Use professional collaboration tools to interact with your colleagues, customers, and partners. There are enterprise collaboration tools for internal communication. Use instant messaging tools when you need an answer quickly or use the traditional email channel. Professional collaboration tools help you keep the work-related conversations in one place and easy to trace in the future.
Here is the menu of best and most popular collaboration tools that you can choose from. We have categorized them as per the following:
(Tools, that I personally use or have used and recommended are marked with a heart)
Enterprise Collaboration Tools
1. Salesforce Chatter (♥ of course)
- Enterprise Social Network from Salesforce
- Connect, collaborate, share files, data, and expertise, all in real-time
- Help drive productivity, increase efficiency, and innovation across departments
- 5000 Chatter Free licenses available in every org
- Paid licenses such as Chatter External and Chatter Only (Chatter Plus) available. Contact your Salesforce Account executive for pricing
- Enterprise connectivity platform developed by Facebook
- Features tools like groups, instant messaging, video calls, live video broadcasting, and News Feed
- Manage employee access through G Suite and Azure, Get email less workers on board with Access Codes
- Has a free plan with limited features
- Paid plans start from US$ 4/person/month (Free 30 days trial)
Email & Calendar
1. GSuite (♥)
- Includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Meet, Chat and other tools from Google
- Get a professional email address with your own domain (e.g. ashish@asagarwal.com)
- Access Gmail on the web and using third-party programs that synchronize email content through POP or IMAP protocols
- Starts from US$ 6/user/month
- Included as a part of GSuite
2. Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365)
- Connect and stay organized with your email, calendar, and contacts
- Get a professional email address with your own domain (e.g. ashish@asagarwal.com)
- Includes Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and other productivity apps
- Keep all in one place
- Share files, form groups, share questions and answers, do polls and more
- Paid plan starts from US$ 6.99/user/month
Instant Messaging
1. Google Hangouts (♥)
- Communication software developed by Google
- Keep in touch with one person or a group
- Available on mobile or on desktop
- Free
2. Google Chat (♥)
- An intelligent and secure communications tool by Google
- Send direct messages to individuals or to a team in chat rooms
- Chat Rooms are used for ongoing, long-term chats
- Group conversations around a topic using rooms
- Included as a part of GSuite
3. Slack
- Business communication platform developed by Slack Technologies
- Brings the team together regardless of location
- Have all communication and tools in one place to stay productive
- Conversations in Slack happen in dedicated spaces called channels
- Has a free plan with limited features
- Paid plan starts from US$ 2.67/active user/month (Trial available on request)
- Chat, Meet, Call, Collaborate from anywhere
- Microsoft Teams replaces Skype for Business Online
- Has a free plan with limited features
- Paid plan starts from US$ 5/user/month
Don’t see the tool of your choice listed here? Please feel free to mention it in the comments below for other readers’ benefit.
Want to see a list of more of such useful resources & tools under different categories? Please do take a look at the resources page.