Teams | Collaboration | Customer Service | Project Management

October 2024

6 Effective Ways To Improve Work Performance

Performance at work is crucial for companies to assess personnel productivity and monitor data on hard and soft skills, leadership qualities, and employees’ attitudes. Such analysis is helpful for both managers and the entire team. Here’s why: Indicators such as task complexity, resource expenditure, and deadlines are considered when assessing labor efficiency. For example, employees cope well with their job duties but do everything late and interrogate colleagues.

Our Take on RingCentral vs Slack: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Can you imagine a working environment without team communication tools? Nowadays, that’s almost impossible. Once you start using them, there is no need to keep in touch with colleagues via email. Team chat applications bring the whole team together in one place, organizing the working process and keeping conversations flowing. However, with so many tools hit the market, it can be tough to find the best one for you.

We've Tried Skype vs Google Meet and Chat (Our Team's Feedback)

Microsoft and Google have been battling for years to own the future of tech. Today, I’m comparing two of their popular tools – Skype and what was once Google Hangouts. (Now it’s split into Google Chat for messaging and Google Meet for video calls.) Thanks to building Chanty – a simple team chat, our team had to perform an in-depth analysis of our competitors.

Why Supporting Employee Wellbeing is Key to a Thriving Remote Workforce

There are 3 billion working people globally, with 40 percent expressing happiness in their jobs, which indicates that roughly 1.8 billion individuals are not feeling fulfilled at work, and this discontent can create ripples that affect not only those employees but also the organizations they represent. Happiness at work is a genuine performance booster, and organizations with high levels of employee happiness report three times the revenue growth compared to their less-content counterparts.

How to Create a Messaging Application

Do you want to build a messaging app but are unsure where to start? Despite the intense competition, the demand for innovative messaging solutions continues to grow. Successful apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal have set high standards, and today’s users seek both ease of use and advanced privacy features. In this guide, we’ll walk through each step to create a messaging app that delivers secure, real-time communication and a seamless user experience.

Flowdock vs Slack: Comparing Two Long-Standing Rivals on the Team Chat Market

Flowdock is one of the oldest team collaboration tools on the market. Announced in July 2009, the app launched public beta in March 2010 – more than three years before Slack! Flowdock was first designed for developers but has since become a tool for many different types of professionals. After over a decade, Flowdock closed on 1 October 2022. Many teams are now looking for new ways to work together. Slack was designed for various types of teams since the very beginning, having launched in 2014.

How to Design and Launch an Online Course Training for Remote Teams

As more companies embrace remote and hybrid teams, keeping everyone up-to-date with a brand’s best practices is becoming increasingly challenging. Sure, companies have gained access to global talents, but they must find creative ways of training these talents to make them resourceful. That’s where online courses come into the picture. A well-designed online course training can help remote teams understand what’s expected of them at any company.

Connecting Care: How EMR Software Bridges Gaps in Technology and Patient Engagement

As technology seeps into the healthcare industry, its profound impacts cannot be overstated. Technological integration in healthcare solutions not only reshapes medical processes but also redefines patient care standards. Electronic medical records are the prime example of tech-savvy innovation in the care realm. They hold the key to harmonizing patient engagement with healthcare delivery, offering innovative solutions by harnessing the synergy between automation and technology.

Deep dive into Element X!

The Matrix Conference saw the official launch of Element X! That means Element X is now the mobile app that almost all Element users should be using for messaging; both in the workplace and for personal use. Some large customers that self-host are still using the classic mobile Element apps. Once those customers have migrated, Element X will simply become ‘Element’ and the classic mobile apps will be retired.

PDF Tips for Auditors and Financial Analysts

Accurate auditing and financial analysis are vital for organizations to maintain high operational efficiency and industry compliance. However, relying on manual processes like paper records or spreadsheet-only reviews often leads to errors and delays, potentially costing businesses 25% of staff productivity. PDFs offer a modern and efficient platform for streamlining these processes, minimizing errors, and improving overall performance.

Securing Your eCommerce Customer Support: Best Practices for Safe Email Communications

In 2023, 35% of malware was delivered via email, making it the most common attack vector. Running an eCommerce platform means that your customers trust you with a lot of sensitive data. This, along with ever-increasing privacy regulations, makes cybersecurity increasingly important. While many companies protect their internal systems, they don't consider how they exchange information with their clients. In this post, we look at how you can secure your email communications.

