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Slack Awaits Its Biggest Makeover For Improving User Interface

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Slack Technologies released its messaging application in 2013. The user interface had some flaws that the company is trying to fix. Every application comes up with the latest and modified version after a fixed period. But, Slack has declared that this redesigning of the application is going to be the biggest in its history.

Prior problems faced by the users

Apart from the basic structural design, every user wants to customize and make sure they are comfortable using any application. An application might have the power to do multiple tasks at a time. But, the problem arises when your users don’t know how to do it at all.

Slack is a very powerful platform that provides a tool for instant messaging. It is available in eight different languages. Currently, it has 12 million active daily users. But, every time the customers provide feedback, the common question “how to use the features” has come up. Jaime DeLanghe, Director of Product Management, Slack said that they were too busy delivering customer value. But, it is high time to take a pause and provide some space to the user interface.

We have often run by the common proverb, “Too many cooks spoil the broth”. Here is the thing; Slack is having the innumerable number of features. But, what is the use of it when the customers cannot use it properly? Everything needs to be in the proper place, customizable, a lot simpler, and well fitted on the screen.

The trendy sidebar

The news of the redesigning has created a “face-palm” situation for the users. Many of them are in tension if it gets more complex. But, Ethan Eismann, Vice President of Design, Slack stated that the redesigning will adapt some old school ideas as well. They are working on making it as simpler as possible.

Slack users have previously faced the problem regarding customizing which led to the introduction of a sidebar. Out of all changes that are going to take place, the sidebar is the real hype. One person must be busy working on a project and discussing it at the same time. So, the new sidebar will allow the user to segregate all you need to be in one section. And, the users can then simply drag and drop it in the sidebar. So, it just stopped getting messy and confusing in the first place.

Moreover, this sidebar also has a new compose button which will allow the users to start a conversation into any Slack Channel. The users can either DM or any other way as it will work more like a universal texting button. Another section called People and Mentions & Reactions has been added to the sidebar. This allows the user to find relatable channels and pings, and also suitable people the user wants to DM. So, the redesigning will make Slack more time-efficient along with making it comfortable to use.

But, this whole thing of organizing the channels and conversations under one roof is available for the paid-users only.

What are the other modifications?

It is to be noted that a lot of changes are going to take place in the application, especially the frontend development. Apart from the sidebar, Slack is introducing a top navigation bar. This has been introduced so that the users can search and switch between pages. This feature also helps the users to view their browsing history. The activities that the user might carry out in the navigation bar will support mouse and keyboard shortcuts.

The shortcut button is modified which can be used now access conversation tools. Previously, this was to be done by text commands. The application will also have a new compose button and other small changes.

Redesigning is important than adding new features

When a modified version of an application is released it comes with new features. But, this time Slack has decided to arrange its existing features in a better and clearer way. Instead of adding some new features and making it messier, it is important to think about the user interface. So, Slack has decided to make changes in the mobile application and undoubtedly in UI.

Slack is also thinking about the new users coming from a habit of using a different application or only drafting emails. The company has already started implementing the changes to make Slack spacious and well-arranged.

Slack Working with Microsoft to Integrate Office 365 Enterprise Tools to it

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Slack has been working really hard to gain more client base for its workplace messenger, and currently is serving more than 10 million daily active users. For that same matter, despite the rivalry between the two companies, Slack has joined its hands with Microsoft, to bring more enterprise productivity tools to it.

The company is working with Microsoft OneDrive and Outlook to get integrations to it, which it has been doing with other services too. Previously, it integrated the Azure Active Directory to it, and also, bought Astro to its messaging platform.

Slack
Image Source: thetechnews

Now with Microsoft 365, Slack will have integrations like Outlook Calendar Slack app, a new option in Outlook that enables the users to directly send messages to Slack, a new option in Slack for attaching files from Microsoft’s OneDrive storage, and the ability to preview Office files including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, directly in Slack.

“We want to break down walls that might otherwise exist between apps that should work together.” said Andy Pflaum, Slack’s director of product management for interoperability.

