Instant messaging is huge in consumer computing circles.
You may not be aware, however, that it's taking over in the office as well. You can expect the trend to continue. According to an October Media Metrix report, AOL Instant Messenger is the leader, with 21.5 million users, followed by Yahoo Messenger, with 10.6 million users, MSN Messenger with 10.4 million, and ICQ, which AOL acquired in 1998, with 9.1 million. IM has found its way into the enterprise because people get used to it at home, says Graff.