MessageLabs EIM Service protects corporate messaging

Managed service gives firms a choice of security and management tools for security and compliance

MessageLabs has launched its Enterprise Instant Messenger (EIM) Service to help firms guard instant messaging (IM), comply with rules and policies, and integrate business communication and management.

The EIM Service incorporates technology from MessageLabs’ acquisition of Omnipod last autumn and is available in three bundles: Communicate, Connect and Collaborate.

EIM Communicate gives staff the ability to chat and exchange files in a secure environment within the MessageLabs network, according to senior product manager David Hahn.

EIM Connect, with added SMS functionality, logs and audits of messages, and allows staff to communicate with users outside of the EIM network, on AOL, MSN and Yahoo clients.

EIM Collaborate is a specialist package, which integrates with third-party business applications such as Salesforce.com and WebEx.

The service also supports encryption for conversations and lets firms control the screen names that employees use to communicate with external clients, added Hahn.

"Most IT managers and CIOs haven't got any idea [about] IM use [in their organisation] – who is using it, what for and if confidential information is being leaked," said Hahn. "We've integrated the Omnipod [portfolio] to…provide a stable enterprise IM service – the [justification for spending on this system] comes from what happens if you don't use it."

Jason Steer of email security specialist Iron Port said the growing number of threats to instant messaging means IT managers need to take action, and managed services can be attractive from a price perspective.

"Instant messaging is just another point to manage, another tool for which firms need to distribute policy and train end-users," said Steer. "A managed service [could generate] cost savings for small companies, but large companies [have to decide] if they want to throw money at this every month or design a solution in-house."