Betting the farm on instant messaging

Instant messaging (IM)-the online chat tool that is banned by many large enterprises as a productivity killer or threat to security-has literally changed the way that one of the country's largest growers, distributors, and shippers of conventionally grown organic fruits and vegetables does business. In the process, IM has become as vital as the telephone and other produce traders. Most importantly, it allows the company's traders to remain on the phone, brokering deals with buyers at the nation's largest grocery chains, while still getting critical, up-to-the-minute information on the ever-changing pricing and availability conditions inherent in an industry that deals exclusively with perishable foods.