Communication is one of the many reasons for the existence of mankind. Had there been no communication between humans, there wouldn’t be empires controlling the vast masses of land on the planet (would that be good or bad is a discussion we’ll leave for another day!). 

Most importantly, the secret to the success of most of those empires was an effective internal communication that used pigeons and ravens and telephones and letters. All of which were very effective means of communication in different centuries. 

Organizations should, therefore, learn from them and understand the importance of effective communication. Fortunately for them, technology has advanced in leaps and bounds and has presented them with many effective tools of communication. 

Whether they use them and become front runners or ignore them and head a fire sale is entirely their call. For those who want to be front-runners, we present 9 flawless workplace chat apps that can improve team collaboration

Troop Messenger

Gradually, Troop Messenger is proving the dark horse that is here to win hands down. Looking at its GUI, one cannot imagine that it might have the most advanced features. But that is its USP; it offers state-of-the-art features like server-side encryption, fully searchable chat history with a data filter, and secure sign-in procedures along with other basic features such as group chat and audio-video calls. Such a tempting collaboration app is Troop Messenger with amazing feature and security implementation. This app is compatible on both Android and iOS platform. 

Skype for business

Skype for Business is one of the most popular secure chat apps and has been around for a long time. Its capabilities reached new heights when Microsoft merged it with its instant office messenger, Lync. It provides all the necessary features like encryption, group chat, and group audio-video conference calls among other features

Slack

It is one of the most popular business messaging apps and offers a variety of subscription plans that suit a wide range of users. Its free plan offers the basic features of a chat app, but to enjoy its true potential, one must enroll for its premium subscription. With a user-base of over 6 million/day, Slack seems to have outclassed its rivals for now.

The continuous addition of features such as tools for auditing and device management coupled with unique and easy onboarding features are proving a fatal attraction for users. Additionally, administrators can track and monitor third-party applications being used in the organization. 

The IT control panel will enable administrators to know how and who installed various third-party apps. With a view to refurbishing its security and compliance features, Slack allows administrators to audit and monitor 30+ everyday events like login details, workspace change requests, file downloads etc.

Coming to scalability, Slack currently has the ability to support up to 500,000 users per entity. Additionally, there is absolutely no limit to the number of people in a workspace or channel.

Basecamp

The team that developed the legendary app called Campfire has designed this app. All the goodness of Campfire has been incorporated in Basecamp, and it has been armored with cutting-edge features such as GPU encryption, among others. It is a fully integrated project management software and team chat app, ensuring that all team members are equipped with the right info on a single platform, without having to scour through multiple docs and emails.

Basecamp offers essentially six core tools to organize ones working and collaborate with team members.

1. To Do: A slot to jot down all the works to be done for accomplishing the project

2. Message Board: A right place to publish announcements and updates

3. Campfire Chat Room: A convenient corner to exchange quick chats with team members

4. Schedule: A one-stop room for posting deadlines and announcing milestones

5. Docs& Files: A place where all needed and relevant files and docs are stacked for reference and work

6. Automatic Check-ins: To get a low down on the team at regular intervals.

Flock

It is one of the most popular team chat apps, which offers a wide range of features for individuals and businesses alike. Like other popular workplace apps, its features vary depending upon the subscription plan chosen.

Its main features include:

Chat & Messaging

Video Calling

Multimedia file sharing

Advanced search options

Invite guests to groups

Broadcasts and Announcements

Auto-generated mailing list

Bookmark messages

HipChat

The team that designed HipChat has also designed another great chat app called Stride. Users of HipChat have migrated to this new offering from Atlassian. Stride redefines the way teams work and move forward on a project. They provide world-class security and other features that certainly make their apps one of the most sought after.

Salient features:

Group chat and direct messaging

Voice and video conferencing

In-built collaboration tools

Multimedia file sharing

Message editing option

Powerful and Advanced search options

Group screen sharing

Spark

Cisco’s Spark is one of the most secure chat apps that offers a load of features for a seamless team communication. It offers top-of-the-line services in both free and premium plans; however, the premium plans have more features.

Redbooth

This chat application is marketed as a project management solution for modern teams. It rightly lives up to its claims and makes collaboration between teams easier with its group chat and audio-video calls.

WeChat

It has an enormous presence in China and has managed to secure a place in the daily lives of a majority of Chinese people. It is much more than a mere chat app but unfortunately has not been able to hold a footing in Western countries.

The benefits and features of the listed work chat apps can aid in establishing an effective communication channel within an organization, which in turn would result in increased productivity and efficiency of the employees. However, organizations should ensure that these instant chat apps are not misused and are strictly used for official purposes.