Communication preferences are evolving, among both employees, and consumers alike. There are billions of monthly active users (MAUs) on messaging apps. And although most apps like iMessage and WhatsApp were developed for consumer purposes, their speed, convenience, and ubiquity make them increasingly attractive in the workplace too.
As a result, companies embracing enterprise communication and collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams, are beginning to look for ways to extend the platforms features with connections to popular messaging tools.
The Challenges of Combing Messaging Apps with MS Teams
One of the reasons Microsoft Teams has become such a popular (320 million users and counting) solution for internal collaboration, is its flexibility. Aside from naturally enabling users to communicate via channels, video, and audio, it also supports a range of integrations with communication tools, and popular apps. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer native support for consumer messaging channels such as WhatsApp, SMS, iMessage, WeChat, and LINE.
Often, business users who want to message with external parties are then forced to use their own personal or business mobile number. This creates a significant user experience issue for enterprise employees who have to toggle constantly between devices and channels. Switching between Teams on a desktop, then WhatsApp on a phone is inefficient.
The issue also creates a clear compliance gap, as the business has no record of these conversations. In industries like finance, this can lead to significant fines. The SEC and CFTC have already levied almost 3 billion dollars in fines for non-compliant use of apps such as WhatsApp.
In every industry, there are risks to implementing new communication channels for employees and consumers. In the finance sector, for instance, SEC Rule 17-a-4 requires all broker-dealer firms to capture and archive electronic communication data for 6 years.
The only way to access the benefits of consumer messaging app such as iMessage and WhatsApp within Teams, without unnecessary risk, is to find an enterprise-grade solution partner.
How to Enable Compliant Messaging in Teams
The first step in leveraging iMessage, WhatsApp, and other messaging apps alongside Teams involves clearly defining your requirements. These include supported channels, business workflows, and integrations with Microsoft Azure services, Microsoft Purview, or existing archiving, surveillance, and backend systems.
It’s also important to understand the risks associated with opening new external communication channels from Microsoft Teams. Examining the data governance and security frameworks relevant to your business, is crucial to ensuring you’re protecting, collecting and storing communication data correctly.
From there:
Start by Looking at Ease of Use
When choosing a vendor, the first thing to examine is the overall experience they can offer for end users and clients. When accessing messaging apps within Teams, users want to have a “native” experience. It means using the Teams chat interface for external messaging – and avoid having a separate tab - and a seamless client invitation with automated, disclaimer messages, ensuring client conversations are always conducted from an official, legit business account.
Focus on Communication and Multimedia Capabilities
Teams users need access to rich communication features, from 1:1 chats to group chats, not only within the same messaging apps but also across diverse channels. This increases client satisfaction, as each party is not limited to specific channels and can use their preferred channel, even in group conversations. Additionally, they need the ability to share text, files, audio messages, and emojis, as well as edit or delete messages. Please check for any limitations a vendor may have.