We've Tried Slack vs Flock For 2 Weeks. Here's Our Team's Feedback

The way we work has changed a lot recently. Hybrid and remote working are now the norm, meaning teams have to rely on communication tools to stay connected, organized, and productive. With remote work becoming the norm due to the pandemic, it’s clear that seamless collaboration is essential for success. Teams are spread across time zones, hopping between virtual meetings, juggling projects, and trying to stay on the same page. The key to making it all work smoothly? A powerful communication app.

Top 10 Work Management Apps to Improve Your Bottom Line

Someday, artificial intelligence will break time boundaries, days will have more hours in them, but still not enough for us. The thing is, it’s not about how much time you have but how you use it. In this sense, technologies can help us today. “Time is money” is a well–worn cliché and although it sounds hollow, it is by no means devoid of meaning. Poor time management costs companies millions of dollars, reducing the productivity of individual employees and managers.

5 Ways ISP Proxies Improve Your Internet Experience

In the current world, fast internet connection, privacy, and the ability to access what is prohibited online are crucial to a satisfying internet experience. With a demand for better connectivity, the use of ISP proxies to improve browsing is increasing. These proxies are well-equipped tools that enable users to achieve better control of their internet usage in various ways.

Trello Pricing Scheme: How to Pay Less Every Month

Trello, the visual project management tool that’s famous for its user-friendly Kanban boards, has come a long way since it first launched in 2011. It was originally designed to help teams manage tasks and projects more efficiently, and it quickly gained a following thanks to its intuitive design and flexibility. Fast forward to 2024, and Trello is still going strong in a competitive market, evolving to meet the needs of both individuals and teams across various industries.

Basecamp Pricing: What You Need to Know and How to Pay Less

When it comes to project management Basecamp is one of the most well-known names in the game. Founded in 1999 and officially presented in 2004 by 37signals, it is only a year younger than PayPal. Since then, Basecamp has become one of the leading project management tools, helping countless teams across industries stay organized and collaborate better. Their focus has always been on ease of use.

Citizen engagement in local government: A guide to best practices

‍ What is the secret to promoting a thriving democracy at the grassroots level? The answer lies in citizen engagement in local government. A 2022 survey by Rock Solid found that 62.8% of people reported being satisfied with their access to local governance. This indicates the need for a more significant level of engagement. It also underscores why encouraging citizen involvement in local governance has to be focused.

6 Benefits of citizen engagement for effective governance

‍ Active citizen engagement enables the public to share their opinions on core government decisions with ease and security. This is why it serves as one of the key pillars of a functioning democracy. Additionally, by 2050, two-thirds of the global population will likely live in cities. So, the local governments will need to focus more on involving citizens to meet their needs and aspirations effectively.

How Workplace by Facebook is Taking on Slack? Comparing Chat, Call, Notification and Other Features

Launched in 2013, Slack continues to grow at a heady pace, boasting 10 million daily active users and 85,000 paid customers. Despite Slack’s blatant success, quite a few tools are breathing down its neck. Workplace by Facebook is surely one of them. With Meta’s recent announcement that Workplace will be shutting down in 2026, now is the perfect time to explore what this platform has to offer in our team chat wars series.

Software Piracy Is a Real Threat - Here is to Protect Your IT Assets?

Piracy is an issue that is faced by content-creating companies all around the world, whether they create movies, songs, books, art, or even software. All content is at risk of being stolen and then sold off at a cheaper rate or being shown for free at the cost of ads being displayed. Pirates have become more creative and have come up with different ways to rip others off of their creations and steal their profits for their own good. Companies that suffer the most are software companies.

Regain Control Over Your Privacy: Managing Default App and Social Media Settings

We spend most of our days immersed in the internet and connected apps, particularly social media. Smartphones offer easy one-click access to apps for shopping, learning, and more. We use them knowing that we're trading some personal info to use apps and online services. But did you know that hundreds of companies you've never heard of receive your data every time you open an app or visit a website?

Slack vs Discord - Gaming, Working or Both? (Our Team's Feedback)

I’m not into gaming. To tell you the truth, the most advanced game I ever played was Mario back in the 90s. But here I am today, writing about comparing Discord vs Slack — the most advertised team chat app out there. As luck would have it, some of my coworkers are gamers and heavy Discord users. They helped me out and shared some expert opinions about Discord for this comparison.

