GreynetsGuide is a resource center focused on the real-time Internet and the communication and collaboration applications that power it. This site is maintained by FaceTime Security Labs, the leading research team dedicated to the collection, analysis, associate threats and management of public and enterprise instant messaging, peer-to-peer networking, Voice over IP, and other real-time communications tools collectively known as greynets. With research facilities on three continents, FaceTime Security Labs understands the tools and information organizations need to discover, control and secure real-time communications for the benefit of the enterprise.

What is a greynet?
Internet communications have evolved from point-to-point, asynchronous channels like email to real-time, presence-oriented communications like IM, P2P file sharing, Skype, and web conferencing. FaceTime terms these real-time communications applications 'greynets' – defined as network-enabled applications that are often downloaded and installed by the end user without the permission or knowledge of the IT department and that use evasive techniques to circumvent existing security controls.

Internet communications have evolved from point-to-point, asynchronous channels like email to real-time, presence-oriented communications like IM, P2P file sharing, Skype, social networking and Web 2.0. These network-enabled applications are often downloaded and installed by the end user without the permission or knowledge of the IT department and that use evasive techniques to circumvent existing security controls.

Today, there are more than 1300 of these real-time applications, including:

The Collaborative Internet: Usage Trends, Employee Attitudes and IT Impacts
Fourth Annual Survey, October 2008
For the fourth consecutive year, FaceTime commissioned NewDiligence, an independent market research company, to conduct its annual survey on the growth and impact of collaborative Internet applications. As in prior years, the research was conducted among a large sample of corporate IT managers and end users across all size organizations in North America, UK and Europe. Learn what over 500 IT managers and end users have to say about Internet application usage, attitudes in the workplace and the impact on IT.
Fill out this brief form HERE to receive the 2008 Collaborative Internet Study results.