Top 10 Instant Messaging platforms for business

Important news about Instant Messaging platforms for business

2024. Microsoft’s Copilot is now on Telegram



Microsoft’s Copilot, a marvel of generative AI technology, has found its way onto Telegram, where it now lounges comfortably as a beta chatbot, pretending to be your well-informed but mildly eccentric friend. You can summon it by searching for @CopilotOfficialBot and after the obligatory sharing of your phone number (it’s only polite, after all), you’ll be able to ask it anything, from what movie to watch on a rainy Tuesday to who’s winning the latest sporting event. It’s free, available on both mobile and desktop and hints at Microsoft’s grander plans to infiltrate every corner of our digital lives with Copilot—starting with its appearances in Microsoft 365, Teams and even Copilot+ PCs. Telegram’s just another stop on the journey to AI world domination.


2024. WhatsApp now lets users plan and schedule events in Communities



In the wild, occasionally surreal frontier of messaging apps, WhatsApp has now decided that organizing events within Communities should no longer resemble an exercise in quantum improbability. Users can now create events directly within the app, allowing others to RSVP with ease and making it perfectly clear who’s attending and who’s pretending to have something better to do. All the vital details will live on the group’s info page, while participants will be nudged toward reality with timely notifications as the big day approaches. Initially limited to Community groups—because nothing good starts with everyone at once—this shiny new feature will soon roll out to all. Meanwhile, Announcement Groups are also getting a sprinkle of order, as responses will now be neatly bundled, so admins can interact with the masses without unleashing a torrent of chaos. Balance in the message-verse, it seems, may yet be achievable.

2024. Messenger now lets you create shared albums, send HD photos and share larger files



In a move that might cause users to exclaim “about time” with varying levels of enthusiasm, Meta has unveiled a set of shiny new features for Messenger that might just save you from the endless scroll of poorly organized chat photos. Picture this: now you can create shared albums right within chats, send dazzling high-definition photos and sling around files up to a whopping 100MB. If you’re someone who’s been resorting to the likes of Google Drive for this kind of thing, rejoice! Previously, you were stuck simply admiring a random smattering of photos in your chat—no rhyme, no reason—but now, albums are here to save the day. Planning a vacation? Family reunion? Group chats just got smarter. All you need to do is pick a batch of photos from the chat composer, tap “create album,” or channel your inner digital wizard by long-pressing a photo to make it happen. You can even add more to your masterpiece by selecting “Add to album.” What’s more, everyone in the chat gets the VIP treatment—they can view, add, delete and download pictures and videos with a simple tap of the “Media” button. This album-sharing sorcery isn't available on WhatsApp or Instagram DMs, so Messenger users are likely to feel a sense of smug satisfaction as they organize their memories in glorious HD.


2024. WordPress.com owner Automattic acquires multiservice messaging app Beeper for $125M



Automattic, the owner of WordPress.com, is set to acquire Beeper, the company known for its iMessage-on-Android solution, referenced in the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Apple. The acquisition, reportedly priced at $125 million, marks Automattic's second venture into cross-platform messaging solutions following its purchase of Texts.com last October. Kishan Bagaria, the founder of Texts.com, assumed the role of Automattic's head of Messaging post-acquisition, but this position will now transition to Eric Migicovsky, Beeper's founder and previously known for his work on the Pebble smartwatch and as a partner at Y Combinator.


2024. Telegram launches Business accounts



Telegram has, in what one can only describe as a dazzling display of bravado, decided to take on the behemoths of Meta—WhatsApp and Messenger—by introducing a positively spiffy set of tools for businesses and, as if that weren't enough, tossing in some ad-revenue sharing for good measure. Dubbed Telegram Business, this sparkly new creation is replete with all manner of clever contraptions like personalized start pages (for those days when one needs to feel extra special), business hours (because apparently even businesses need naps) and automated messages that greet, shoo away, or otherwise attend to the curious masses. Of course, there are also chatbots and tags—because who doesn’t love a good chatbot? The whole thing is designed to make business life easier, presumably for people who’d rather not fiddle about with code. And as if that weren't sufficiently marvelous, businesses can now pin themselves on a map, proudly display their working hours and start conversations with customers using custom pages loaded with stickers and text. Not to be outdone by WhatsApp, Telegram Business also offers “quick replies,” because nothing says efficiency like pre-packaged, link-laden, media-filled, sticker-smothered messages that can be sent at the push of a button.


