Remote working quickly became the new normal during the pandemic and the use of collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Zoom increased 400%. In addition to standard chat and file-sharing capabilities, these platforms allow users to have seamless audio and video conferencing calls with colleagues and clients. Now, to stand out amongst its competition, Slack will be introducing a new short-form video feature similar to Instagram Stories by the end of 2020.
According to Stewart Butterfield, CEO at Slack, the goal of the video feature is to provide an informal and flexible way for people to participate in meetings without having to hold a dedicated one. Essentially, Slack users will be able to record and share video updates within channels while teammates can conveniently watch the video at a later time or date.
Slack will also be rolling out a new instant audio feature to facilitate spontaneous calls with co-workers in shared channels. “The idea is that the call isn’t something that starts and stops, it’s something you enter and leave and the call is always there permanently associated with the channel,” Butterfield explained in an interview with The Verge.
With dozens of communication and collaboration tools for companies to choose from today, the most successful platform will be the one that consistently updates and innovates. Even social media sites are staying ahead of the game – LinkedIn recently rolled out its own version of stories, enabling users to interact more with their connections.
Here at Springboard, we use Microsoft Teams and Slack every day to stay connected with our clients and collaborate on projects. We’re looking forward to testing out Slack’s new features and seeing firsthand if they provide more versatility and efficiency to daily workflows.