Author Archives: Matt Kapko

Enterprise software makers have tried to blend social tools and consumer technology for at least a decade. It’s been a slow process, but by 2020 the biggest names in business software will likely be well-known consumer brands, instead of the stalwarts that dominated the market for decades, according to Aaron Levie, CEO of cloud storage service Box. 

Outsiders are redefining the future of workplace collaboration, and some of these companies, including Facebook, are focused on specific tools or technologies instead of platforms that try to serve every business need. The one-vendor-for-all-things-enterprise approach has no place in today’s business landscape, Levie says.

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Facebook at Work, the company’s social network for business, has a new name, but it features many of the same tools that 1.71 billion people use every month — without all the ads. Now called simply “Workplace,” the service is now publicly available to any organization. Facebook is a dominant force among consumers and marketers, and now it is setting its sights on the enterprise market. 

Workplace is free for the first three months, and then Facebook will charge a range of monthly prices, per active user: $3 each for up to 1,000 users, $2 for up to 10,000 users and $1 each for enterprises with more than 10,000 users. Nonprofit organizations and academic institutions will get Workplace at no cost, according to Facebook. In comparison, the popular collaboration service Slack, now a Workplace rival, offers a free app with limited features, and it currently charges $15 per month per active user for its premium offering. 

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Apple will soon expand its enterprise roadmap thanks to a partnership that should result in the release of a new set of industry-specific iOS apps. The deal with Deloitte is designed to increase the value and appeal of Apple devices in the workplace with new specialized applications, network integrations and mobile-first processes for businesses. 

[Related: Should Apple worry about Microsoft-IBM deal]

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SAN FRANCISCO — Google has a dizzying array of names for its various of products and services. The company this week added another moniker when it rebranded its enterprise cloud business as “Google Cloud,” which now encompasses all of Google’s business cloud services. 

Google’s affinity for changing and adding new names didn’t end there. Google for Work, which is part of the new Google Cloud, received its second name change in as many years, to “G Suite.”

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After almost two years of trials and tests, Facebook will finally launch its social platform for businesses, Facebook at Work, on October 10 in London, according to TechCrunch.com. The company also reportedly decided to make a significant price change that should generate more revenue for Facebook but at a potentially higher cost for customers. 

In December, the company said its social network for business would be free at launch and it would eventually charge for additional support, analytics and integration with enterprise collaboration tools, such as Microsoft Azure, Office 365, Google Apps, Box and Dropbox. However, Facebook now plans to charge a set amount per monthly user, according to TheInformation.com. 

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SAN FRANCISCO — LinkedIn finally pulled the Lynda.com library of more than 9,000 online training courses into its main service and gave the content the prominence it’s been lacking. The move comes nearly 18 months ago after the social network acquired the training site for $1.5 billion. LinkedIn Learning is now available to all of LinkedIn’s premium subscribers. The company also plans to make the service available to enterprises, so they can give their employees access to a variety of courses and training materials.

“The dream is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce,” said LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner during a press event at the company’s new San Francisco offices. “The idea that you can acquire skills once and have a job for life, those days are over.”LinkedIn Learning is one of a few new offerings designed to create more value for LinkedIn’s users, he said.

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Apple hasn’t embraced social media the way its tech rivals have, but the company appears to have warmed to the medium. Today Apple uses its @AppleSupport account on Twitter as a customer service and outreach tool, and the company also maintains Twitter accounts for some of its most popular services, including Apple Music, the App Store, iTunes and Beats1. 

Apple also finally started to use its main @Apple Twitter account in the days leading up to the iPhone 7 launch earlier this month. But things got off to a bit of a rocky start. During the company’s presentation, the company published and then immediately deleted at least three tweets to the @Apple account that revealed details and key features of the iPhone 7 — before it was officially announced.

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CMOs are nearly twice as likely as CIOs to lead digital transformation efforts within their organizations, according to new research from Altimeter Group. The top three transformative initiatives — accelerating innovation, modernizing IT infrastructure and improving operational agility — typically fall under the responsibility of IT, but a disconnect exists between the trends driving change and the individuals who lead the efforts, according to Brian Solis, principal analyst at the research and advisory firm. 

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