Using Instant Messaging in your firm? You should.

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.