2024. Signal now lets you keep your phone number private with the launch of usernames



In a move that could easily be mistaken for a cunning plan from a highly advanced, yet slightly eccentric civilization, Signal is unveiling usernames—yes, usernames—so you no longer have to go around sharing your phone number like some intergalactic trade secret just to chat. This delightful update, still drifting through the cosmic beta phase, will soon grace everyone’s devices over the coming weeks. Of course, Signal still insists on asking for your phone number when you sign up—because, let's face it, even in the far reaches of encrypted messaging, bureaucracy reigns supreme. But here’s the clever bit: once you're in, you can hide that number like it's the last towel in the universe, enhancing privacy and thwarting any pesky hackers who fancy a bit of number-hijacking mischief. In true Signal style, it’s yet another reason they continue to outshine all others as the galactic champions of secure, end-to-end encrypted conversations.


2024. MessageBird rebrands as Bird, and slashes prices by 90% on SMS to take on Twilio



In a universe only marginally more perplexing than a Vogon poetry recital, MessageBird—once known for being a perfectly reasonable cloud communications platform—has decided to flap its metaphorical wings and soar to new heights by acquiring the rather splendid domain of Bird.com. Now rebranded as the infinitely sleeker Bird, they’ve concocted a cunning plan to ruffle the feathers of rivals like Twilio. How, you ask? Well, in true galactic fashion, they're launching shiny new products and slashing prices with the casual indifference of a starship obliterating an inconvenient asteroid. Their Bird CRM, which juggles marketing, sales and payments through email, SMS and WhatsApp like a circus act with surprisingly good balance, now offers discounts that seem almost too good to be true—40% to 90% off, with SMS rates plummeting a ridiculous 90%. To put it in Earth terms, what would cost $100,000 with Twilio or other communication behemoths could now be a paltry $10,000 investment. Bird isn’t just about APIs—they insist it’s the very essence of channels that counts. And in a bold bid to redefine the communications cosmos, Bird is essentially handing out channels like a benevolent space deity, making sure the competition knows who’s truly in control of this interstellar marketplace.


2023. Facebook Messenger is finally adding default end-to-end encryption



In a move that feels almost as overdue as a towel in space, Facebook Messenger is flipping the switch on end-to-end encryption as the default for all personal messages and calls, which is, frankly, quite a big deal for anyone who’s fond of a little privacy in the wild digital universe. Messenger originally toyed with this feature back in 2016, but only for those who could be bothered to opt in. Fast forward to today, after some thoroughly tested tinkering, Meta (the great and mysterious entity behind it all) is ready to roll this out to everyone, ensuring that your conversations—whether typed or uttered—are tucked safely out of sight, even from Meta itself. But don't get too cozy with large group chats just yet, as conversations with more than two people will have to wait their turn for this extra bit of cosmic privacy.


2023. WhatsApp launches its native macOS app



In a move that will surely have productivity enthusiasts grinning like improbably well-organized dolphins, WhatsApp has unleashed a new native Mac app. This digital marvel now allows Mac users to video call up to eight chums (which, let’s face it, is about as many as anyone could realistically handle) and natter away in audio calls with an impressive throng of 32 people, because why settle for one opinion when you can have 31 more? Specially designed to make use of all that luxurious, high-definition screen space, the app makes file sharing as effortless as pushing a plate of biscuits toward a guest—drag, drop, and there you are. Oh, and should you wish to indulge in a spot of nostalgic scrolling, there’s an expanded chat history ready to peruse. Having been fussed over, prodded, and tested earlier this year in public beta form, it’s now accessible to those lucky souls with Apple Silicon systems and macOS 11 Big Sur or later.


2023. LeapXpert raises $22M to monitor employee chats for compliance



LeapXpert, an instant messaging software that allows employees to message customers or colleagues through popular apps, including WhatsApp, WeChat, iMessage, Telegram and Signal, while monitoring and archiving their business-related chats, has raises $22M. LeapXpert touts its worker-monitoring, “mobile-first” dashboard through which employees can sign in to and access chat channels such as SMS, iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Signal, Line and certain VoIP apps. On the employer side, companies can set rules and requirements for the types and level of materials that can be sent internally or externally, including specific keywords and phrases and see the real-time status of all messages sent. LeapXpert promises to avoid capturing private and personal messages by siloing communications, enabling employees to have an independent messaging profile for personal use.