Workplace by Facebook gets user interface overhaul

Workplace by Facebook differs from Slack, Microsoft Teams

The new user interface -- particularly the left-side navigation bar -- brings Workplace by Facebook more in line with the setup of team collaboration apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams. However, Facebook has positioned its enterprise offering differently than those apps.  

"They want to be the place where work is talked about, not necessarily where work is done. And that makes them a bit different," said Wayne Kurtzman, analyst at IDC. "They are focusing on what they do well: conversations."

Slack, in contrast, wants its app to be a workflow hub for users. Increasingly sophisticated integrations with business and productivity apps let users do work without leaving Slack. Microsoft has presented a similar vision for Teams centered on the Office 365 suite.

Organizations that have adopted Workplace by Facebook have reported using the app more as an intranet platform than as a replacement for Slack or traditional unified communications clients, such as Skype for Business. Some of Facebook's earliest customers were large companies with a mix of service and office workers, including Walmart and Starbucks.

Consumer privacy concerns could haunt Facebook in enterprise market

But to build a much larger enterprise business, Facebook will need to overcome the negative public perceptions stemming from its mishandling of consumer data.

"There is no question that the brand challenges they have had on the consumer side [are] affecting their evaluation on the enterprise side," said Dion Hinchcliffe, analyst at Constellation Research, based in Cupertino, Calif.

Facebook's misuse of data has led the Federal Trade Commission to consider issuing the largest-ever fine of a technology company. The social media giant has set aside $3 billion to $5 billion for the expense.

Facebook has come under fire not doing enough to prevent political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica from exploiting user data and for a breach that exposed the personal information of tens of millions of users.

To reassure businesses, Facebook has emphasized that Workplace runs on infrastructure separate from the consumer platform. For instance, users have to create new accounts for Workplace, regardless of whether they use consumer Facebook.