Best Business Instant Messaging Software
Business instant messaging (BIM) software is a real-time, text-based internal messaging platform for businesses. It typically enables users to create small group chats for team collaboration, as well as larger channels for dispersing company-wide information.
The rapid nature of these instant messaging products provides an internal space to quickly address coworkers without using informal means such as texting from a personal phone number. This enables teams to share information faster and more efficiently, which can help enhance productivity across the enterprise. Regardless of the device used, BIM platforms provide security features via encrypted messages and channel access control. Similar to email software, BIM software enables users to share files, thread messages, archive conversations, and search internally within chats.
A growing number of these products now have artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, which enable smart replies and auto-responses when activated, as well as sentiment analysis for mood detection with responses.
BIM platforms often have integrations with AI chatbots software and virtual assistant software to amplify productivity, especially in strengthening search capabilities and real-time language translation. AI also reinforces such platforms’ security features by continually monitoring communication channels and detecting threats to the platform.
Businesses of all types and sizes use BIM solutions with other products, either alongside them or via integrations. This type of communication software allows for customization based on the company’s needs. It can often be integrated with productivity bots software, video conferencing software, screen sharing software, project management tools and more. Business instant messaging tools can also be integrated with software such as employee intranet software or employee engagement software as ways to strengthen the employee experience. However, there are standalone BIM solutions available that can integrate other productivity software natively. This allows for further personalization based on the needs of the enterprise.
To qualify for inclusion in the Business Instant Messaging (BIM) category, a product must:
Featured Business Instant Messaging Software At A Glance
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Microsoft Teams is a comprehensive collaboration platform developed by Microsoft, designed to streamline communication and teamwork within organizations. It integrates chat, video conferencing, file s
13,088,482 Twitter followers
Slack is your single workspace that connects you with the people and tools you work with everyday, no matter where you are or what you do. With Slack you get real-time messaging through calls and chat
Slack is a communication platform designed to facilitate seamless collaboration and messaging among team members. Users like Slack's user-friendly interface, efficient search function, and its ability to integrate with other tools like Google Drive, Trello, or Zoom, which enhances workflow and real-time information sharing. Users reported that managing numerous channels can be confusing and overwhelming, and the platform's notification system can be slow or excessive, leading to missed updates or information overload.
580,855 Twitter followers
Google Workspace is a comprehensive productivity and collaboration solution designed to help users streamline their work processes by integrating essential tools such as email, chat, file storage, and
Google Workspace is a suite of tools integrating email, documents, storage, and meetings in one place for efficient collaboration. Reviewers frequently mention the seamless integration of communication, documents, and meetings under one environment, allowing team members to collaborate on documents in real time without any issues regarding document versions. Reviewers mentioned that the management of shared drives can become unstructured and the product lacks more complex workflow automation features.
31,775,247 Twitter followers
Goodbye app overload. Hello effortless work. Work can be complicated. Your tools shouldn't be. Zoom Workplace connects all the ways you collaborate — from meetings to docs to chat and more — with bui
Zoom Workplace is a platform that centralizes communication, collaboration, and execution in one environment, offering features for videoconferencing, virtual meetings, webinars, and more. Reviewers appreciate the simplicity and reliability of Zoom Workplace for daily meetings, highlighting the ease of joining calls, scheduling meetings, sharing screens, and the clear audio and video quality. Users mentioned occasional minor connection issues or short audio delays, and noted that the platform can use a lot of system resources during long meetings.
1,045,404 Twitter followers
Launch and grow your business with Microsoft 365. Do more, faster, with intelligent tools to create, send, share, and store professional, branded documents with your customers and team - securely in t
Microsoft 365 is a productivity suite that integrates tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams for work and collaboration. Reviewers appreciate the seamless integration across the suite, the accessibility from any device, and the automatic saving and syncing feature that enhances reliability. Users experienced issues with the high subscription cost, heavy reliance on internet connectivity, and frequent updates that sometimes make the interface confusing.
13,088,482 Twitter followers
Webex Suite is an all-in-one, AI-powered collaboration suite built to increase productivity and maximize teamwork in today’s hybrid work. With 8 powerful individual workflows – Meetings, Messaging, Ca
721,498 Twitter followers
Connecteam is a mobile-first workforce management app featuring a robust set of tools designed to help organizations with deskless teams improve communication, retain staff, and drive operational effi
Connecteam is a software platform designed to manage team tasks, schedules, and communication, with features such as time tracking, task assignment, and messaging. Users frequently mention the convenience of having all necessary features in one place, such as work schedules, tasks, messages, and time tracking, which saves them from switching between different platforms. Users reported issues with the app slowing down, difficulties with the job scheduler, inability to request shifts on certain days, and a lack of deep statistical analysis for reports.
