A new study by AOL shows that IM use is way up, and that the generational shift toward greyer users has started.

John Dickerson

[from Internet Week: AOL Study Shows Business IM Use On The Rise]

While teens and young adults still dominate the population, nearly 48 percent of those surveyed who are older than 55 year of age use instant messaging, and 43 percent of the employed populations of IM users use the product at work. And while 62 percent of the at-work users do use IM to stay in touch with family and friends, the overwhelming use is for business productivity reasons.

As a result, nearly three quarters of the at-work instant messaging users felt that its use has a positive impact on their work lives. Over a third use IM to interact with customers, and 63 percent say they send IMs to get answers from colleagues and to make business decisions.

Generally, the pattern of at-work use of IM indicates that these services enhance productivity by enabling efficient communications among colleagues. The usage pattern of at-work IM users revealed in the AOL survey is this:

1. Communicate quickly with colleagues (70%)
   
2. Get answers and make business decisions (63%)
   
3. Stay in touch with friends and family (62%)
   
4. Interact with clients and customers (34%)
   
5. Stay in touch with the office while on business travel (32% of mobile messagers)
   
6. Exchange files (27%)
   
7. Organize in-person meetings (21%)
   
8. Send URLs colleagues (19%)
   
9. Organize in-person meetings (21%)
   
10. Organize conference calls (15%)