While many companies have deployed enterprise instant messaging solutions for intra-enterprise real-time communication, the great majority are still relying on the so-called "public" networks like AOL, Yahoo, and MSN (they aren't public, but it feels like they are). However, there are security issues that arise when using these networks, in terms of the vulnerabilities associated with potential damage to company assets through viruses or file sharing, and the potential for confidential information passing through the "public" networks in an unencrypted manner, with the potential for exposure.

I know of only a few companies that are focused on offering a solution to this later problem, namely, encrypting (and decrypting) message content through the "public" networks, such as Endeavors (www.endeavors.com) and Zonelabs (www.zonelabs.com), who recently acquired IMsecure, a start-up founded to solve both sorts of IM security issues. Zonelabs is an endpoint security solutions company, and (as far as I know) the first one to offer a comprehensive IM security solution.

The IMsecure products provide an encryption capability, along with securing inbound security threats, so that I can securely communicate through AIM, MSN, or Yahoo. The free edition provides the encryption capabilities, so there is no cost to have your business IM traffic secured through encryption. The company expects to incorporate the IM security functionality in its core security products in subsequent releases.

So, through the courtesy of the nice people at Zonelabs, there is no need to pooh-pooh the public networks as insecure for real business communication anymore.