BUSINESS - ONLINE COLLABORATION - 09.12.2019

Workplace by Facebook: worth the while?

Did you know that Facebook has a professional version called Workplace? It offers an alternative to other communication tools such as Slack and Microsoft Teams. Can Workplace offer added value within your company?

What is it?

Workplace by Facebook ( https://www.workplace.com ) has existed since 2016 and was created in order to meet the need for a reliable professional social networking tool. Today, Workplace by Facebook already has three million paying users worldwide. It’s a limited version of the regular Facebook, and it comes in both a web version and a mobile app (for iOS and Android).

Familiar environment. A major advantage over competing tools such as Slack ( https://slack.com/intl/en-gb ) and Microsoft Teams ( https://products.office.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams ) is that you and your employees may already be familiar with the “private” version of Facebook.

Tip.  Interestingly, Workplace by Facebook is neatly kept apart from your own and your employees’ private Facebook profile. However, you can easily switch between the two platforms without having to log in every time.

The functions

Messages and chats. Workplace by Facebook offers an alternative to traditional means of communication such as e-mail. Through a central timeline - comparable to that of the familiar Facebook - your employees can follow their colleagues, post messages and respond to other users’ messages, tag people and share a wide variety of files. Interestingly, Workplace by Facebook can automatically translate the messages of those who speak other languages (46 different ones!).

Group conversations, e.g. within a project team or a department, and individual chats are both possible. These groups can be open, closed or secret, and within these groups tasks can be assigned.

Video. Audio and video conferencing in HD are possible, and you can even share your computer screen with your colleagues in real time. Workplace by Facebook allows you to organise live broadcasts for your company: for things such as announcements, training sessions, workshops and meetings. You can check in real time who is watching and receive live feedback.

Search function. For larger companies, Workplace by Facebook provides an “organisation chart” function in its paid formulas that enables employees to quickly look up colleagues and information relating to a team or department (including information about their managers).

How much does it cost?

Free. If you don’t have a good internal communication tool yet, you should definitely give Workplace by Facebook a try. It is completely free for up to 50 different team or project groups, you can organise video calls with up to 20 participants and file storage is up to 5GB per person. For most small businesses, these limits will not constitute a problem.

Paid. For even more options, you could consider a paid formula, with prices starting from $4 or £3 per month per user (see https://www.facebook.com/workplace/pricing ). This makes Workplace by Facebook a bit cheaper than both Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Tip. We found good comparisons of these services at Chanty ( http://bit.ly/2Ory6w0 ) and TrustRadius ( http://bit.ly/2CVm2xK ).

If you are still looking for a reliable internal communication tool, consider Workplace by Facebook. This platform is free for up to 50 different teams or project groups in your company.

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