Articles about Messaging and Collaboration

Facebook has been the source of much privacy-related controversy over the years, particularly over the last year or so. The past few days have been no different, with the social networking giant facing questions over the level of access it granted partners to private user data.

Of particular concern to users is the suggestion that Facebook gave the likes of Spotify and Netflix access to users' private messages. Having already gone on the defensive about some of the allegations leveled at it, Facebook is now trying to defend itself about the messaging allegations -- or, as the company puts it "we wanted to provide more facts about our messaging partnerships".

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There has been a great deal of speculation recently about what Google's plans are for dealing with its plethora of messaging tools. There had been suggestions that Hangouts could be for the chop, but now Google has spoken out to say that this is not -- quite -- the case, and in fact it is Allo that will be shuttered.

The closure of Allo will come just two-and-a-half years since it first appeared. Google says that it has learned a lot from releasing Allo, and plans to bring the best of its features to the Messages app. In a blog post, Google also talks about the other messaging apps and services it offers, including Hangouts and Duo.

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We're all pretty used to subtitles for movies and TV shows -- even if we don't need them, they can prove useful -- and Microsoft has now added this feature to Skype.

Ostensibly an accessibility feature (and launched on United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities), the new option means that Skype will be able to use voice recognition to show you the text of what is being said in a voice call. Microsoft will also bring the same feature to PowerPoint next year.

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Google is no stranger to killing off services, and it seems that one of its next victims could be Hangouts.

Having split the chat tool into corporate-focused Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet, sources familiar with Google's plans say that the company is due to shut down the consumer version of Hangouts in 2020. The writing has been on the wall for a little while, but now the clock really is ticking...

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Google will pay Apple $9 billion this year to remain the default search engine in the iPhone’s Safari browser, according to one Goldman Sachs analyst. That’s a hefty expense for Google, but will Apple end up paying the price when it comes to business messaging?

According to Goldman Sachs analyst Rod Hall, Apple charges Google based on the number of searches iPhone users perform using Safari or Siri.

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Viber has rolled out a feature that users have been begging for for some time -- the ability to edit sent messages.

While Viber may not be quite as popular as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, it has millions of users around the world. At long last these users now have the ability to correct typo after sending a message, just as can be done in a handful of other messaging tools.

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When Facebook unveiled its Portal and Portal+ video calling hardware last week, there were immediate concerns voiced about the privacy implications of the social network's new devices.

Facebook has been insistent that Portal is "private by design", and the company said no data -- such as call logs and app usage information -- would be used to target users with ads. Now the company has changed its mind and says that actually it could be hitting users with targeted ads.

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Mark Zuckerberg caused controversy around six months ago... nothing strange for Facebook you may think. On this occasion, the founder of the social network managed to upset people when it turned out he had deleted messages he had sent through Facebook Messenger: an option that wasn't -- and isn't -- available to other Facebook users.

At the time, when the matter came to light, Facebook said that the ability to unsend messages would ultimately give everyone the option to delete the messages they had sent. At long last, the feature is being tested, so we might see if released publicly in the not-too-distant future.

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Still reeling from a security breach that affected up to 90 million users, Facebook has announced two new pieces of hardware designed to make video chat easier and more immersive than ever. Portal and Portal+ are 10- and 15-inch smart displays complete with integrated cameras and packed with AI. But even Facebook acknowledges there are privacy concerns.

The social networking giant says: "When you can’t be there, Portal and Portal+ let you feel there". What does it mean by this? The cameras are intelligent, meaning they pan and zoom, following people around the room as necessary. Facebook promises that Portal "follows the action" and "keeps everyone in frame" but -- seemingly acknowledging that people won't trust its claim that the devices are "private by design" and that the mic and camera can be disabled with a single tap -- a physical camera cover is included.

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Today -- Wednesday October 3 -- your phone will receive a text message; assuming you're in the US, that is, and use Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T or Sprint as your carrier. The text should arrive from 11:18AM PT / 2:18PM ET, and it will feature the dramatic heading of Presidential Alert.

You may be reading this because you wonder what on Earth is going on -- particularly if your phone has made a strange noise -- but there's nothing to worry about. Not this time, anyway.

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The death of Skype classic (or Skype 7.0 if you prefer) was reported a number of weeks ago, but after angry and emotional outpourings from users, Microsoft said that it would (slightly) extended its life. Now the company has revealed the new execution dates.

Dates is plural because the killing off of Skype classic is going to be a two-step process. The desktop version is first for the chop on November 1, with the mobile versions following a little later.

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Messaging systems like Skype, Slack, Telegram and others are increasingly used by both individuals and businesses. But how do you know the person you're talking to is who they say they are?

A new product from biometric solutions company ID R&D offers multi-layer continuous authentication across messaging platforms without any impact on the user experience.

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There's been a lot of Skype activity from Microsoft recently, starting off with the news (disappointing and frustrating for many) that Skype classic was to be killed off -- although this decision was later postponed. The company had also announced that call recording was coming to Skype 8.0, and now this is a reality.

There will be obvious privacy concerns about the arrival of this new feature, but Microsoft believes that it has a solution that will help keep people happy and informed.

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As technology makes many workplaces more fragmented with staff out in the field or working from home, keeping everyone up to date with company activity can become a major challenge.

Workforce communications platform SocialChorus is aiming to provide a seamless and scalable experience for internal communicators with the launch of its new Innovation Lab.

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There was outcry when Microsoft recently announced plans to kill off Skype classic (better known as Skype 7.0) and force users to migrate to Skype 8.0 -- the modern version of the app. But after an outpouring of disappointment from Skype users, Microsoft has relented... a bit.

While it's not true to say that Skype classic has been saved, the kill date of September 1 has been extended -- until when is not clear. Microsoft says that it is extending support for the much- (well, more-) loved messaging tool "for some time".

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