Marketers are always looking out for the “next big thing” and it turns out one has been right under our noses all along: chat tools. These platforms have become the latest frontier for marketers, opening up creative new ways to engage customers and streamline workflows. It’s commonplace for teams to use chat tools to increase their productivity and improve their collaboration efforts.

Are you looking for a team chat app for your business? Perhaps your tools aren’t scaling well as your organization grows, or you’re early in your journey and want tools that will grow with you. Maybe members of your remote or global team are frustrated with your current communication software. Team chat is often the virtual office for your organization, where employees spend a significant portion of their working hours.

Microsoft and Google have been battling for years to own the future of tech. Today, I’m comparing two of their popular tools – Skype and what was once Google Hangouts. (Now it’s split into Google Chat for messaging and Google Meet for video calls.) Thanks to building Chanty – a simple team chat, our team had to perform an in-depth analysis of our competitors.

Flowdock is one of the oldest team collaboration tools on the market. Announced in July 2009, the app launched public beta in March 2010 – more than three years before Slack! Flowdock was first designed for developers but has since become a tool for many different types of professionals. After over a decade, Flowdock closed on 1 October 2022. Many teams are now looking for new ways to work together. Slack was designed for various types of teams since the very beginning, having launched in 2014.

Here’s the truth: hardly any ‘chat apps’ are left on the market. Today’s corporate messengers are not just about communication anymore. As business needs have evolved, group chat apps have become powerful collaboration tools. The chatting apps now mix team chats, audio/video calls, file sharing, and integrations with third-party apps, making them complete ‘work hubs’ designed to satisfy all business needs.

Effective communication is the key to a positive and healthy work environment. With a well-connected, happy, and motivated team, goals are easily achieved and projects move forward with less friction. Yet many modern workplaces still struggle with poor communication. Misunderstandings, unclear requirements, and confusion about tasks are common in teams that lack harmony and proper ways of communication. All of this harms employee performance.

‍ With over 3 billion gamers all over the globe, online gaming has witnessed a phenomenal rise. Though the players are often perceived to be anti-social, in reality, they prefer to interact with like-minded individuals. Irrespective of the nature of the game, players look for robust communication channels to collaborate with fellow gamers. Traditionally, the in-game chat apps offered text-only messaging that limited communication outside the gaming session.

‍ As businesses increasingly adopt hybrid and remote work models, collaboration tools and effective communication have become essential for teamwork, productivity, and overall organizational success. According to a report by McKinsey, digital communication and collaboration tools like team chat apps can improve productivity by 20-30% by reducing time spent on non-essential emails and meetings.