The calendar app integration in Slack will help the Outlook users to see and schedule events, directly on Slack without leaving it. Also, the users will get the events notifications and invite to new events, directly on Slack, and the users can respond to those notifications and invites from there only. The calendar will also update the user status depending upon the availability. This integration will also provide reminders to its users to join the WebEx, Skype for Business, or Zoom video calls.

For the Outlook users, the mail integration will allow them to send emails to the Slack Channel, attach files and send direct message alongside adding a note. The platform already has the options to attach files from Google Drive and Dropbox, and now, the users will have the option to get the attachments from Microsoft’s One Drive. The option will reflect under the import files menu in Slack.

Though the two companies are in the same race of competition, and even Microsoft had mentioned Slack’s name in the list of its rivals, in its annual 10-K report, the two companies know how to gain profits even from competitions.

Slack Reportedly Chooses NYSE Over NASDAQ for its Direct Listing

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Last year in December, Slack announced that it is prepping for its IPO in 2019 and had hired Goldman Sachs as its Lead Underwriter. Now, according to the reports from Wall Street Journal, the company following the path of Spotify, has selected the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) instead of the NASDAQ for the direct listing of its shares.

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Image Slack: fubiz.net

Slack has earned enough value being private, and reportedly, it had $900 million in cash on hand last year. So, similar to Spotify, it is not, specifically, the money for which the company is going public, and hence it has selected the direct listing over the IPO.

Direct listing is a bit different from the IPO, as the companies who file for IPO are looking for more financial support for their growth. In the direct listing, most of the times, the shares are not backed up by any financial institution, and the shareholders like the investors, promoters or the employees can directly sell their shares.

Last year, Spotify also chose NYSE for its direct listing, and now the valuation of the company is $25 billion up. Also, companies like Uber and Pinterest have also selected NYSE for their IPO, this year. Last Friday, Lyft went public on NASDAQ, and reportedly, its price shed over 10 per cent in the morning trading.

The office-messaging platform has been a member of the Unicorn Club for a long time now, and the direct listing of the company will be a financial boost for its investors. The company is still in talks with the Securities and Exchange Commission and has submitted the draft registration statement on Form S-1, last month.

The company, currently, is serving over 10 million daily users across the globe including the 85,000 paid subscribers. It is one of the most valued and successful companies in Silicon Valley, and its direct listing may set a higher bar for the other SaaS companies. For now, Slack has not made any comments on the matter. But, according to the WSJ, the listing may occur in the month of June or July this year.

Slack Prepping for its IPO in 2019; Hired Goldman Sachs as its Lead Underwriter

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Slack, the business chat and direct message provider company, has announced that it is going to become public in the coming year, and has hired investment bank Goldman Sachs as the lead underwriter for its highly anticipated IPO.

In September this year, there were already reports making rounds about the company preparing for its debut in the stock market in the early quarter of 2019, with an expected valuation of the company well in excess of the $7.1 billion.

Slack
Image Source: mybroadband.co

The company had reported a total of 8 million daily active users in August this year, that is double the number of users it had in the summer last year. In the same month, the company had a funding round of $427 million, led by Dragoneer Investment Group and General Atlantic. The company’s major investors include SoftBank Group’s Vision Fund, Dragoneer Investment Group, General Atlantic, T. Rowe Price Associates, Wellington Management, Baillie Gifford, and Sands Capital, etc.

Slack, which is based in San Francisco and Vancouver, is one of the Silicon Valley companies valued over $1 billion, which is now hoping to fetch a valuation of over $10 billion in its IPO. Slack is one of the business messaging service provider, that is in a competitive race with Microsoft’s Teams, Alphabet’s Google Hangouts Chat and Cisco’s Webex Teams and its users are increasing by a rapid rate.

Last month, Slack’s co-founder and CEO, Stewart Butterfield told Fortune, “The company had no specific timeline for an IPO. We’ve been on a path to public company readiness for several years now, and we’re continuing on that path.”

2018, had a total of 188 companies went public on the U.S. exchanges, more than the number of companies last year, including 40 tech companies like Dropbox, Zuora, Uber, Lyft, and DocuSign. Other companies that are also planning for their IPO include Airbnb, Lyft, Uber, Palantir and Stripe, etc. Among which, Lyft already filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission, on Thursday, for its planned IPO ahead of other companies.