What is instant messaging? Discuss its features and uses.

Answers will vary. Instant messaging (IM) is a real-time email technology that blends email with conversation; sender and receiver who are online at the same time can type messages that both see immediately.
The best-known IM programs are free and require no special hardware and little training. With some programs, users can exchange graphics and audio and video clips. To use instant messaging, users maintain a list of people with whom they want to interact. They can send messages to any or all of the people on their lists as long as the people are online. Sending a message opens up a window in which a user and his or her contact can key messages that they both can see immediately.
With IM, spelling and grammar matter less when trading messages at high speed. IM users often use shorthand for common words and phrases. IM and telephone communication also share common challenges: being sure that the sender is who he or she claims to be and that the conversation is free from eavesdropping.
Some managers worry that employees will spend too much work time using IM to chat with buddies inside and outside the company. They also emphasize that IM is not the right tool for every business purpose. Employees should still rely on email when they need a record and use the telephone for a personal touch.