Member Article

What is the Future of the IM?

Instant Messaging (IM) software has come a long way since the days of the Compatible Time-Sharing System in the laboratories of MIT during the 60s. Since then, elements of IM software have integrated themselves into the lives of millions of people in different forms: from Facebook and Twitter, to IM clients, to dating websites and more. By 2019 the number of IM accounts is forecast to be over 3.8 billion worldwide. Given the saturation of IM technology in everyday life and its continued growth, the logical question arises, where does it go from here?

Any discussion of trends in IM need to take into account other development in areas affected by IM, such as the growth, in terms of demand and prevalence, of remote work in the business world, and the shift from traditional IM platforms to mobile messaging on the consumer market. What both of these trends have in common is the demand from both consumers and businesses for more flexibility in their communication channels. This all speaks to the need for a more flexible and customizable approach to IM software, with products that allow consumers to stay in touch from any location on multiple platforms and devices.

Being connected has become the norm, with access to devices at an all-time high (think ever more affordable smartphones). Whether this is a positive or negative trend is the topic of another discussion, but it is certainly a fact of life, and those that are quicker to embrace it and think through its implications will be well-positioned to benefit from this increase in connectedness. From a strictly business sense this presents many opportunities: new ways to advertise products in a more targeted way, increasing collaboration between employees, and better connection with clients, to name a few. In the future a company’s ability to embrace IM technology and adapt it to its business model will determine the “winners and losers” of the market.

In short, the effective use of IM will become one of the arbiters of which businesses thrive and which fizzle out. Historically speaking this process is nothing new; businesses have always had to contend with new technologies, and those that embrace them fully are generally the ones to succeed. This drive to embrace IM can also serve to determine how IM itself develops in the future. Again, history gives us an example: radios being built into cars, which in turn drove demand for cheaper, smaller and more durable radio units. The way businesses integrate technologies into their products shape the technologies themselves.

Looking ahead, IM will continue its growth alongside consumer demands for more mobile and innovative products. IM is here to stay, and it’s up to businesses to adapt it to meet consumer demands, and adapt the technology to their own needs. What IM will look like in the coming years will largely be determined by how well businesses can embrace these trends and turn them to their advantage.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nikola Baldikov .