EXHIBIT 5.1


                     [JENKENS & GILCHRIST PARKER CHAPIN LLP]



                                March 4, 2002


Ion Networks, Inc.
1551 South Washington Avenue
Piscataway,  NJ  08854


Dear Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel to Ion Networks, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"),  in  connection  with a  Registration  Statement  on Form  S-3  (the
"Registration  Statement"),  being filed by the Company under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Act"),  with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission
relating to (i) 4,000,000  shares (the "Shares") of the Company's  common stock,
par value $0.001 per share  ("Common  Stock"),  which were issued  pursuant to a
purchase  agreement (the "Purchase  Agreement"),  dated February 7, 2002, by and
between the Company and the investors identified therein (the "Investors"),  and
(ii)  1,120,000  shares of Common Stock (the  "Warrant  Shares"),  which will be
issued by the Company pursuant to the exercise of certain warrants issued to the
Investors (the "Warrants") pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.

     In rendering the opinions  expressed  below, we have examined  originals or
copies,  satisfactory  to us,  of  (i)  the  Registration  Statement,  (ii)  the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation,  as amended,(iii) the Company's By-laws,
(iv) the Purchase Agreement,  (v) the Warrants,  (vi) that certain  registration
rights  agreement,  dated  February 14,  2002,  by and among the Company and the
Investors,  and (vii) the written  consent of the  Company's  board of directors
authorizing the issuance of the Shares, the Warrants, and the Warrant Shares. We
have also  reviewed  such other  matters of law as we have deemed  relevant  and
necessary  as a  basis  for the  opinion  hereinafter  expressed.  In all of our
examinations,  we have assumed the accuracy of all information  furnished to us,
the  authenticity  of  all  documents  submitted  to us  as  originals  and  the
conformity with the original  documents of documents  submitted to us as copies,
as well as the genuineness of all signatures on all such documents.




                      Jenkens & Gilchrist Parker Chapin LLP


Ion Networks, Inc.
March ___, 2002
Page 3



     Our  opinion  is  limited  to the date  hereof  and we do not in any  event
undertake to advise you of any facts or circumstances occurring or coming to our
attention subsequent to the date hereof.

     Finally, we are counsel admitted to practice only in the State of New York,
and we express no opinions as to the applicable laws of any  jurisdiction  other
than those of the State of New York,  the General  Corporate Law of the State of
Delaware and the United States of America.

     Based upon the  foregoing,  we are of the opinion  that (i) the Shares have
been validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and (ii) the Warrant Shares,
when issued in accordance with the terms of the Warrants,  including  payment of
the  exercise  price  therefor,   will  be  validly   issued,   fully  paid  and
non-assessable.

     We hereby consent to the use of our name under the caption "Legal  Matters"
in the prospectus  constituting a part of the Registration  Statement and to the
filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the  Registration  Statement.  In giving
this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons
whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act, the rules and  regulations
of the Securities and Exchange Commission  promulgated thereunder or Item 509 of
Regulation S-K promulgated under the Act.


                                    Very truly yours,


                                    /s/ Jenkens & Gilchrist Parker Chapin LLP
                                    JENKENS & GILCHRIST PARKER CHAPIN LLP