• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechPointCloud

Facebook Says It Is Making Workplace More Business-Like

Barb Darrow
By
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
Barb Darrow
By
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 18, 2017, 2:00 PM ET

As Facebook faces another controversy over policing content, the world’s largest social network will try to focus on how it is building a business franchise.

At its F8 developer conference on Tuesday, the company is talking up how it’s making Facebook Workplace—the business version it launched last year—more attractive to IT pros who must worry about how and where corporate information is used and shared.

Workplace is now in use at approximately 14,000 organizations worldwide—up from 1,000 last year, according to Julien Codorniou, vice president of Facebook Workplace, who spoke with Fortune prior to the event.

For one, Facebook (FB) is working to make Workplace compatible with existing compliance and e-discovery tools. (E-discovery refers to technology that ferrets out documents or other content that can be used in legal proceedings.) That means ensuring that documents and other content can be shared only with authorized users in order to limit the risk of data loss. Partners here include Netskope, SkyHigh Networks, CSDisco, and Smarsh.

“The compliance integrations stood out to me,” said IDC analyst John Jackson. “Compliance is about as exciting as watching dirt, but lack of it is an excuse big companies use not to move to new software. Facebook’s idea here is to let enterprises use the compliance tools they already have and take away that reason not to move, and that’s a big deal.”

Facebook executives said these new integrations—along with existing support for two-factor authentication and Workplace’s ability to work with existing identity management providers like Okta (OKTA)—should boost its credibility among IT departments that need to keep corporate assets secure and within respective networks.

Also new to Workplace is the ability to use Facebook Live with professional gear to stream video to colleagues. There is also a new integration with Blue Jean Networks, which offers cloud-based video, to enable more professional broadcasting for video conferences.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily technology newsletter.

“I can be in London, Julien can be in Paris, and Vanessa in Menlo Park, and we can broadcast our meeting and presentations,” Simon Cross, a Workplace product manager, told Fortune.

Developers now can build “bots” to run inside Workplace chat and groups to automate common processes. If a user flags @support, for example he or she can launch a help desk ticket.

Facebook has also added integration to products including Microsoft OneDrive, Box (BOX) and Dropbox cloud storage. Also new is integration with Salesforce Quip online word processing software.

“We co-exist with other messaging apps, but we also want to connect everyone in the company, including people without desktops,” Codorniu said.

Codorniu and Cross pointed out to Starbucks’ use of Workplace as key to adding a popular new drink to the menu. Apparently, one Starbucks started making a custom drink for a few customers. Then the beverage started trending on Instagram, and customers saw that and started requesting the drink at different outlets. Starbucks managers then started chatting about that on Workplace, and when related posts hit 30 or 40 per day, central management decided to add the drink—The Pink Drink to be exact— to the menu.

Most people view Workplace as a rival to Slack, the wildly popular work-oriented chat and messaging software and now Microsoft Teams, that country’s so-called “Slack Killer.”

But Cross said it has a broader reach: “We compete with pieces of paper taped to the break room door. When you go into a retail company of 10,000 people, no one except those in the head office has email or a desk or a laptop. We want to connect everyone.”

Note: (April 18, 2017 4:16 p.m.) This story was updated to reflect that Facebook Live video now works with professional video gear

(April 19, 2017, 7:34 a.m.) This story was updated to reflect Facebook’s assertion that there is now Dropbox integration as well,

About the Author
Barb Darrow
By Barb Darrow
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may have shot himself in the foot at the Fed, as Powell could stay on while Miran resigns from White House post
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
After decades in the music industry, Pharrell Williams admits he never stops working: ‘If you do what you love everyday, you’ll get paid for free'
By Emma BurleighFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
I've studied nonviolent resistance in war zones for 20 years and Minnesota reminds me of Colombia, the Philippines and Syria
By Oliver Kaplan and The ConversationFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Ray Dalio warns the world is ‘on the brink’ of a capital war of weaponizing money—and gold is the best way for people to protect themselves
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

Sam Altman speaking into a mic.
AIOpenAI
OpenAI’s new model leaps ahead in coding capabilities—but raises unprecedented cybersecurity risks
By Sharon GoldmanFebruary 5, 2026
25 minutes ago
tiktok
CybersecuritySocial Media
Gen Z are rebelling against TikTok USA by installing another app—founded by an Oracle alum
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
1 hour ago
Amodei
Big TechBattle for Talent
Tech giants are shelling out up to $400k for AI evangelists to defend against surging American skepticism
By Jake AngeloFebruary 5, 2026
3 hours ago
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy
AIEye on AI
Hey Alexa—Amazon may be teaming up with OpenAI. Here’s why that matters
By Sharon GoldmanFebruary 5, 2026
4 hours ago
Palmer Luckey,
SuccessCareers
Forget a degree—$30 billion defense startup Anduril will fast-track your job application if you can win its AI drone flying contest
By Preston ForeFebruary 5, 2026
5 hours ago
lewis, lee
InvestingMarkets
Michael Lewis and Tom Lee hold court on the $1 trillion software-stock carnage: ‘I think fear is not a bad thing to be long right now’
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
5 hours ago