Facebook introduces Workplace Rooms for business video calls

Facebook introduced Workplace Rooms where users can host video calls with up to 50 people for business or work-related purposes.  

Facebook’s Workplace, its Slack-like collaboration and chat tool targeted at businesses, has more than 5 million paid users. Work Groups -- a type of Facebook Group for coworkers -- has over 20 million monthly active users after just six months.

Last week, Facebook launched Messenger Rooms, a video chat service and potential Zoom competitor. Now, Facebook is bringing video chat to Workplace.  

There’s no limit on how long the meetings can be, and you don’t need a Workplace account to join a call. Workplace users can create video call links from Workplace Chat, Groups, News Feed or Portal and share them in a chat, post, email or text. The feature also offers screen sharing for easy collaboration, and you can lock a room to prevent others from joining it -- no “zoombombing” here. You can also remove participants if necessary.

The move suggests that Facebook wants to compete with Zoom in both formal and informal settings. It’s also another dig at Slack, which added a Microsoft Teams video call option last month.

For what it’s worth, Facebook says a new link will be generated every time you create a new room, and links will expire.

(Source: engadget)