Internet instant messenger programs and services, such as AOL Instant Messenger (”AIM”) and Yahoo! Instant Messenger, are as ubiquitous as the telephone, and indeed some may argue are replacing the phone in large part.

This can be both a boon and a problem for the workplace. Employees can quickly and efficiently interact with remote colleagues across the country and around the world, in real-time, and at no additional cost to the company, creating a written record of the interaction to boot.

But a new survey out this week by Meta Group has found that more than half of the people surveyed at 300 companies around the world use Internet messaging for talking with friends and family, during work time, and more than they use it for work-related matters.

Relatedly, while very few companies have an out-and-out ban on personal phone calls and e-mail (and how would you police that anyways?), sixteen-percent of companies prohibit… [Continued]