Discord vs Zoom: Which App is Best for Online Meetings

In 1991 the University of Cambridge created the first webcam. The reason? To monitor the coffee pot and check who was drinking all the coffee in the office. You know, the important stuff. Fast forward 30 years and the video conferencing market is now worth millions. The pandemic has only accelerated this growth, making video conferencing applications essential for today’s businesses. Companies are now globalized, and remote work has become the norm.

Building the Future: How Tech Trends are Influencing Student Career Paths

In an era where technology is the backbone of every industry, students are more connected to the future of work than ever before. As we progress through the 21st century, the intersection of technology and business is redefining career paths and opportunities. Students ask professional companies, “Please write my essay for me online as soon as you can” even more often these days because they have to account for multiple new tech- or business-oriented disciplines.

How Cloud Management Services Enhance Security and Compliance

Moving to the cloud can provide many benefits, like efficiently scaling resources up or down based on needs. You also have the flexibility to change your use and save on costs. However, it introduces new security and legal challenges that companies must address. Managing security and compliance in the cloud takes time, processes, and tools focused on that task. This is where cloud management services can help.

Slack vs Microsoft Teams: Which Tool is Ahead of the Game?

With the onset of the pandemic and the shift in workplace behaviors, there was a sudden need to facilitate collaboration and digitization to enhance productivity and maintain consistency between team members across different locations and time zones. Satya Nadella and Bill Gates wanted to bid $8 billion USD to acquire Slack, the team chat SaaS company. Their meeting took an extraordinary turn, and instead of buying Slack, they decided to create their own app.

9 Slack Competitors. What Team Chat Tools Are Leading the Way?

Slack has created quite a buzz in the world of team communication. With 10 million+ daily users and more than a $27 billion valuation, it is undoubtedly one of the most popular team communication platforms. However, Slack has gained a lot of competitors throughout the years (Microsoft Teams, and Facebook Workspace, to name a few) that offer highly competitive features and packages. And since Slack’s price tag is quite high many tools deliver more affordable solutions.

10 Best Microsoft Teams Alternatives You Should Try

There are around 270 million Microsoft Teams users worldwide. However, organizations that don’t use Microsoft’s suite of services may need an alternative solution, as the platform is closely tied to the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Fortunately, many Microsoft Teams alternatives offer flexibility and robust features for team communication and collaboration.

How to Successfully Scale Your SaaS Business

With the tech landscape continuously evolving and the fierce competition, scaling is no longer just an option for SaaS businesses. It’s a necessity. The SaaS industry has a staggering 90% failure rate. Without strategic growth, your SaaS business might just be one of those many casualties. But to successfully scale SaaS businesses, you need more than just luck. Here are five best practices you need to follow to ensure your SaaS business’ lasting success.

How Connectivity Enhances Cross-Team Collaboration and Innovation

In today's busy and ever-changing business world, teams must work well together to succeed. Being connected is critical to successful teamwork as we rely more on technology and work from different places. This connection helps teams overcome distance, time differences, and departmental divides, making it possible for them to talk, share ideas, and work together in ways that were not possible before.

openDesk enters the chat with Element!

Element is delighted to be joining the launch of openDesk at Smart Country Convention in Berlin, 15-17 October. For those that don’t know already, openDesk is an Office & Collaboration Suite for public administration. The development of openDesk is led by the Centre for Digital Sovereignty in Public Administration (ZenDiS), a limited company created by Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI). Element was selected by ZenDiS as the real time communications component within openDesk.

10 Internal Communication Apps To Streamline Your HR Team

Every HR department can relate to juggling emails, chasing down updates, and trying to keep track of a million things– all at once. One thing that can save the day is nothing other than internal communication apps. Good internal communication is the best way to keep the HR team (including employees!) informed, engaged, and aligned with company goals. These HR comms apps make it easy to manage everything from employee feedback to team announcements without all the back-and-forth that slows you down.

How to Plan an SEO Budget to Achieve Long-Term Business Growth

Search Engine Optimisation is not just a luxury but a necessity. But how much should you spend on it? Creating a well-thought-out SEO budget can be a bit of a puzzle. There are countless factors to consider, from your business goals to the competitive landscape to the resources you have at your disposal. If you’re unsure where to start or how to allocate funds to maximize your return on investment (ROI), you’re not alone. Many businesses struggle with this.

13 Best Chat Apps. Who's Got the Muscle?

Here’s the truth: hardly any ‘chat apps’ are left on the market. Today’s corporate messengers are not just about communication anymore. As business needs have evolved, group chat apps have become powerful collaboration tools. The chatting apps now mix team chats, audio/video calls, file sharing, and integrations with third-party apps, making them complete ‘work hubs’ designed to satisfy all business needs.

