instant messaging
Different communication tools work for different kinds of problems. Instant messaging is excellent for quick questions and answers and it also tells you when people are available at their desks.
However, if it's more than a few messages then it's best to switch to the telephone. If instant messaging is integrated with VoIP telephony, the effort to switch between communication mediums is minimised and the benefits of each tool can be maximised.
Selecting an instant messaging platform
There are several competing and incompatible instant messaging services available. If you're operating in a single corporate environment, the choice of which to go for has most likely been taken for you. In that case you'll need to work with that.
However, if you are selecting your own instant messaging, here are some useful virtual team features to look for.
- Ability to hold a conversation between a group of people.
- Support for whiteboarding.
- Integration with VoIP telephony.
- The ability to log conversations. This can be useful if valuable information is discussed online and that knowledge needs to be captured and recorded on the project wiki.
More info
A good overview of instant messaging is available at http://computer.howstuffworks.com/instant-messaging.htm