Importance of business chat
What is Business Chat?
Business Chatis a chat tool service specialized for use in the workplace and at work. In some organizationsGroup Chatand ... andInternal chatIt is also sometimes called.
The main communication method for this service is text chat, usually in a group format with multiple participants. The user interfaces (UIs) of major business chat products are as follows, and may also include video calling, schedule sharing, and task management features.
The popularity of business chat continues to increase year by year due to the convenience of being able to cover most business communications by introducing one business chat service.
Another feature of Business Chat, unlike personal SNS, is that it focuses on security and user management functions that meet business needs.
Changes in communication in modern business
To understand the importance of business chat, it is important to look at the changes in communication in modern business. The business environment has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Advances in technology, globalization, and, more recently, the prevalence of remote work, have made traditional communication methods inadequate.
Business chat tools were developed to respond to these changes. Compared to traditional methods such as email and phone calls, business chat allows for faster and more efficient communication. Messages are sent and received in real time, critical information can be shared instantly, and team members can access it from anywhere, allowing you to work beyond the constraints of physical location.
Additionally, business chat increases internal transparency. Project progress and decision-making processes are visualized and everyone can share information, promoting collaboration and collaboration across teams. As such, business chat plays an essential role in streamlining and improving communication in the modern business environment.
Main features of business chat
Business Chat has a variety of features that dramatically improve communication and collaboration in the modern workplace. The main features are categorized as follows:
real time messaging
Real-time messaging is a core feature of business chat. This feature allows team members to instantly communicate anytime, anywhere. Immediate exchange of messages is especially useful for urgent projects and situations that require quick decision-making.
There are basically two types of message sending formats. One is direct messages, which are private messages sent directly to specific individuals. The other is group chat, which is a multi-participant chat room interaction used to communicate with an entire team or group. Proper use of direct messages and group chats will make business communication more efficient.
User presence management
This is an important feature for understanding the current status of team members. This feature allows users to see the current status of colleagues and team members, including whether they are online, offline, in a meeting, or immersed in work.
This is important for promoting efficient communication and team collaboration, especially in today's business environment where remote work and flexible work arrangements are common. Knowing a user's presence information can help you decide when to send a message or start a conversation.
file sharing
File sharing features allow you to easily share important documents such as documents and presentations between team members. Many business chat tools allow you to share files by dragging and dropping them directly into the chat window, making your work much more efficient. Additionally, comments and feedback on shared files can be made in real time, facilitating collaboration.
Voice call/video call function
Some business chat products may include voice and video calls. In particular, video calling capabilities enable direct interaction with remote team members and clients, facilitating deeper understanding and connection through face-to-face communication.
In addition, by combining it with Business Chat's presence feature, you can check whether the person you are calling is online and available before making a voice or video call. This makes it possible to optimize the timing of calls and achieve efficient and smooth communication.
In this way, the combination of voice/video calling features and presence features in business chat tools contributes to creating an efficient and productive work environment. This makes business chat tools more than just messaging tools, and serves as a multifunctional and effective communication hub.
Task Management
Task management features also play an important role in business chat. Assign tasks, track progress, set deadlines, and more directly within chat. Additionally, many business chat tools can integrate with external project management tools and calendar apps, which can help you work more efficiently and improve your organization's productivity.
Security and privacy features
Security and privacy are extremely important to businesses. Business chat tools offer advanced security features, including secure login processes, data protection policies, and more. This minimizes the risk of leaking sensitive information and enables communication and file sharing in a secure digital environment.
These features transform Business Chat from a simple messaging tool into a powerful business support tool. With Business Chat, teams can collaborate and get work done more efficiently and securely.
Advantages and disadvantages of business chat
The advantages and disadvantages of business chat will be explained.
Advantages
1. faster than by e-mail or telephone
There is no need to write sentences such as "Thank you for your help" or "Thank you for your hard work" that are typical of emails, and you can quickly post the main topic.
Also, unlike email, business chats reach the other party in real time, so you can communicate at the level of a direct conversation.
2. team-based information sharing
In the case of email, you are often conscious of CC when sharing, but in the case of business chat, you can create groups with project team or department members, making it easier to share information.
Another advantage of business chat is that highly urgent information can be communicated to everyone instantly.
