Meta is building WhatsApp into its workplace collaboration platform

Meta (née Facebook) has announced it will soon integrate messaging service WhatsApp into its collaboration platform, Workplace from Meta.

The company says the integration is designed to make it easier for companies to reach their employees, especially frontline workers whose jobs involve dealing with customers out in the field. 

The new feature is designed to allow organizations to deliver important messages to their staff directly over WhatsApp, thereby avoiding delays inherent to services like email that are checked less frequently by frontline workers.

The WhatsApp integration will supposedly roll out at some point in 2022, but Meta has not offered a specific launch date (the company is calling this a “pre-announcement”).

WhatsApp comes to Workplace from Meta

The new WhatsApp integration was informed at least in part by research conducted by Workplace from Meta, which shows that many frontline workers are dissatisfied by the level of communication they receive from their organization.

Based on a survey of 7,000 frontline workers and 1,300 executives, the report states that only 54% feel connected to their company headquarters, while a similar proportion complain that in-office employees receive better perks and benefits.

As a result, roughly half (47%) of frontline workers say they are planning to find a new role this year, and an even larger percentage (49%) will attempt to move out of the frontline workforce entirely.

A similar report from Microsoft recently came to the same conclusion. The company found that frontline workers are too often overlooked when it comes to software deployment, with more than half saying they did not feel valued by their employer.

According to Meta, the new WhatsApp integration will help frontline workers establish a tighter relationship with their leadership team, which should in turn reduce the staff turnover rate and boost productivity.

“We’re at a critical juncture of the employer-frontline relationship and the Great Frontline Resignation is a very real threat,” said Christine Trodella, Global Director at Workplace from Meta.

“While it’s clear from this year’s report that business leaders recognize the fundamental role frontline workers play, actions speak louder than words. Now is the time for leadership to listen, learn and more importantly, take action to build a workforce that is inclusive of the workers who brought them through the pandemic.”

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LinkedIn is taking on Zoom and Microsoft Teams with a new audio and video events platform

In order to get users to spend more time on its professional social network, LinkedIn is preparing to launch a new virtual events platform for both audio and video.

As reported by TechCrunch, the company's new events platform will allow creators and organizations to list, host and market interactive virtual events.

LinkedIn actually began looking into events before the pandemic began with the launch of its Events hub back in 2019. However, as more people started working from home, the company added online polls and video events to provide remote workers with access to events. 

Now though with its new virtual events platform, LinkedIn will start out with an audio-only product similar to Clubhouse that will launch in beta this month followed by a video version that will be available in the spring.

Audio and video events

When LinkedIn's new events platform launches in beta later this month, organizers won't have to rely on other third-party software as it will include all of the tools needed to run interactive content from end-to-end.

Hosts will be able to record and run their events straight from LinkedIn as the new platform will include tools for online attendees and hosts to have live conversations  and moderate discussions. However, attendees will also be able to communicate with one another both during and after an event has ended. Promoting these events will be a cinch as well as organizers can do so on LinkedIn.

The platform will start off by targeting individual creators who already rely on the professional social network to connect with a wider audience and cover topics such as career development and recruitment.

Product manager at LinkedIn, Jake Poses provided further details on the company's philosophy when it comes to its new virtual event platform for audio and video in an interview with TechCrunch, saying:

“Our philosophy is to put the organizers in control. We want to make it easier to host virtual round tables, fireside chats, and more. Some may want the event to be more formal, or less formal. Some might want to communicate with their audience, to open up to the floor. We’re giving professionals interactivity and support.”

We'll likely hear more from LinkedIn once the audio-only portion of its new virtual events platform begins rolling out in beta later this month.

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Via TechCrunch

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AT&T has sold its online advertising platform to Microsoft

Microsoft has announced that it has entered a definitive agreement to acquire the online advertising and analytics firm Xandr from AT&T.

The agreement builds on a decade-long relationship between Xandr, its predecessor companies and the software giant for delivering digital media solutions for advertisers on a global scale. Through its data-enabled technology platform, Xandr provides tools which power a diverse ecosystem that connects marketers and media owners through first-party, data-led advertising solutions across its network.

President of web experiences at Microsoft, Mikhail Parakhin explained in a press release how its acquisition of Xandr will help shape the digital ad marketplace of the future, saying:

“With Xandr’s talent and technology, Microsoft can accelerate the delivery of its digital advertising and retail media solutions, shaping tomorrow’s digital ad marketplace into one that respects consumer privacy preferences, understands publishers’ relationships with consumers and helps advertisers meet their goals.”

Shaping the future of digital advertising

Microsoft and Xandr have a shared vision for the digital ad marketplace of the future as well as complementary strengths to empower the open web so that everyone can thrive and do so in a way that is consistent with the software giant's commitment to strong data governance and consumer privacy practices.

Through the acquisition, Microsoft will be able to accelerate the delivery of digital advertising solutions for the open web by combining its audience understanding, technology and global advertising customer base with Xandr's large-scale, data-driven platforms for advertising.

The company brings a number of advertising platforms to the table including its cross-screen, first-party data-centered buying platform Xandr Invest as well as its full funnel marketing offering Xandr Monetize.

By acquiring Xandr, Microsoft aims to become organizations' media partner of choice for the open web and we'll likely hear more on its plans for the digital ad marketplace of the future once the transaction officially closes following regulatory review.

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