About This Constellation ShortList™

Enterprise group messaging platforms enable people to post their status, share information, ask questions, post pictures, videos and links, and even access line-of-business appli- cations, all within a stream or chat-based user experience. These platforms serve as “collaboration hubs” for teams com- bining conversations, content and business data into a single user interface. They also create a more seamless experience because the user doesn’t have to switch between multiple applications. These aggregated experiences improve the context of conversations, decisions and business processes.

The top vendors in this space require more than just the standard checklist of features. It is important to have a robust and enthusiastic partner ecosystem that develops integra- tions, which extend the value of the platform. These add-ons enable people to get work done in specific business processes and industry verticals.

To win in the enterprise market, vendors in this space must have a platform that is highly scalable, is secure, modern features for hybrid work, and has a global footprint. It must meet administration requirements for managing people, groups and content.

Threshold Criteria

Constellation considers the following criteria for these offerings:

  • Administration controls, governance and compliance
  • Analytics, metrics and dashboards
  • Application development: APIs/SDKs, documentation, samples
  • Business operations: funding, acquisitions, executive leadership
  • Business partner ecosystem · Channel types: public, private, broadcast, direct messages
  • Client options: desktop, web, mobile, wearables, voice
  • Filters and content highlighting to quickly access the most relevant conversations
  • Collaboration features that support in-office, hybrid work, and remote work
  • Global customer references
  • Deployment options: on-premises, cloud, hybrid, data center locations
  • Integration with other business tools and platforms
  • Licensing options
  • Search and discovery
  • Security and regulatory compliance features (data residency control, GDPR, etc.)
  • Templated solutions and use cases
  • Unified communication features (50 simultaneous users or more preferred): voice, video, screen sharing

The Constellation ShortList™

Constellation evaluates more than 30 solutions categorized in this market. This Constellation ShortList is determined by client inquiries, partner conversations, customer references, vendor selection projects, market share and internal research.

  • CISCO WEBEX APP
  • GOOGLE CHAT
    HCL SAMETIME
  • MICROSOFT TEAMS
  • RINGCENTRAL GLIP
  • ROCKET.CHAT
  • SLACK
  • WORKPLACE FROM META
  • ZOHO CLIQ

Frequency of Evaluation

Each Constellation ShortList is updated at least once per year. Updates may occur after six months if deemed necessary.

Evaluation Services

Constellation clients can work with the analyst and the research team to conduct a more thorough discussion of this ShortList. Constellation can also provide guidance in vendor selection and contract negotiation.

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