IBM inks deal for message auditing software

FaceTime Communications, which produces software that enables companies to monitor their employees' instant messaging exchanges, has struck a distribution deal with IBM's Lotus Software division. Through the deal, Lotus will ship versions of its corporate messaging software, called Sametime, that include FaceTime's IM Auditor functions. IM Auditor lets companies monitor and filter language used in messages, block or permit certain employees from using IM, and transfer IM threads to e-mail. The market for instant messaging is steadily growing as more people use services from America Online, Microsoft, Yahoo and others to communicate with friends, co-workers and clients. But companies find such consumer products hard to manage and control. Lotus is promoting its secure software to corporations, especially those in information-sensitive industries such as finance, that are wary of unrestricted communication.