I know that many companies and organizations use hosted instant messaging for their daily workplace communication, but have you thought about using a hosted IM for family use?
Some software companies like Brosix offer a free hosted messaging program that is secure and can be used for families. Some of the reasons why families might enjoy Brosix or another secure IM client is because they can:
- Stay in touch in different places
- Talk to children while the parents are at work
- Stay in touch with other family members when gone on business
- Divorced parents can talk to children when not at their home
As you can see, hosted IM clients can go beyond use in the workplace. For any one that needs a safe and secure way to communicate online, these clients are the way to go. Many parents and children will find that talking online when they are unable to talk on the phone or through email can be very efficient and even make them closer together.
I often talk to my mom on our instant messaging program and it allows us to stay in touch because we live about 2 hours away from one another. It also really cuts down on the cost of daytime cell phone minutes and text messages used.