1,240 Twitter followers
ClickUp is the world’s first Converged AI Workspace, bringing together all work apps, data, and workflows. ClickUp eliminates all forms of work sprawl to provide 100% context and a single place for hu
ClickUp is a project management tool that combines tasks, documents, and goals into a single interface, offering customization and automation features. Users like ClickUp's flexibility, customization options, and its ability to consolidate multiple tools into one, making it easier to manage tasks and projects. Users experienced issues with ClickUp's steep learning curve, occasional performance slowdowns, and complexity due to its numerous features and customization options.
68,803 Twitter followers
Glip is a conversation platform for teams to plan, share & organize work tasks. Text and video chat features facilitate communication between team members whilst file sharing and collaborative tas
62,205 Twitter followers
Are you double sending emails? Not knowing who's responding to what, or whether they've responded at all? What if your business could manage all your email accounts, including its shared inboxes l
2,659 Twitter followers
Zoho Cliq is a business communication software that helps simplify and streamline your communication with organized conversations and information that's easy to find. Cliq is designed to enable a hybr
137,095 Twitter followers
Text Request is a business texting software that directly connects your business to your customers through the unmatched engagement power of text messaging. Upgrade your business phone number to send
644 Twitter followers
Your team’s new flow starts with Morningmate — the single workspace where work moves seamlessly from morning to done. Not as many integrations as Slack. Not as automated as Asana. But just enough
Morningmate is a project management tool that centralizes tasks, schedules, file sharing, and team communication in one platform. Reviewers frequently mention the user-friendly interface, the ability to easily collaborate with team members, and the efficiency in managing various sub-tasks and project information. Reviewers experienced some issues with the mobile app's performance, occasional slow response speed, and a learning curve for some advanced features.
16 Twitter followers
Clinked is a secure, cloud-based client portal and collaboration solution designed to streamline communication and file sharing for teams, project groups, and business clients within a protected envir
Clinked is a client portal designed for secure collaboration with stakeholders, offering features such as document storage, task management, event tracking, and structured communication. Reviewers appreciate Clinked's intuitive interface, efficient file and document management, comprehensive task and project management features, and the ability to customize the portal to reflect their brand. Reviewers mentioned limitations in customization options, particularly regarding file structure and task management, challenges with scalability and licensing restrictions, and complexity in the configuration of the app.
1,295 Twitter followers
We help teams move faster. Hive's best-in-class project management platform includes all of the tools you need and want -- and if not, we will build them for you. With flexible project views and endle
Hive is a software that offers features and resources for managing work projects, facilitating customization and management of work processes, and providing SQL-like querying to massive, distributed datasets. Users frequently mention Hive's ability to create multiple project views, its advanced digital features for business project visualization, its high integration capability with third-party tools, and its ease of use and implementation. Reviewers noted that Hive is not designed for real-time data processing or interactive queries, it lacks an option to add corresponding budget totals for tasks, and its notifications don't stay visible for long, making them easy to miss.
3,377 Twitter followers
Learn More About Business Instant Messaging Software
What is Business Instant Messaging Software?
Business instant messaging software provide users with instant messaging platforms that allow direct and group messaging capabilities within an organization. These tools aim to facilitate quick conversations between team members. Business messaging tools make communicating with coworkers as easy as chatting with friends on social media or via text. Most business instant messaging options include emoji and GIF capability to promote authentic and natural conversation within the workplace.
Key Benefits of Business Instant Messaging Software
- Offer instant communication capability between team members
- Allow teams to connect regardless of location
- Make messages easily searchable
- Provide a less formal virtual space for team communication
- Connect an organization horizontally and vertically
Why Use Business Instant Messaging Software?
Most modern businesses leverage some type of business instant messaging software. They provide a cornucopia of benefits, making them a mainstay of the modern software stack.
Rapid — Business messaging tools support employees by bringing instant messaging to a workforce. Teams can rapidly communicate with one another, facilitating collaboration between remote employees, across teams, or across offices.
Informal — Email etiquette is notoriously difficult to master and can feel unnecessarily formal for simple questions. Business messaging tools allow teams to toss out overly professional decorum and focus on content over etiquette.
