Facebook to Add New WorkPlace Chat Features, Including Group Video Chat for the Desktop
Facebook is taking on Slack and the market for work-oriented messaging, as a whole, as they bring their own Workplace out of beta for the desktop. The social media platform is adding a slew of new features as well.
Workplace by Facebook promises to connect an organization, whether they're a small, tightly-knit startup or a globe-spanning team, using familiar tools. These will now include group chat for the desktop app version, as well as the group video chat that Facebook has been working on for some time.
Facebook claims that more than 30,000 organizations are now using Workplace, as Julien Codorniou, Vice President of the app, reported in their announcement. With the new platform now a year old, they have added features like multi-company groups, live video chat, and group analytics to the mobile versions of their app.
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"So today, we're launching the Workplace Chat desktop app. Now, anyone can download the app for Workplace Chat on PC, Mac, Android or iOS," Codorniou announced.
"And in the coming weeks, we'll update Workplace Chat to include support for group video chat on desktop and on mobile," he added, announcing that users can then simply click a button and to start a video call session for an entire team.
The Workplace team has also updated the general look and feel of the app. The new icons are now larger, making the like, comment and share buttons easier to tap, especially on mobile devices.
The bookmarks on the left side of the app, previously rendered as a list of text items, are now organized into groups for a slimmer look. Hovering over someone's name now also shows if they are online, as well as their position.
Workplace is available as a Premium subscription for an entire organization costing $3 for the first 1,000 users, then $2 for the next 9,000 accounts, then $1 for every additional user after those. The app is free for non-profits and educational institutions, as well as users of their limited Standard plan.
