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21 Aug 2022

The Top 31 B2B SaaS Companies to Watch in 2023

Looking for the list of the top, best, and fast-growing SaaS Startups, products & companies in 2...

content marketing

09 Aug 2022

SaaS Content Marketing : The Guide You’d Need to Kick-Start your Content Marketing journey!

I'm sure you know why content marketing is important, it's time to figure out the best strategies th...

white lable app for saas

10 Jan 2020

Boost Revenue with White Label Apps for SaaS

How do you like the idea of creating an application that will be rebranded by others?   Your client gets to resell it as their own product, but not before they pay you all the charges for production/designing.   If this idea interests you, then this page is where you need to be.   Take a break from your work or anything that you’re doing right now. This blog post needs your undivided attention.   5 minutes will be enough.   Let’s start with the basics. Table of Contents White Label Application: Why is it gaining momentum? Do you think these applications are created from scratch?  Let me make this clearer with a White label apps example: Summary White Labeling: Why is it gaining the Hype? White Labeling Benefits for Software Developers 1. Faster Implementation 2. Reduced Commercial Risk 3. Optimized Product Line White Label Product Benefits for Clients 1. White label allows you to focus on your company’s core competency 2. It keeps the customers from turning elsewhere for solutions 3. White Labeling makes branding extremely easy How to Do White Label App Work for SaaS Companies? Few Examples of White Label Apps (SaaS) SendBird: A White Label Chat Solution CometChat: Ready-to-Use White Label Mobile Chat Application Key Takeaways White Label Application: Why is it gaining momentum? A white-label application or service is designed, created, and manufactured by one company, but it is rebranded and resold by others as their own.   I hope you’ve noticed how during the last couple of years,   there has been a tremendous surge in the number of mobile applications. For every event or service, we need to download a new application. In fact, 62% of the companies, large and small, either have a dedicated application or are in the process of launching one. Do you think these applications are created from scratch?  No. Not at all. Here’s the truth behind the majority of mobile applications created today: Most of the apps nowadays are created via a template. These templates are called ‘White Label Apps.’   Much like Websites powered by WordPress Theme, where you get to use the pre-built themes and templates, a white-label application is designed by one company so that it can be used by others, with a few changes, obviously.   Still, Confused? Let me make this clearer with a White label apps example: A while label application manufacturer, named Company A, creates a marketing app and sells it to Company B. Company B, having purchased the rights, rebrands this marketing application with its own name and logo. Company B can now sell the product to end customers.   Summary White-label apps enable resellers to expand their offerings and services without having to produce the apps from scratch. This allows them to scale both their offerings and revenue. The main advantage of this purchase is smart time-saving. The companies don’t have to create a new application from square one. White Labeling: Why is it gaining the Hype? White labeling, without a doubt, is a faster solution to save money and time. It’s a great option for software developers. They can consider white labeling as a technique and a powerful strategy to increase their distribution. White Labeling Benefits for Software Developers There are many benefits of selling white-labeled products other than cost-saving: 1. Faster Implementation Since the remodeling and rebranding of these applications require only a few resources from your clients, the product delivery and implementation are way faster. 2. Reduced Commercial Risk When you are into white-labeling, you offer your clients the products/templates that have been tested and offer a proven solution. This way, there is no commercial risk as such. 3. Optimized Product Line White Labeling Sellers add value to White Label app development & product lines by mixing and matching various offerings of multiple vendors, and in that process, they optimize their offerings. White Label Product Benefits for Clients   With 85% of online buyers reporting that they prefer using smartphones over mobile websites, it’s safe to assume your clients would also want to have a dedicated application for their business.   If you’re still now sure how a white label can bring a positive change to your business, read these points: 1. White label allows you to focus on your company’s core competency It’s never a wise thing to stretch your human resources and budget to something that doesn’t fit your business’s core competency. Prepackaged solutions offered by white-label app developers provide such businesses an opportunity to trust experts and channel the resources towards core competencies. 2. It keeps the customers from turning elsewhere for solutions The additional months or years it takes for developing your own solutions will most probably have your prospective customers turn elsewhere for solutions. This can be avoided through a pre-packaged solution that meets their needs. 3. White Labeling makes branding extremely easy With White labeling, you can brand your products with a couple of clicks and swipes. You don’t need technical help. These solutions are ready-made, fully-integrated, making branding easier.   You don’t have to spend time on research and development. Simply add your identity and branding, and do the business!   Can it get easier than this? How to Do White Label App Work for SaaS Companies? For this section, I’d suggest taking Troop Messenger as an example. Since we are now offering Troop Messenger as a white-label app our clients get complete access to our office communication and collaboration tool, which allows everyone on the board to communicate with internal team members and outside vendors. To elaborate, another benefit is that Troop Messenger's conferencing capability eliminates the need for an alternate white-label video hosting application.   As you purchase our pre-packaged, ready-made, and optimized product that has been through hundreds of quality tests and bug fixing, you can expect the following:    Instant Application Creation: When you purchase Troop Messenger as a white-labeled app, you get market-ready Android and iOS apps within a week, without having knowledge of the technical aspects  Customizable Design: Make the application your own, with the app icon (logo), and your branding on the dashboard or screen. Easily Scalable: Board as many members on the team. It doesn’t matter whether your team size is of 50 or 5,000, you can scale the numbers as you wish. Low Cost: With our white-label version, you get to save tons of money and avoid all the up-front fees that you’d normally spend if creating your own app. Secure Control: Troop Messenger White Label App cost is low, yet you don’t have to compromise with control. You can easily manage all the data & information without having to worry about data breaches or security. Powerful Integrations: Should you feel the need to expand in-app features, you can seamlessly integrate with external applications.    Few Examples of White Label Apps (SaaS) Since white-label mobile apps have expanded their usability, they are being used in multiple industries, including SaaS.   Other than Troop Messenger, SendBird and Cometchat are also great white-label apps example. SendBird: A White Label Chat Solution This White-Label chat solution offers a fully managed chat infrastructure combined with messaging SDKs. The app’s flexible and powerful chat API enables businesses to launch a messaging platform with maximum effect and minimum effort.   Highlights of SendBird White label app: Chat Messaging: All essential features including media sharing, push notification, read receipt, typing indicator, and thumbnail generation. Security and Compliance: Advanced security standards and encryption. Customer Support: Ticketing, agent interface, and live chat support. Moderation and Data: Tools to protect your brand’s integrity and explore chat data.   CometChat: Ready-to-Use White Label Mobile Chat Application CometChat App is also a white-label app reseller. If you are in need of a customized chat platform for your company, CometChat is worth giving a chance. The app is completely white-labeled. It doesn’t contain any CometChat icon, logo, or name.   Highlights of CometChat White label app: Customize the feel and look: With pre-built UI, CometChat saves you all the additional effort. With a couple of clicks, you can change the feel and look to suit your brand. Easy to Deploy: It’s surprisingly easy to install your own app and deploy it. Speedy-Support: Customer support has been made easy with live chat support. Seamless Integrations: One-On-One integrations with over 50+ software   Key Takeaways Do-It-Yourself sounds cool. And as an entrepreneur, your first instinct might be to try DIYs for your business’s applications & software, alongside other core competencies. After all, entrepreneurship is all about that only.   Sorry, break the bubble. But it’s not applicable in all areas. In most cases, creating a customized solution from square one, in an attempt to exceed the client’s expectations can actually be a setup for failure.   Building your own apps and solutions can lead you to these pitfalls:   Reinventing the wheels of mistake: creating mistakes the other developers before you have already made and mastered. Slowing down your time in the industry: reducing your learning curve while you wasted time outside your core competencies Spending too much money on developing solutions and tools that are already there, in great formats, and simultaneously miss out on resources where you need focused attention.   In short, white-label apps can help you avoid all these pitfalls and help you in utilizing your business’s branding over a product or solution without investing in technology or infrastructure creation around the solution.

