Introducing Workplace by Facebook
Facebook is at it again—and we’re not talking about a new emoji on Messenger. They have launched a whole new platform specifically aimed at businesses. We anxiously welcome Workplace by Facebook.
Workplace is an enterprise-focused social networking software aimed at assisting the day to day operations of organizations all over the world. After being in beta for over 18 months, this new desktop and mobile app is finally ready to serve the needs of businesses everywhere. What exactly is it though? It’s a private social network which connects you with colleagues within your organization as well as people from outside your organization such as partners and vendors, and revolves around the daily lives of these people. Workplace is considered to be a productivity tool where companies can conduct virtual brainstorming sessions and communicate better with employees. With features including a news feed, voice and video calling, multi-company groups, and direct messaging, this service allows you to converse with your coworkers instantly and stay on top of company projects and tasks.
If you are thinking this sounds exactly like Facebook, then you are absolutely right. It works just like Facebook with an identical set up. The idea is that since so many people are already familiar with Facebook, they will be more compelled to use it. They can easily adapt and will not have to spend time figuring out a new and complicated site. This familiarity is believed to spark more interest in using Workplace, thus, leading to a higher level of engagement. To elongate its appeal, Facebook is targeting those companies whose employees don’t necessarily work 9 to 5, at a desk such as retail workers, baristas, and ship crews to name a few. This gives Workplace a bit of a competitive edge when compared with similar rivals.
Since Workplace is a little late to the business social platform game, they are using an aggressive pricing strategy in order to compete with similar software such as the likes of Slack, Yammer, and Chatter. They will be charging by monthly active users: $3 per user for the first 1,000 users; $2 per user 1,001-10,000; and $1 per user for more than 10,000 monthly active users. You are simply paying for what you’re using, so Facebook has a tactical advantage here. This is also the first time that they will accumulate revenue through fees instead of ads. In addition, nonprofits and educational institutions will be able to use this software for free.
Workplace is not making their bottom line their main priority…at least for now. They are seeking long-term success and are taking their time in developing the software. Soon you’ll be able to host and share files through the courtesy of cloud storage provider “Box”, who is part of Facebook’s Partners Program. This feature, along with others to come, are part of Workplace’s plan for growth. Workplace seems to be promising; however, time will tell of its success.