Group chat is becoming the ‘next big thing’ in IT, with companies like Facebook and Microsoft investing heavily in this area. Facebook’s Workplace, a business version of its social network, includes a group chat feature, while Microsoft has launched Teams, a chat service for Office 365 users. The rise of group chat is being attributed to the growing popularity of Slack, a start-up that offers a chat platform for businesses. Slack has over four million daily users and is valued at nearly $4bn.
The appeal of group chat lies in its potential to streamline communication and boost productivity within teams. Unlike emails, which can become unwieldy and cluttered, group chats allow for real-time, focused conversations. They also offer features like file sharing, video conferencing, and integration with other productivity tools. Despite this, critics warn that group chats can be distracting and lead to information overload.
Companies are responding to these concerns by developing smarter, more intuitive chat tools. For example, IBM’s Watson uses artificial intelligence to analyse chat content and provide relevant information. Similarly, Microsoft’s Teams includes a feature that uses machine learning to prioritise messages. As group chat continues to evolve, it is expected to become an integral part of the modern workplace.
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