3. Supporting remote work and flexible work arrangements
Remote work and flexible work arrangements are modern working trends. Business chat supports these work arrangements by enabling effective communication that transcends geographic constraints. Employees can stay in touch, share information, and collaborate with team members even when they're not in the office. This increases flexibility in where you work, increasing productivity and ease of working.
4. Meeting time can be reduced
The introduction of business chat will greatly reduce the amount of time spent on meetings. This is because only those matters that should be discussed in the business chat beforehand and then directly discussed in the MTG will be discussed in the meeting.
Chat&Messenger When the system is equipped with voice and video call functions, as in the case of a conference call, it is often possible to have a remote meeting with members of overseas offices or branch offices, thereby reducing travel time.
5. Efficient file transfer
In the case of e-mail, you have to be careful about the size limits for attachments, you have to use passwords, and it takes a lot of effort. In the case of business chat, there are fewer such restrictions.
Chat&Messenger For LAN, peer connections are possible, so even huge files and folders in GB can be transferred.
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Although business chat offers many benefits, there are also some disadvantages. It is important to understand these challenges and address them appropriately.
1. important messages get buried
When multiple people are chatting in a group chat room, important messages are immediately buried because several members are constantly sending messages to each other.
(2) I don't know to whom the message is addressed.
When multiple people are chatting in a group, it may not be clear to whom the message is addressed.In some cases, quite a few people actually just tweet or give alerts.
3. if you are using mobile integration, you may receive push notifications outside of work hours.
Even though business chat is convenient, it is important to note that if notifications are sent on holidays or during bedtime, it can cause stress for some people.
What are the solutions to the disadvantages?
Although there are the above disadvantages, in some cases they are systematically taken into account, and these disadvantages can be eliminated through the use of rules, manners, and usage. Please also refer to the following articles.
Workplace Reform and Business Chat
Also the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications,Introduction of chat tools for business use will help promote work style innovation.We recommend the introduction of business chat as a
"Decrease in working-age population due to falling birthrates and aging population."
"The needs of workers are diversifying, including balancing work with childcare and nursing care."
We are telling people that business communication must become more efficient in order to overcome these challenges and grow the Japanese economy.It is a very important policy.
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: "Reform of Work Styles
By adopting business chat, companies can enjoy the benefits of more efficient internal and external communication, improved productivity by reviewing business processes centered on chat tools, and enhanced governance and security by preventing shadow IT caused by personal use of social media. The company will also enjoy the benefits of improved governance and security by preventing shadow IT caused by personal use of social media,We expect an increasing number of companies to adopt chat tools for business use as they continue to reform their work styles.
Workplace Reform Initiatives in Seiyo City, Ehime Prefectureand others are also helpful.
Remote work and business chat
Remote work is a way of working in which employees work from a location outside the office, such as their home, a cafe, or a co-working space. Unlike working in a traditional office, we utilize the Internet and various communication technologies to carry out work without being tied to a physical location. This way of working has been adopted by many companies and organizations, especially with the advancement of information technology.
Even during remote work, business chat functions as the core of corporate communication. As an alternative to direct face-to-face communication, business chat provides a quick and effective way to exchange information between team members. All communication, from sharing project progress to daily interactions, is done through business chat.
Furthermore, business chat enables flexible working styles without being tied to a physical location, contributing to improved work-life balance for employees. It also strengthens cohesion among team members and enables effective collaboration in remote work environments. In terms of security, Business Chat plays an important role in protecting sensitive information by encrypting data and managing access privileges.
In this way, business chat has become an essential tool to support remote work and holds the key to companies operating globally and efficiently.
How to choose a business chat tool
The choice of business chat tool has a huge impact on the efficiency of a company's communication and collaboration. Choosing the right tool requires careful consideration of implementation costs, security, required functionality, and delivery format (cloud or on-premises).
Does it have all the features you need?
Business chat is extremely useful as an internal SNS tool, but simply introducing it will not solve all communication problems.
You should choose a service that offers as many of the features your company needs, such as real-time messaging, file sharing, video calling, and task management. For example, if you want to have a meeting with members who are geographically far away, you need a web conferencing function, and if you don't have an in-house infrastructure in place yet, you need a comprehensive one that has file sharing and schedule/task management. This service is suitable for
Mobile compatibility is also important. Nowadays, work style reform has become an important keyword, and the ability to share information anytime and anywhere is one of the important elements in realizing flexible work styles. Please also check if a dedicated Android or iOS app is available that is easy to use.
