Slack
Slack is a cloud-based messaging and collaboration platform designed for teams and organizations. It provides real-time communication through channels, direct messages, file sharing, and app integrations, allowing teams to coordinate work and automate processes from a central workspace.
Overview[edit | edit source]
Slack combines instant messaging with searchable archives, file management, and integrations with thousands of third-party services. It is commonly used by remote and hybrid teams to improve communication and workflow automation. The platform is accessible via web browsers, desktop applications, and mobile apps on iOS and Android.
Features[edit | edit source]
- Organized communication through public and private channels
- Direct messages and group chats
- File uploads, sharing, and search across messages
- Voice and video calls with screen sharing
- Integration with over 2,000 applications
- Workflow automation through built-in tools and bots
- Customizable notifications and shortcuts
- Security features including SSO, encryption, and compliance options
Integrations[edit | edit source]
Slack supports integrations with a wide range of tools and services, including:
- ActiveCampaign — notifications and lead updates
- Zapier — automation between Slack and other platforms
- WordPress — post publishing alerts and site monitoring
- WooCommerce — order notifications and customer updates
- Google Drive and Dropbox — file storage
- Trello and Asana — task and project management
- GitHub and GitLab — development workflow updates
Use cases[edit | edit source]
Slack is used across industries for:
- Team communication and collaboration
- Customer support coordination
- Sales notifications and CRM updates
- Marketing campaign tracking
- Developer and DevOps communication
- Remote work management and file sharing
Business model[edit | edit source]
Slack operates on a freemium model. The free version includes limited message history and integration capabilities, while paid plans provide unlimited search, enhanced security, advanced integrations, and compliance tools. Slack’s enterprise offering supports large organizations with centralized administration, SSO, and audit logging.
History[edit | edit source]
Slack was created by Stewart Butterfield, Eric Costello, Cal Henderson, and Serguei Mourachov and launched publicly in **2013**. The product evolved from an internal communication tool developed for the gaming company Tiny Speck. In **2021**, Slack was acquired by **Salesforce** for approximately $27.7 billion, becoming part of Salesforce’s suite of enterprise collaboration tools.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- Official website — slack.com
- Slack Help Center — slack.com/help
- Slack Blog — slack.com/blog
- Salesforce Announcement — salesforce.com/news