Is Facebook Workplace for you?

We've just released a significant update to RSG's Enterprise Social-Collaboration vendor evaluation stream, focusing on some of the larger players. 

In this edition we now include a full-blown evaluation of Facebook Workplace against our strict criteria.

Initial Findings

Here's a little background:

  • Workplace by Facebook is the social networking behemoth’s latest attempt to take its familiar consumer experience and adapt it to the enterprise context
  • Officially launched in Oct 2016 as “Facebook At Work,” but since renamed "Workplace" to avoid the perception that it could be a time sink and reduce productivity
  • In its current incarnation, Workplace resembles the early efforts of rivals circa 2010: focused on workplace social-communication and “water-cooler” conversations; historically, this led to “social silos” and increasing suspicion that social-networking by itself provides minimal ROI.

If you are considering Workplace, here is a quick visual decision guide

Is Facebook Workplace right for me?

Figure: In its current version, is Facebook's Workplace right for you? (Click for larger rendition)

What Facebook Would Need to Do

Although we find many demerits in the platform, it’s still too early to dismiss Workplace; should Facebook deem the platform strategic, the company could certainly pour ample resources into it. But for now, we don't know whether Facebook will remain committed over the long haul, including the hard work of nurturing an ecosystem, developing the channel, and playing nicely with enterprise customers.

You can download our complete Workplace review as a complimentary sample and read it yourself.

 

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