Workplace (software)

Workplace is an online collaborative software tool developed by Meta Platforms. Its features include instant messaging, file sharing, and video and audio conferencing. It was announced on 14 May 2024 that Meta would be sunsetting Workplace in 2026.

History
Workplace was first announced on January 14, 2015. It launched in beta as Facebook at Work before officially launching in October 2016. Free accounts were discontinued as of February 2021.

Workplace for Good was launched in June 2018 to provide a free version of Workplace for registered non-profits and staff of educational institutions.

In October 2018, Workplace announced the launch of Safety Check. Originally developed by Facebook engineers after the 2011 Japanese tsunami, 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).

As of May 2021, there were 7 million paying users.

Functions
While Workplace accounts are set up and run separately 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. Workplace data is stored across 12 Facebook-owned and operated data centers.

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".