How to choose based on cost
Cost is an important factor when choosing a business chat tool. First of all, you need to consider the balance between features and price. Chat tools have a wide variety of features, and each tool offers significantly different features and price ranges. The key is to choose an option that has the features you need and is within your budget.
Next, it is important to compare free plans and paid plans. Many business chat tools offer basic functionality for free, but some advanced features and additional support are only available with paid plans. You should understand the limitations of the free plan, such as limits on the number of users that can join and data storage limits, and consider whether they meet your business requirements.
Choose from a security perspective
Security is one of the most important factors when selecting a business chat tool. Exchange of business information often involves highly confidential content, so it is important to choose tools with appropriate security measures.
Communication and data encryption
First, check if end-to-end encryption is offered. This is an important feature that ensures that messages are transmitted securely from sender to recipient without being readable by outsiders. Also important is how data is stored on the server. You should consider whether your data is stored encrypted on your servers and whether the encryption is strong enough.
Centralized management of IDs and passwords
From a security perspective, it is important for business chat tools to be able to integrate with existing ID/password management systems (for example, IDaaS solutions or corporate Active Directory) and utilize that centralized management system.
For example, if a company uses Active Directory to manage employee account information, by linking a business chat tool with Active Directory, employees will be able to log in to the chat tool with the same account information. This eliminates the need for users to remember separate accounts and passwords, while allowing administrators to centralize security management.
It is also important to integrate with an IDaaS solution that has single sign-on (SSO) functionality. Through SSO, employees can authenticate once to access multiple applications, including business chat tools, providing greater convenience and security.
The following is a reference for the Active Directory linkage achieved by Chat&Messenger.
Audit access logs, messages, and attachments
In some industries, the ability to audit access logs, messages, and attachments is important from a security management and compliance perspective. Access logs record user access history and operation details, contributing to early detection of unauthorized access and information leaks. Additionally, message auditing allows you to record the content of communications and check it later, which is useful for tracking and preserving evidence in the event of trouble. Attachment auditing keeps track of files sent and received and plays an important role in preventing data leaks.
In this way, the presence or absence of auditing functions for access logs, messages, and attachments is an important factor in determining the security of a business chat tool. It is necessary to carefully check these and select a tool that meets your business security standards in order to ensure a safe communication environment.
Chat&Messenger has the following management screen for auditing.
Cloud type or on-premise type?
On-premise business chat is a product where you operate your own servers and software, which has the advantage of being able to manage data and strengthen security. However, some products have the disadvantage that they require specialized knowledge and skills to install and operate, which can result in high costs.
In addition, cloud-based business chat is a product that uses services via the Internet, and has the advantage of being easy to install and operate, and low cost. However, organizations that handle personal or confidential information may not be able to use it due to security policies.
See below for details.
Choosing the right business chat tool is a matter of balancing cost, security, functionality, and delivery to choose the one that best fits your company's specific needs. It is important to comprehensively evaluate these factors and make the best choice for your company's communications strategy.
Introduce your business chat tool for free!
Chat&Messenger is groupware that integrates business chat, web conferencing, file sharing, schedule management, document management, conference room reservation, and attendance management in an easy-to-use manner. Perfect security for businesses,Available for free!
Summary and outlook
The future of business chat
Business chat has become an essential tool in the modern business environment. As technology evolves, business chat will gain more advanced features and provide a more seamless communication experience.
Automated response systems with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), more advanced data analysis, and business process automation are expected to contribute to the future development of business chat. This will further streamline operations, increase productivity, and speed up decision-making processes.
How to use it sustainably in companies
Companies should think of business chat not just as a communication tool, but as a way to improve organizational productivity and efficiency. To achieve this, regular evaluation and improvement, customization to employee needs, rapid introduction of new features, and employee training and education are key.
Additionally, listening to employees and evolving tools based on feedback will lead to sustainable use and growth.
Final advice and recommendations for readers
The key to successful business chat starts with selecting the right tools, followed by proper deployment and integration within your organization. It's important to plan early, phase the rollout, and provide ongoing support and training to your employees.
In addition, by responding flexibly to changing business environments and making full use of the tool's functionality, business chat will become a major force in increasing organizational productivity and the quality of communication.
Finally, it is essential to always be aware of security and privacy and create an environment that employees can use with peace of mind. By managing these factors in a balanced manner, business chat can become a valuable asset to your organization.