E-mail eclipses phone, but IM may be trouble

When it comes to workplace productivity, e-mail is king, but instant messaging can be a potential headache for management because of its "disruptive" potential.

Those are some of the findings of a new survey from Dimension Data, a South Africa-based company that specializes in information-technology infrastructures, which noted that the e-mail has overtaken the telephone as the preferred communications tool for the workplace.

More than 70 percent of those surveyed said e-mail had a positive impact on their productivity, compared with 53 percent and 52 percent respectively for conventional phones and mobile telephony, Dimension Data said.

From a productivity standpoint, instant messaging and blogs are considered more "disruptive and could negatively impact productivity if not managed properly," Dimension Data said.

The survey polled 524 enterprises in 13 countries, Dimension Data said.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)