Security and archiving

In the early 2000s, a used class of IT security provider emerged to provide cures for the risks & liabilities faced by corporations who chosen to make use of IM for business communications. The IM security providers created new products to be installed in corporate networks for the purpose of archiving, content-scanning, & security-scanning IM traffic moving in & out of the corporation. Similar to the e-mail filtering vendors, the IM security providers focus on the risks & liabilities described above.

With fast adoption of IM in the workplace, demand for IM security products began to grow in the mid-2000s. By 2007, the preferred platform for the acquisition of security program had become the "computer appliance", according to IDC, who estimate that by 2008, 80% of network security products will be delivered by an appliance.