Instant collaboration could save UK plc £7.45 billion

“The rapid adoption of instant collaboration networks can dramatically increase productivity among office workers,” insists BWCS CEO Graham Wilde. “The arrival of business-class systems that integrate secure IM [Instant Messaging] and VoIP [voice over IP] by showing users immediately if colleagues are available, blows away the frustrations of trying to contact co-workers by conventional means,” he adds. BWCS reckons 25% of office-based companies in Britain will start using presence networking as their primary means of communications within the next three years. It claims this will lead to the overall saving, in terms of staff-time, of the £7.45 billion not including savings in fuel and travel costs or lower phone/fax costs. Symon Blomfield, CEO of UK secure IM company Presence Networks, explains: “The beauty of these networks is that they allow you to see immediately which of your colleagues is available, and enable you to contact them instantly, no matter where they are. “The time savings are impressive and users are placed at the centre of their own live network. They can then use this to contact others directly on the network, securely and free, via messaging, IP phone links or by sending text from their PCs to mobiles.” However, BWCS warns that companies need to consider the potentially “grave threats” to businesses of IM, which can leave gaping holes in traditional network security. The company advises companies against allowing take-up of public IM in the work place. Recent attacks have shown that doing so provides wide-open entry-points for IM viruses, Trojans and worms. Anti-virus firm Symantec alone reported a 400% increase in IM and peer-to-peer (P2P) networking viruses, worms and Trojans over the last 12 months For a free trial of Presence Networks’ system, contact Symon Blomfield on 0870 345 7900 or e-mail Symon symon.blomfield@pnglobal.net