Popular workspace collaboration platform Slack has announced Slack Connect, its attempt to let users easily connect to external organizations. The company positions Slack Connect as a replacement to email.
“Slack Connect is the most secure and productive way for organizations to communicate. Designed to replace email, Slack Connect extends channel-based messaging to everyone you work with—inside and outside your organization,” describes Slack.
According to Slack’s website, Slack Connect allows users to collaborate with up to 20 different organizations. The company says it has been working on Slack Connect for more than 4 years.
Slack Connect promises the following benefits:
- Securely connect to external organizations
- Work more quickly alongside customers, partners, and vendors
- Strengthen relationships with valuable external partners
Slack will leverage its enterprise-grade features such as data loss prevention, retention & e-discovery, and Enterprise Key Management via Amazon Web Services for Slack Connect.
Slack says that administrators have control over their organization’s data and admins can effectively monitor external access. Also, the company points out that teams can receive messages and files just from verified members, unlike email. This way, Slack believes it could reduce the chances of spam and phishing.
Slack has plans to integrate Outlook and Google Calendar to Slack Connect. The company promises that Slack will scan everyone’s calendars across different calendar apps to suggest available meeting slots.
“The introduction of Slack Connect marks a major leap forward in our mission to transform business communication and make people’s working lives simpler, more pleasant and more productive,” said Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield.
Slack Connect is available right now for all paid plans.
