Here's an article from Science Daily that suggests that Instant Messaging (IM) reduces workplace interruptions. If you've been avoiding IM in your workplace because you believe it saps productivity, think again:
The study challenges the widespread belief that instant messagingleads to an increase in disruption. Some researchers have speculatedthat workers would use instant messaging in addition to the phone ande-mail, leading to increased interruption and reduced productivity.
Instead, research showed that instant messaging was often used as asubstitute for other, more disruptive forms of communication such asthe telephone, e-mail, and face-to-face conversations. Using instantmessaging led to more conversations on the computer, but theconversations were briefer, said R. Kelly Garrett, co-author of thestudy and assistant professor of communication at Ohio State.
Worth a read.