When a pandemic such as novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is upon us, the best thing we can do is avoid physical contact as much as possible, social gatherings, especially. So, how does one work with the team while working remotely? Let’s just say that being in the 21st century we don’t physically need to be in an office to collaborate and coordinate with our team, we can do that sitting on our couch. Here are some Work Collaboration Tools you should be using when you are working from home and social distancing yourself:
Workplace from Facebook
You must be familiar with Facebook, or at least you have heard of it; after all, it is one of the biggest social media platforms in the world. Workplace is just like Facebook, but solely for work. You can create groups that are spaces for sharing updates, files, feedback and more. Workplace lets you broadcast announcements, training sessions or meetings across your organization through Live Videos. It’s always good to see who is engaging and get feedback in real-time. There’s also an instant messaging feature that lets you chat 1-to-1 or in groups, reaching anyone in your organization with text, pictures, voice, and video. Workplace also provides two Mobile Apps — one for Workplace itself and the other for Chats. Workplace comes with three plans — Essential, which you can sign up for free. Advanced is $4 per person, per month. And Enterprise, which comes around $8 per person, per month. Workplace offers a 30-day free trial.
A special mention goes to the auto-translate feature that offers translations in 46 languages.
So, if I say こんにちは, my teammates will know I’m saying ‘Hi’ in Japanese.
Best of all, it is a very familiar interface that doesn’t need a lot of getting used to it. Workplace is social media and work in one platform. Sweet!
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a hub for teamwork in Office 365. You can chat, meet, call, and collaborate with everyone you work. You can meet with teams of 10 or 10,000, host audio, video, and web conferences. In Microsoft Teams you can access, share, and edit Word docs, PowerPoint, and Excel files in real-time. There are also Mobile Apps for iOS, Android and Windows. Microsoft Teams comes with four plans — Microsoft Teams (free). Office 365 Business Essentials is $5 per person, per month. Office 365 Business Premium is $12.50 per person, per month, and Office 365 E3 is $20 per person, per month.
HeySpace
A free alternative to Workplace and Microsoft Teams, HeySpace is not just a collaboration and communication tool, it is also a great task management software. It’s a perfect alternative to Microsoft Teams because of its simplicity and functionality. With HeySpace, you can easily convert part of your conversation into a task, this will allow you to see all projects in one place. You can adjust the tasks by setting dates, assigning people to it, adding tags, description, files, comment on them.
Wire
Wire is another alternative to Microsoft Teams and Workplace. This software allows you and your team to safely share files and information, make voice calls, video conferences, chat or create groups to discuss different tasks and projects. Encrypted groups can be created on Wire where you can invite other people. If you prioritize your security and want your information to be secured and encrypted, Wire is probably the best option for you. Wire comes with two plans — Wire Pro is €4 per person, per month, and Wire Enterprise is €8 per person, per month. Wire offers a 30-day free trial.
Winio
Winio was designed to center team communication and collaboration around tasks. It is similar to HeySpace and allows you to keep all the information in one place. Winio is good for teams of any sizes, be it individuals or even a team of freelancers. This collaborative tool lets you focus on what your team is working, you don’t have to use emails within your company thanks to this feature. It’s easy to discuss with your team on what tasks and projects you will be working on. Winio also allows you to take notes during a meeting and collaborate with you teammate. Currently, Winio offers two plans — the Free version that lets you add up to 5 users, and the Pro version that lets you add up to 50 users and comes around $6.89 per person, per month.
Slack
There’s no slacking when it comes to work. But you can count on this Slack that has been around since 2013. Slack is where the people you need, the information you share, and the tools you use come together to get things done. If you need a tool to make communication transparent and smooth, Slack is the best option for you. It allows you to create channels for different teams, projects or tasks. Just like the other collaboration tools, you can send messages to your teammates, send files and create workspaces. Unlike email, Slack lets you choose which conversations are most important. Slack currently offers four plans — The fourth being Enterprise Grid, which is for extra-large businesses or those in regulated industries. If you are interested in this, you have to contact their sales team. The other three plans include Free, which is suitable for small teams trying out Slack for an unlimited period of time. Standard, for small- and medium-sized businesses, which comes around $6.67 per person, per month, and Plus, for larger businesses or those with additional administration needs, which comes around $12.50 per person, per month.
If you’re giving this a shot, let us know which tool you prefer and will go on to recommend it to your friends.
As the COVID-19 Pandemic grows, we hope you are social distancing and keeping yourself and your family safe. Stay home. Stay hydrated. Stay safe.
