Facebook Workplace

Facebook Workplace is the social networking company’s enterprise-level collaboration tool. The tool is made to ease both inter- and intra-departmental communications and connect workers. Workplace is a mobile-focused solution with an available desktop version.

In the creation process for Workplace, Nicola Mendelsohn, vice president of Facebook’s European division, researched communications of European companies. In his research, Mendelsohn found that only fifteen percent of employees surveyed were happy with their communications solutions. Email is perceived as a dated communication method and many collaborative tools only allow communication to key individuals. Mendelsohn saw an opportunity for a real-time collaborative solution through the familiar Facebook.

Workplaces was created with a differentiated gray interface.  The platform allows business users to create an account with their business email address. Workplace is free for non-profit, and educational institutions and offers a free 90-day trial. Beyond that, there are rates per user with discounts for over 5,000 employees. There are no long-term contract lock-ins. Facebook claims it wants businesses to use the tool because they love it.