environments. However, these attempts have not been widely adopted for several reasons, including lack of support for core user tasks, cost, privacy concerns, and implementation difficulties. Instant messaging (IM), on the contrary, has become of great interest to the modern community because it is a tool that successfully supports informal communication. The modern workplace is inherently collaborative, and this collaboration is based on effective communication between colleagues. According to Woodard, with the introduction of the Internet, much of the communication has occurred through the screen of our computer monitors or even through our phones. Also note that the world has become a small global village and that the Internet is the highway that connects every home, organization and institution in this fist-sized world today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One of the most serious threats to companies that allow unmonitored use of instant messaging involves the potential loss of confidential data, proprietary company information, or sensitive customer or employee data. Public instant messaging clients typically do not include an encryption option, so any information shared in an instant messaging conversation can be intercepted. Employees may be sitting across from each other in the same room, but the instant messaging messages that pass between them exit and reenter the network through the company firewall, into the “cloud” that is the Internet, and back. In the business environment there will be a risk of misuse. People in the workplace can use intercepted instant messages while working or leak information while carrying out several instant messaging conversations at the same time and have time to chat with friends and waste time or even bring the possible virus from outside. There are also some security risks, for example the contents of the instant message could accidentally send a message to the wrong person. As a result, sensitive data such as customer list and sales report could be revealed on the Internet. The lack of clear ICT policies and regulations governing the use of IM is also a major barrier to the effective use of IM in the workplace. Many organizations install and deploy instant messaging capabilities to their employees without having formal policies or guidelines and without providing training to their users. Since many people are familiar with instant messaging for personal and social communications, it is a big risk that they apply the same form of communication in the workplace, which may or may not be appropriate. There are many benefits to using instant messaging. Connect people regardless of where they actually are. In the company, colleagues can send and reply to instant messages in real time without face-to-face, while the working relationship can be shared during the instant chat session; the IM can organize a virtual conference without gathering all related people in a physical meeting room. People can talk to more people.