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Its no secret that communication is key to success in the workplace.
Employees need to have tools to communicate effectively and coordinate themselves to achieve a common goal.
Every enterprise needs dedicated tools to help staff communicate effectively.
Using a mashup of random apps will make things messy and difficult and likely hinder your companys productivity.
Enterprise messaging apps may share some similarities with generalmessaging appsthat youre familiar with, e.g.,WhatsAppand Facebook Messenger.
But theyre not the same thing.
We tested different enterprise messaging apps and identified the five best ones.
We’ve listed thebest video conferencing software.
Best enterprise messaging platform for collaboration
1.
Slack
Our expert review:
Slack is probably the most popular enterprise messaging app.
It makes it very easy to communicate within professional prefs.
A good thing about Slack is its intuitive interface.
The designers and developers put a lot of effort into building a platform that’s easy to navigate.
it’s possible for you to create “channels” within a company for different things.
Slack has encrypted messages, although not end-to-end encrypted, so you dont have to worry about security.
Slack offers audio calls and video conferencing.
It’s easy to send and receive files on the app even if they’re large.
The main drawback of Slack is that it can be distracting, as its built in a gamified way.
Getting too many Slack notifications a day can be frustrating and tiring.
Read our fullSlack review.
Best enterprise messaging platform for affordability
2.
Zoho Cliq
Zoho is an Indian software company famous for building more affordable alternatives to popular software.
The company offers an enterprise messaging app called Cliq thats very cost-effective.
Zoho also offers a free plan but with limited features.
Each user on the paid Zoho Cliq plan gets up to 100 GB of file storage.
Zoho Cliq offers a video and audio-sharing tool.
you could even record these calls to replay them later.
Zoho Cliq is not as popular as the two aforementioned messaging apps but its a good one nonetheless.
The main drawback we observed is that Cliq has limited integrations with third-party tools.
Read our fullZoho Cliq review.
Best enterprise messaging platform for Microsoft users
3.
Microsoft Teams
Youre likely already familiar withMicrosoft, the tech giant behind the Windowsoperating systemand 365 office software suite.
Teams supports audio and video conferencing and with a higher quality than what youd find on most other apps.
Microsoft Teams is very customizable and has integrations with third-party apps.
For example, you’re able to connect it toDropboxfor cloud storage andTrellofor task management.
The main disadvantage is that the interface can be confusing, especially for first-time users.
Read our fullMicrosoft Teams review.
Best enterprise messaging platform for ease-of-use
4.
Google Workspace includes Chat, a real-time enterprise messaging app.
Users can send direct messages to themselves or start a group chat and share information with each other seamlessly.
Google Chat has mobile and desktop apps, making them convenient to use on whichever rig you want.
you’re free to also access it from a web-based interface or inside Gmail.
Google Workspace also includes Meet, a video and audio conferencing tool.
Users can join meetings directly from their Gmail or by accessing their Google Calendar.
Read our fullGoogle Workspace review.
Best enterprise messaging platform for video
5.
RingCentral Video
RingCentral is a popular cloud-based communication platform.
It offers many tools to support enterprise collaboration over the Internet, including a video conferencing tool.
RingCentral Video is famous for its high-quality video calls with little lag and near-perfect latency.
you’re free to hold live chats with other participants during a video or audio meeting.
This is one of the few enterprise messaging tools that support end-to-end encryption, meaning security is top-notch.
The main drawback of using RingCentral Video is that its expensive.
Read our fullRingCentral Video review.
We’ve also listed the best CPaaS providers.
Best enterprise messaging platform FAQs
Features of an enterprise messaging app
1.
Instant and reliable messaging delivery
Users should be able to send messages to each other instantly.
Message delivery errors should be minimal and the app should work even on slow internet connections.
Encryption
Every message you send on the platform should be encrypted with HTTPS and public keys.
Cloud storage
Your platform should store your message on a cloud computing provider for an agreed period.
Mobile app
Almost every employee now has a smartphone, which they often use to work.
Your enterprise messaging app should offer a mobile app that anyone can download.
How to choose an enterprise messaging platform
1.
Cost
Cost is the primary consideration when choosing any software.
Ensure you choose a platform that you could afford in the long term to avoid issues.
Many also offer free versions but with limited features.
Your platform should encrypt all user content, preferably end-to-end encryption that even the owners can not break.
Ease of Use
Any software your enterprise chooses should be easy to use and navigate.
Otherwise, itll cause headaches for users, especially the non-technical ones, and drag down overall productivity.
The app should be both visually attractive and easy to understand at a quick glance.
Performance
Performance is important in every app.
Some apps start lagging once you cross a certain number of users or upload large files.
Check user reviews and ensure your desired enterprise messaging app doesnt have widespread performance issues.
How we tested the best enterprise messaging platform
We test by evaluating numerous factors.
Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
We’ve also listed the best business phone systems.
