Microsoft Teams is more popular than Slack
Microsoft has shared usage numbers for its group chat tool, Teams. The company has revealed the number of daily and weekly users for the first time, and they reveal that Microsoft Teams has overtaken Slack in popularity.
The number of daily users of Microsoft Teams stands at 13 million, while the weekly figure is 19 million. Considering the service is just two years old, to have surpassed the behemoth that is Slack is an impressive achievement.
Companies turn to instant messaging in response to rising email threats
In a new study of IT decision makers by Barracuda Network, 94 percent of participants admit that email is still the most vulnerable part of their organization's cyber security.
The survey of 280 decision makers focused on the email threat landscape and email security practises. It discovered that 75 percent have been hit with brand impersonation emails, the largest threat as identified in the survey with ransomware coming in second on 47 percent.
Google is bringing RCS messaging to users directly instead of waiting for carriers
There has been much talk about SMS successor RCS (Rich Communication Service) over the last year or so, but there has been little in the way of action. But this is about to change.
Seemingly tired of carriers and handset makers dawdling, Google is bringing RCS messaging to Android users in the UK and France. With Google taking control of RCS, the service could become the company's version of iMessage before long, and it means users will be able to experience it sooner than they might have expected.
Employees put sensitive data at risk in workplace chat sessions
Around a quarter of employees share confidential information via chat sessions, and a similar number talk badly about their boss, while 78 percent wouldn’t care if some of this information was exposed publicly.
These are among the findings of a new study by secure collaboration platform Symphony which surveyed over 1,500 employees in the US and UK about their workplace communication habits.
Skype beta adds screen sharing feature
Since acquiring Skype, Microsoft has been slowly but surely developing the messaging tool, most recently increasing the number of chat participants to 50. Now the company has released a new version of the software -- in beta for the time being -- in which it is possible to share your screen with whoever you're chatting with.
The beta feature is available to people on the Skype Insider program, and it allows for mobile screen sharing on both iOS and Android.
Viber users in the US, UK and Canada can now buy a Viber Local Number for calls and texts
Viber has launched a new option called Viber Local Number which lets users in the US, UK and Canada buy a local phone number to associate with their account and use it to receive calls and texts with non-Viber users.
Viber Local Number (VLN) has been in closed beta testing for a little while, but it is now available to anyone from the supported countries that is interested. It is a similar system to that found in Skype, and will cost subscribers $4.99 per month.
Skype chats with up to 50 people now available to all after beta testing ends
Following a beta test of the feature Microsoft has doubled the number of people that can take part in a Skype chat from 25 to 50 for all users.
The option of chatting with up to 49 other people applies to both video and audio chats, and it's something that is probably going to appeal to businesses more than individual users. The increase sees Skype finally catching up with Facebook Messenger, and overtaking Apple's FaceTime.
Dark mode arrives in Slack's iOS and Android apps
For many workplaces -- including BetaNews -- Slack is the way workers stay in touch with each other. Jumping onto the black bandwagon, the chat and messaging tool is embracing the dark side and giving users the option to ramp up the darkness.
To enjoy a darker look to Slack, you need to be part of the beta program, and there is nothing from stopping you from signing up right now and reaping the ocular -- or just aesthetic -- benefits of the new dark mode. Dark mode is available on both iOS and Android.
New tool aims to improve the effectiveness of workforce communication
At a time when there's intense competition in the jobs market, the importance of workforce communication in employee engagement is often overlooked.
San Francisco-based communications platform SocialChorus is launching a new tool called Content Planner that gives organizations a single place to plan their content strategies and measure the impact of employee communications.
Microsoft rolls out new Skype for Web, and drops support for Chrome OS and Linux
Most of the Skype-related news of late has been about Microsoft killing off Skype Classic and moving people to Skype 8 -- but now there's news about the web version of the communication tool. While there are a number of new features to explore -- including hi-def video calling, new notifications and call recording -- Microsoft has taken the decision to reduce the number of supported platforms.
The latest version of Skype for Web only works in Windows 10 and macOS 10.12 or newer, and only in the Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers. Firefox and Opera users are left out in the cold, and anyone running Chrome OS or Linux will be disappointed to learn that their operating systems are no longer supported.
Now you can use Google Duo on the web as well as in app
One of Google's current crop of messaging tools, Duo, is spreading its wings and breaking out of the confines of being a mobile app.
Google Duo is now available to use online in a desktop web browser -- providing, that is, that you're using Chrome, Firefox or Safari (Microsoft Edge and Opera users are left out in the cold). The web-based version of the messaging tool can be used to make and receive voice and video calls.
Google Assistant is coming to the Messages app and RCS marches on
Google has a history of changing its mind about messaging services, launching and closing them left, right and center. The company now seems pretty invested in its Messages platform, and has been gradually adding more and more features to increase its appeal.
Google's latest move sees it bringing Assistant integration to the Messages app so you can get one-tap access to AI-powered help and information. The company also says that it remains committed to RCS (Rich Communication Service) and wants to bring the standard to more Android users.
Franz 5 aims to unify to your messaging
Everyone seems to use a different way to communicate. Although most business users have switched to Slack, there are others who rely on Skype, WhatsApp and Messenger to send an important message. Everyone has their favourite chat client.
It's hard to keep on top the messages and there's still some business contacts who insist on using LinkedIn to ask you an important question and, unless you login using your browser, it’s very easy to overlook an urgent message.
WhatsApp imposes five-recipient limit on forwarded messages to limit 'misinformation and rumors'
All social networks and messaging tools have been used as platforms to distribute fake news. Companies have taken various steps -- such as introducing fact-checking -- to help curb these problems, and now the Facebook-owned WhatsApp is introducing new measures that limit the number of people users can forward a message to.
The company has previously allowed messages to be forwarded to up to 20 people, but now -- in a bid to limit the spread of "misinformation and rumors" -- this has been reduced to just five.
Google rolls out spam protection to Android Messages
Spam may be something that's most commonly associated with email, but it's also something that blights text messaging. Google is trying to do something about the problem with a spam protection feature for Messages on Android.
This is a feature we learned about earlier in the year, and it is now starting to roll out to handsets. In order for the feature to work, "some" information about the messages you receive needs to be sent to Google -- something that it sure to raise a few eyebrows (and hackles) among the privacy-centric.
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