Workplace is an online
collaborative software tool developed by
Meta Platforms. Its features include instant messaging, file sharing, and video and audio conferencing.
History
Workplace was first announced on January 14, 2015.[1] It launched in beta as Facebook at Work before officially launching in October 2016.[2][better source needed] Free accounts were discontinued as of February 2021.[citation needed]
Workplace for Good was launched in June 2018 to provide a free version of Workplace for registered non-profits and staff of educational institutions.[3]
In October 2018, Workplace announced the launch of Safety Check.[4] Originally developed by Facebook engineers after the
2011 Japanese tsunami,[citation needed] Safety Check for Workplace allows organizations to identify employees who may be affected by a crisis and send and monitor responses. Safety Check has been used by
Delta Air Lines (during
Hurricane Florence and the
Hokkaido earthquake).[5]
As of May 2021, there were 7 million paying users.[6]
Functions
While Workplace accounts are set up and run separately[7] from Facebook accounts, Workplace uses much of Facebook's underlying technology. Workplace uses
machine learning to rank information in a user's news feed and make recommendations, while 'downranking' less relevant information.[8] Workplace data is stored across 12 Facebook-owned and operated data centers.[9]
Reception
PC Mag described it as "Facebook if your employer restricted membership to only your coworkers and bosses" and concluded "Workplace is what an organization makes of it".[10]