Dive Brief:
- Microsoft is reportedly building a new app that will directly compete with Slack, according to a report from MS Poweruser.
- Known as Skype Teams, the app is expected to include several features similar to Slack, as well as additional features like threaded conversations.
- Skype Teams will also reportedly enable Office 365 integration.
Dive Insight:
Skype Teams will combine features of Skype, like direct messaging, individual or group video calls, with some new features like threaded conversations, according to the report.
Slack is one of only a few companies that has made any headway in the interoffice messaging space. The company now touts 3 million users active daily, with 2 million connected simultaneously. But Microsoft has enormous enterprise penetration, so creating their own productivity tool could potentially change things for Slack, especially since Microsoft intends to enable Office 365 integration with Skype Teams.
Microsoft is currently testing Skype Teams internally and there is no confirmed data for a public release, according to the report.
Facebook is also working on a corporate platform, Facebook at Work, that is currently in closed beta, though companies like the Royal Bank of Scotland are already using it. Once it becomes available, Facebook at Work will likely prove a competitive tool simply because of its familiarity. The platform could rival Slack in popularity and as of April already had 60,000 companies on its waitlist to join the pilot.
