UPDATED 16:54 EDT / OCTOBER 06 2017

APPS

Facebook Workplace tests a desktop app with screen sharing

Facebook Inc. has released a new desktop chat app for for its enterprise focused Workplace platform, but so far the social media giant is not making a big deal out of it.

The company did not make an official announcement about the app, but it launched a beta version of Workplace Chat today, available to a select number of businesses that use the Workplace platform.

The new app shares many of the same features as Slack, one of Workplace’s biggest enterprise chat rivals, including desktop alerts, chat history, GIF and other image sharing and more. The app also supports the ability for users to share their screens, a feature that Workplace users have clamored for.

“This was one of the most widely requested features by customers, so we built it,” Facebook spokesperson Vanessa Chan told TechCrunch, confirming the launch of the new app. “The desktop app is still in beta and being tested by Workplace customers who are providing feedback that we’ll use to improve the product before a wider rollout.”

Workplace Chat is geared entirely toward the enterprise, but there is a good chance that many of its features might find their way to Facebook Messenger. Although Messenger has its own dedicated web portal and mobile app, Facebook has yet to release an official desktop app for its chat platform, which already boasts more than 1 billion monthly active users. Facebook has not revealed the exact number of people using Workplace, but the company has said more than 14,000 businesses use the platform.

The social network has several enterprise products available and in development, both through Workplace and through the core Facebook platform, and several of these products put it in direct competition with the likes of LinkedIn, Slack and others. For example, Facebook recently partnered with online job recruitment company ZipRecruiter to allow businesses to submit job postings and accept applications directly through Facebook.

Image: Facebook

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