Mobile — All competitive business instant messaging products tout a robust, intuitive mobile application to pair with their desktop offering. Today, business requires people to reachable to support their peers at all times. Business instant messaging platforms are easy to use at work and on the go.
Adoptable — Instant messaging feels natural for most users at this point. Millennials now constitute the bulk of the workforce, and business instant messaging software is a natural step for this generation. Adoption rates are high since business messengers feel familiar.
Who Uses Business Instant Messaging Software?
Organizations across industries use business instant messengers to connect their employees. The software equips users with a quick, streamlined method of communicating with peers for all topics These platforms provide a time-effective alternative to passive mediums such as email or intrusive in-person meetings. The benefits provided by business instant messaging software are useful to businesses of any size—from three people to 3,000 people. Whether coordinating shifts in a university’s psychology lab or meetings in a Fortune 500 company, efficient communication is paramount.
Kinds of Business Instant Messaging Software
Stand-alone — Many business instant messengers are stand-alone products integrations. Dedicated business instant messaging tools sometimes provide additional features like video conferencing, limited VoIP capability, and employee directories to create a comprehensive communication hub.
Embedded — Instant messaging might come as an additional feature in other types of software or larger collaboration suites. Business instant messaging functionality is often found in employee intranet software, employee engagement software, or virtual workspaces. Other types of communication software, like video conferencing software, can also provide instant messaging.
Industry-specific — Some business instant messengers are built for specific industries with their unique needs in mind. For example, business instant messaging tools for manufacturing and field service will often include push-to-talk (PTT) software built in so remote employees have multiple instant communication channels. There are also clinical communication and collaboration platforms and HIPAA compliant messaging software built specifically for health care organizations. These platforms take patient confidentiality into consideration. Some popular, generalized business messengers have started to create industry-specific solutions or build compliance into their product so they’re available for specific industries.
Business Instant Messaging Software Features
Business instant messaging software share a few basic features across all products. As the space continues to become more competitive, some vendors have added additional communication and productivity features to help their product stand out.
Instant messaging — Instant, direct messaging is the main feature of business messenger applications. Users can instantly send direct or group messages. Depending on the administrator’s permissions, additional groups can be made by users or administrators.
Status updates — Users can leave a status attached to their profile to indicate their availability.
Activity feed — An activity feed is available to update users on new direct messages sent to them or new messages in groups. The feed will sometimes present replies to posts made by the user.
Notifications — Business messaging tools provide notifications when a user receives a direct message or a message is posted in a group. Additionally, users can turn notifications off or set certain permissions for notifications.
Emojis — Business messaging apps will often come loaded with emojis. Some applications even allow users to create their own.
Search — A search bar enables users to use keywords to easily find old messages.
File sharing — One of the main benefits of business messaging is the ability to easily and quickly share files and documents. Users can send links to documents hosted in the cloud or attach files saved on a desktop. Some tools even integrate with file repositories for streamlined file sharing.
Surveys and polls — Business messengers often provide simple survey and polling features allowing users to rapidly make decisions within the app.
Additional Business Instant Messaging Features
Conferencing — There has been increased effort to include audio and video conferencing functionality within business instant messaging products. When users can quickly move between text-based and audio-based communications, problems are resolved and questions are answered more efficiently.
Knowledge base integration — Some knowledge management tools serve as connectors between business instant messaging apps and knowledge bases. This type of integration attaches questions to answers then sends both to a searchable knowledge base.
Automatic translation — Some business messaging applications can automatically translate messages from one language into another via machine translation software.
Screen sharing — Business messengers with video conferencing capability often allow screen sharing between conference participants.
AI assistants — AI assistants are sometimes included in business messaging apps. They guide users to behaviors based on the messages they’ve sent. For example, if a user types to another that they need to meet at a certain date or time, an embedded AI assistant can open a prompt for the user to add an event to their calendar.
Potential Issues with Business Instant Messaging Software
Contextual inappropriateness — The convenience of instant messaging in the workplace is often a boon. As useful as business instant messaging software is, it is not always the most efficient or appropriate channel for certain situations. Problems can arise when individuals haven’t created clear distinctions for when it is appropriate to use a business messenger over email or another communication channel. While one-line emails could easily be relayed in an instant messenger, long-form messages with potential external participants aren’t appropriate on a business instant messaging platform.
This potential problem can be avoided with the implementation of clear guidelines identifying which communication channels should be used in a given situation. Businesses and organizations should include these guidelines in their onboarding and training process and make them available in a knowledge base for reference. Individuals who don’t use the appropriate channels should be gently reminded to break these habits.
