This platform was launched back in 2014. Due to the global pandemic, the American software company saw an upsurge in its business, which caught the eyes of the millennials. As the pandemic brought remote working, people started to look for a convenient workplace that will get them connected with their colleagues and clients without disrupting their productivity. And, Slack came into the picture and gained popularity.
Slack replaced email as a primary communication platform and became a one-time department to provide security, compliance, features, and comfort to remote workers. This standalone app is available for desktop, mobile devices, and can be used via a web browser as well. Every slack environment has an organized workspace. The app supports the idea of how employees regularly work with their colleagues offline. It shifts that offline experience on an online platform. One has to set up Slack channels and workspace to use it efficiently for their requirement.
Sources :https://norton4.uk.com/things-you-should-know-about-slack/
In an online workspace, users would be able to see and access all the information. On the top, you can find a search bar that will allow you, the users, to find mentions of a topic on the message channel, locate files, and find your colleagues. On your left side, there is a panel that shows an overview of all the unread messages, shared files, installed apps, staff directory, and direct messages. You can send direct messages to individual teammates or create a group or communication channels. If you want to have a larger conversation, you can create a group of up to 8 members and add colleagues from the team directory. Recently, Slack has redesigned its app to make it more accessible for a wide range of users. So, you don’t have to be tech-savvy to use this app.
Channel Set-Up
Without channels, you cannot strike a conversation with your colleagues and teammates on the app. It might become your basic necessity as it has the power to replace email as the primary means of business communication. Channels are the name for chat rooms where you can discuss anything with your team members on a shared or common topic. The app introduces four types of channels to solve different purposes of an online workplace, and these are:
Public Channel
These are the most commonly used channels. It is further subdivided into parts by default, and those subdivisions are known as ‘general’ and ‘random.’ Anyone with these workspaces will be able to check the current and previous discussions.
Private Channel
It offers limited access to the conversation. This channel is most commonly in use for private conversations or confidential discussions with financial and legal teams or other important colleagues.
Shared Channel
This channel acts as a bridge between Slack and external organizations. It is responsible for the conversation between the team members of two businesses or clients to exchange messages in a personalized channel. You can use the channel with up to 20 organizations.
Multi Workspace Channels
These channels are available for more significant consumers only, who have subscribed to Slack’s Enterprise Grid. Colleagues in the same organization can have their separate workspace on this channel.
If you want to set-up a new channel, click on the Plus icons beside the channel heading from the left panel. You can choose to make the channel private or public and add a name and description to it before inviting your colleagues. Find any colleague for an invitation type their name on the search bar or click on their name from the invite box. Only members can create a channel, and your organization has the power to limit the creation of public and private channels.
The app offers video and voice calling features, and it also allows you to share your screen with the viewers. It is integrated with a variety of unified communication platforms, such as Google Meet, Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and more. Use the ‘/zoom’ command to start a call and change the phone’s icon settings for using the zoom feature by default. Slack offers both premium and free business models that allow team accessibility. However, the free services are limited to 10 app integration and 5 GB of storage only. And, the premium plan has three-tier plans called Standard, Plus, and Enterprise Grid.
• Standard plan costs $6.67 per month per active user and is meant for small and medium-sized businesses.
• Plus starts at $12.50 per month per active user is for more extensive business organizations who are looking for advanced administration tools.
• Enterprise Grid is for highly regulated industries.
This is all you need to know about Slack. Your organization might already be using this app due to the current global situations. Overall, it is a great platform to have on your device.
