Experts downplay 'spim' threat

Spam that targets instant-messaging users is on the rise, but analysts say the problem won't be as disruptive as unsolicited e-mail.

As spammers face legal action from the Can-Spam Act, they are expected to turn their efforts to sending unwanted messages via instant messaging, a technology that allows users to send messages to each other over the Internet in real time.

"Spim," as experts have dubbed IM spam, only affects a small number of users today, but the problem is growing. However, exactly how much it's growing hasn't been clearly established. According to The Radicati Group, 400 million spim messages were sent in 2003. The firm projects that number to jump to 1.5 billion messages sent by the end of 2004, a growth rate triple that of traditional e-mail spam.

While other experts agree that spim is on the rise, they believe that predictions of a spim explosion are overblown.

"I wouldn't characterize spim as a huge problem," said Paul Ritter, program manager at The Yankee Group. "It's definitely an issue that information technology managers need to be aware of and should take steps to address. But I am not a spim alarmist."

The Yankee Group estimates that roughly 5 percent to 8 percent of all corporate IM today is spim, but the firm doesn't expect this percentage to increase over the next year, as millions of new users adopt instant messaging. Ritter said enhancements to IM services and new enterprise-class IM products will minimize the impact of spim.

Others agree. "Spim is not as horrible a problem as e-mail spam," said John Levine, an expert on spam and author of "Fighting Spam for Dummies."