“For years following the introduction and popularization of
instant-messaging technologies in the consumer space, it was not
uncommon for CIOs and IT managers to be entirely unaware of IM’s
widespread adoption and employment within the very enterprises they
managed.“But the combination of high-value yet freely available
technologies proved irresistible for organizations of all shapes
and sizes, and whether those in charge liked it or not, IM grew
into a vital communications channel. It grew, in fact, like a
weed–much like the growth of open source…”