Many companies take the easy route by opting to use a consumer-grade messaging mobile app such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal. But this strategy can backfire in some costly ways as JPMorgan recently discovered. The company was slapped with $200 million in fines for allowing its staff to use WhatsApp for business-related messages.
A messaging mobile app designed for enterprise usage touts some major advantages over a consumer-grade application or other communication tools like email.
More Intuitive Communication With a Messaging App
DMs are a very intuitive form of communication because they align well with our natural behavior: short bursts to share our ideas and lots of back and forth engagement.
Compare a messenger app to the main alternative: emails. In the case of emails, communications are longer and more drawn-out, with true back-and-forth conversation being rather awkward. Emails just don’t align well with the way that we naturally engage with others.
Most people communicate best in short bursts, sharing a thought immediately as the thought enters the mind with a lot of back and forth conversation. This is exactly what happens on an enterprise messaging app, leading to smoother communications that bolster operational efficiency across the board.
Enterprise Messaging Apps Mean Better Security
Most consumer-targeted messenger apps lack the level of security and encryption that businesses require. Think of all the potentially-sensitive information that’s communicated across a messaging app. Imagine all of the damage that could result from a competitor or cybercriminal intercepting those messages. The result could be nothing short of disastrous.
The best enterprise messaging apps are architected with security in mind. Beyond robust encryption and multi-layer authentication, an experienced developer can integrate additional security features such as geofencing or even integration with biometric authentication for a business with elevated security requirements.
There’s also the issue of accidental disclosure when employees are using a consumer messaging app for work and personal communications. It’s very easy to message the wrong person. We’ve all done it. The solution is to separate business-related communications by requiring employees to use a messaging platform that’s different from the one they use for personal communications.
Accidental disclosure was a key issue that spurred the Swiss Army to ban the usage of WhatsApp and other messenger apps like Telegram and Signal for use by on-duty military personnel. They cited the risk of soldiers accidentally sending sensitive information to personal contacts as a primary factor behind the decision to ban these mobile apps.
Enterprise Messaging Data Control and Ownership
Many are shocked to learn that they don’t control or even own the data that’s transmitted over a consumer-grade messaging app. This poses problems from a compliance perspective and also from a privacy and security standpoint.
Well-crafted enterprise apps such as SayHey Messenger afford companies with full control and ownership over their data. Any and all data sent over DMs is preserved and stored in a secure, private cloud platform. This way, potentially-sensitive information remains private and it can be stored forevermore in a secure, encrypted format if that’s what the organization requires.
Compliance With an Enterprise Messaging Mobile App
Messaging compliance is a real consideration for companies in many industries, including finance and health care. This compliance takes many forms, like maintaining a certain degree of security and privacy, or retaining communications for a specific timeframe. The healthcare industry must adhere to stringent privacy rules associated with HIPAA.
The cost of non-compliance can be significant. Take the case of JPMorgan. The company was fined $200 million in total after they allowed staff to use WhatsApp for business-related messages. It’s alleged that the messages were not retained, resulting in a violation of federal record-keeping laws. This underscores the importance of using a messaging app that is designed with business needs in mind.
Enterprise mobile apps usually feature a more fleshed-out admin portal and robust moderation tools that make it easier to keep users compliant with the company’s rules for on-the-job behavior. This largely eliminates major problems spurred on by micro-aggressions and bad actors.
The Advantage of In-Platform Messaging Capabilities
A company can expect to see more robust communications when a messenger app is integrated directly into an existing enterprise platform.
People are far more likely to communicate effectively if a messaging tool is right there in front of them when the need arises. It’s easy to get distracted or diverted if you need to click away from your ERP or CRM platform and into another screen or device to send a message.
SayHey Messenger is somewhat unique because it can be integrated into an existing ERP, CRM or other enterprise software platform. But it doesn’t end there because SayHey Messenger is also available as a stand-alone mobile app. Therefore, your business can integrate into an existing enterprise platform, opt for a mobile app — or both.
At 7T, our development team works with company leaders who are seeking to solve problems and drive ROI through digital transformation. As an innovative Dallas software and mobile app development company, 7T offers collaborative, multi-phased software development services to clients in all business sectors.
7T maintains offices in Dallas, Houston, Chicago, and Austin, but our clientele spans the globe. If you’re ready to learn more about an enterprise messaging mobile app or a SayHey Messenger integration for your enterprise platform, contact 7T today.