Presence Information - Presence Information in The Business Community

Presence Information in The Business Community

Presence information is a growing tool towards more effective and efficient communication within a business setting. Presence information allows you to instantly see who is available in your corporate network, giving more flexibility to set up short-term meetings and conference calls. The result is precise communication that all but eliminates the inefficiency of phone tag or email messaging. An example of the time-saving aspect of presence information is a driver with a GPS; he/she can be tracked and sent messages on upcoming traffic patterns that, in return, save time and money.

According to IDC surveys, employees "often feel that IM gives their workdays the kind of 'flow' that they feel when sitting directly among their colleagues, being able to ask questions of them, and getting the kind of quick responses that allow them to drive on to the next task." This phenomenon has been called the "Presence Effect" in contrast to its predecessor the "Water cooler" effect, whereby this level of flow was only thought to be achieved in person.

With presence information, privacy of the users can become an issue. For example, when an employee is on his/her day off they are still connected to the network and have greater ability to be tracked down. Therefore, a concern of presence information is to determine how far the companies want to go with staying connected.