What is Workplace Chat and How to Choose the Right One for Your Business?

Effective communication is the key to a positive and healthy work environment. With a well-connected, happy, and motivated team, goals are easily achieved and projects move forward with less friction. Yet many modern workplaces still struggle with poor communication. Misunderstandings, unclear requirements, and confusion about tasks are common in teams that lack harmony and proper ways of communication. All of this harms employee performance.

20+ Best Business Productivity Apps - Save Money, Time and Effort

Coffee could be killing your productivity. As former Googlers say, relying on your morning cup of Joe will likely worsen your work rate. But there’s also one thing that can boost your output, not undermine it. I’m talking about the best apps for productivity. These tools save us time, effort, and money—even if we indulge ourselves in a cup of coffee occasionally. So, let’s talk about business productivity apps. At Chanty, we are keen on exploring digital tools.

How engaged citizens drive better governance & 5 tools to boost participation

‍ According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), countries with higher levels of citizen engagement tend to have more effective and responsive governments. This highlights the critical role engaged citizens play in enhancing governance. However, challenges like lack of awareness, communication barriers, and limited accessibility often restrain civic participation.

Zulip's Google Summer of Code 2024

This summer, 17 contributors completed the Google Summer of Code(GSoC) program with the Zulip development community. This was the 9th consecutive year that Zulip participated in GSoC; over 120 contributors have now completed one of our formal internship programs, primarily through Google Summer of Code and Outreachy. Our welcoming community is fully committed to helping bring up the next generation of open-source contributors from a wide range of backgrounds.

Top Remote Work Skills to Highlight in Your CV

When you're polishing your CV for remote job opportunities, emphasizing the right skills can really make you stand out. It's not just about listing them and leaving the rest to a fancy CV maker; you need to show that you can excel in a virtual setting. Have you thought about how your self-motivation and adaptability appear to potential employers? And what about your tech skills—are you effectively demonstrating your ability to tackle problems on your own?

How to Increase Telegram Subscribers: A Guide to Boost Your Reach

Telegram is well on its way to becoming one of the most popular social media platforms. It started as a simple messaging app, but nowadays, there are over 500 million Telegram members. This makes Telegram one of the smartest ways to reach your target audience. However, getting more Telegram channel members isn't always so easy. There are also other Telegram channels that are your competition.

From Chat to Zendesk AI Messaging: Community Event

:Transform Your Customer Service with AI Messaging!: In this recording of our Zendesk Community Event on Making the Shift from Chat to AI Messaging, you will discover how to elevate your customer service from basic chat to Zendesk AI-powered messaging. This session provided valuable insights into transforming customer communication capabilities through the use of AI and machine learning.

NATO NI2CE Messenger utilises the power of decentralised communication

Fast Company recently covered NATO ACT’s partnership with us to create its NI2CE Messenger, an exploratory initiative to investigate the potential of a digitally sovereign messenger. For experimental use within NATO ACT, NI2CE (NATO Interoperable Instant Communication Environment) is a sovereign and secure messenger that aims to complement existing NATO communication solutions with a secure Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) style messenger for ‘non classified’ use.

Miscommunication In The Workplace And Ways to Avoid It

Effective communication in the workplace is crucial; it’s the key to achieving goals and scaling your business with ease. Miscommunications can disrupt your operations and severely affect your productivity. Several factors may cause a lack of communication at work. You must identify these causes and take the necessary measures to improve communication. With better communication, you will improve collaboration and minimize the likelihood of your teams working in silos.

Top 10 Online B2B Websites For Buyers And Sellers Worldwide

In this fast-paced digital world, businesses all around the world are going through significant changes to keep up. The landscape of B2B has changed drastically since the initiation of online marketplaces with streamlined operations. These online marketplaces have emerged as powerful tools of engagement. These marketplaces have introduced advanced and innovative ways to connect buyers and sellers together under a single roof.

4 challenges of ERP migration and how to avoid them

ERP enables companies to centralize and optimize disparate business processes, including finance, inventory, CRM, and human resource management, thus helping improve business efficiency. However, companies using legacy ERP can find it more burdensome than helpful for their businesses over time. As ERP software grows outdated, it becomes more challenging to maintain and operate. Software performance, data security, and other issues can also arise.