FOSDEM 2022 took place on Matrix 5-6 February, seeing anyone enthusiastic about free and open source software - from anywhere across the globe - meet, share ideas and collaborate. For a full write up from a pure Matrix perspective, visit the Matrix blog post. Element was a sponsor of FOSDEM 2022 and our Element Matrix Services (EMS) team provided all of the chat infrastructure for this year’s event.

Human beings are built to be communal. People thrive off the company of others, especially in the workplace, and it fuels creativity and encourages the performance of fellow employees. Not that it has to be consistently competitive, but certainly socializing with colleagues can inspire our mode of thinking.

The year 2021 has passed, and it’s a new year for another annual general meeting. The previous years have opened up AGMs to venture out of the four-walled conference halls. In addition, the global crisis has become an accelerant for companies to adopt digital solutions and explore virtual and hybrid AGMs.

Internationalization in software development, known as “i18n” for its number of letters, is as vital as ever for modern companies. Web-based products and services are no longer tied to geographical and cultural boundaries and not every potential customer speaks English. You might have designed your app with your native region in mind, but you’ll eventually need to expand your supported languages and regions to cater to a global audience.

In the field of healthcare, clinical governance is the primary priority to maintain the health and wellness of the patients. Advancements in medicines and practices are developed to support the goal of clinical governance. Similarly, healthcare boards also work towards achieving better healthcare board governance. This means making workflows more efficient to sustain the business while complying with regulations.

Want a secure custom branded web-based messenger, but don’t want to pay a fortune? You can have exactly that using Element Cloud, from just $15 per month! via GIPHY A branded Element web app is ideal for organisations and communities who want all the benefits of open and secure end-to-end encrypted messaging, but with a customised interface to make it look like their own.

Slack alternatives: why should you consider them and what are the best ones? There has never been so much talk about team collaboration software as nowadays. The world is witnessing a new working model and improving productivity while working hybridly has become high priority. Among so many options, we've noticed that organizations are looking for Slack alternatives.

Is WhatsApp secure for companies? Can employees carelessly discuss work-related matters via WhatsApp? WhatsApp users were caught by surprise last year when they learned that some of their data is shared with Facebook. Millions of users received a notification about the platform’s Privacy Policy Update in 2021. But the news triggered a question: how secure is WhatsApp and is it actually secure for companies? The reactions were diverse.

If you upgrade your phone every year or two, you’re not alone. If your company regularly renews tech contracts and gives you the latest laptop to take home – and if you’re lucky enough to drive an electric car – well, good for you! But there’s a catch. And it’s huge. Laptops, phones and electric cars need batteries. Extracting the lithium and other rare metals required to make those batteries is resource intensive. Sometimes dangerous.