Facebook has just launched its exclusive version for businesses. Workplace, is a new version of the old Facebook at Work, which has been in testing for about a year and has already attracted more than a thousand corporate clients, including companies like Danone and Starbucks and non-profit organizations.
While similar in many ways, the service is completely independent of Facebook and has some significant differences, such as the fact that it's free only for NGOs and educational institutions. For other companies, Workplace offers a three-month free trial, after which it charges a fee determined by the number of active employees on the network:
Up to a thousand collaborators: US$ 3 (R$ 9,62 at the current exchange rate)
Up to 10 employees: US$ 2 (R$ 6,42)
More than 10 employees: US$ 1 (R$ 3,21)
The proposal is to bring the same Facebook integration to the workplace, creating a more interactive alternative to email, which facilitates internal communication and increases productivity.
According to the project director, Julien Codorniou, the platform “aims to change the way companies work, to give everyone a voice, to offer employees, including those who previously did not have a corporate email, the same communication tools they use in their private lives” and “to connect all of a company's employees via cell phones”, as it can be used on iOS, Android or through a browser.
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Workplace offers features like dashboards and metrics for internal analysis, can be integrated with companies' IT systems, and profiles on the network have no connection to employees' personal Facebook profiles. Instead of the traditional blue, the new platform is gray-based, displays no advertising, offers no entertainment features like games, and guarantees not to collect user data.
Some Facebook features are also maintained, such as news feed, groups, chat, wall, Live, translation, and the famous reactions and likes.
In the coming weeks, Workplace also promises to incorporate a new feature called Multi-Company Group, which will allow the creation of groups to be shared by more than one company. This will facilitate communication between partner companies developing joint projects.
To boost implementation among its clients, the social network has indicated the implementation of a collaborative program with partners such as Deloitte Digital, Edelman, Weber Shandwick and Ketchum.
Mark Zuckerberg's new platform will compete with Microsoft programs like Slack and Yammer.
