Slack sets its sights on large enterprises

The Slack team collaboration tool has proved popular with many businesses since it first launched in 2013.

Now Slack is aiming to carry its success into larger organizations with the launch of Slack Enterprise Grid, offering the adaptability to create communication structures which mirror how teams already collaborate.

Grid has already been tested in big companies including PayPal, Capital One, and IBM that have been providing feedback on how it works.

"Whether physical or digital, our teams expect workspaces that empower them to communicate efficiently, connect and ideate easily, and build new products quickly  --  wherever they are --  and Slack is a great example of how they want to work," says Jennifer Manry, vice president of workforce technology at Capital One. "With Enterprise Grid, Slack has preserved the sense of community, interactivity, and humanity of the workspace that our teams love, with the administrative capabilities we need as a larger enterprise."

Grid allows unlimited workspaces that can be built around the existing business structure, linking teams, departments and locations. For the end user it offers a familiar Slack experience with threaded messaging, voice and video calling and support for integration with other platforms. Administrators can control permissions and integrations on a per-workspace basis.

Where in the past teams may have used unconnected Slack sessions, Grid adds a new layer that spans the entire company, and enables people to find each other, information, and workspaces relevant to their role or team.

Security can be controlled across the organization and it's HIPAA and FINRA certified for use in regulated industries. It also integrates with third-party eDiscovery, data loss prevention and backup providers.

More information is available on the Slack blog and there's a separate developer blog with details of how to build Grid-ready apps.

Image Credit: Tischenko Irina / Shutterstock