How do you like the idea of creating an application that will be rebranded by others? Your ...

productivity

08 Nov 2022

Why Emails are killing Productivity? Find it Here

Hey, Can I have your undivided attention for a minute?   Thank you! There is a question I need you to answer: ‘What is the average number of emails that hit your inbox every day?’   Pause for a couple of minutes and see if you can estimate how noisy and crowded modern inboxes can be.   No idea? Let me help.   One Hundred and Twenty-One. That’s the number of Emails an average office worker receives per day, in 2022.   That’s a lot of numbers, right?   And these emails come in different forms - all vying for your attention. The majority of these Emails are clustered with attention-seeking subjects and catchy headlines. Each one is written with the purpose to rope you in so you click the button, read their content, and develop an interest in what they have to say.   For most people, the Email notifications popping up in the corner of the screen is a serious distraction. Not only does it prevent them from getting the tasks done, but it also makes it difficult to get back to work, with the same state of mind.   Here’s a hard-hitting fact about Emails Killing Work Productivity:   Whenever a person stops working on a project/task to check their inbox, it takes them almost 23 minutes to get back on track. Refocusing on work after an Email Interruption is not an easy thing. If you are receiving over 100 emails, it is sure to harm your productivity.   It’s Established. Though intended to act as a productivity tool in the majority of cases, emails are only killing productivity!   Think I am wrong? See for yourself:   Hyper-Responsiveness When was the last time you checked your inbox? As for me, ten minutes ago. As reported by surveys and studies, an average office worker checks their inbox 36 times an hour. Since Emails are Omnipresent, every office worker, whether an employee or an employer, knows that they are important.   And Cherry on the Cake? Promotional offers, discounts, new deals, and event details from your favorite sellers. They all get in the way of work.   Hyper-responsiveness to emails chops your workday into a series of work slots punctuated by distractions. When these emails need you to reply, the 26-minute average can stretch to an hour, without you noticing. Because, the quicker your reply, the faster responses you’ll get. The more responses you get, the more time you’ll stay distracted. It’s a vicious circle, you see.   Bottom Line: You Can’t Resist the Temptation of Checking Your Inbox.   A Habit of Composing Long Emails Another crucial reason that explains how Emails kill our productivity is the time spent on composing them. I am guilty of writing detailed emails to my clients. I am sure you are too. We all end up composing long and detailed replies when dealing with a new client or an important one when the same thing could’ve been communicated in half the time and half the space.   Bottom Line: You tend to forget that short emails are not rude and It’s always better to be concise.   7- Surefire ways of improving Email Productivity   1.  Create a Schedule to NOT check your Inbox 2.  Set-up an Email-Cleansing Routine 3.  Create and Email Hierarchy 4.  Use Canned Responses 5.  Leverage the power of Email Management Tools 6.  Develop a smart email etiquette 7.  Leverage Office Chat Application   Excessive Emails will continue distracting us from our primary duties as long as you take the following steps: 1. Create a Schedule to NOT check your Inbox   Unless you love killing time while at work, this first tip will prove to be extremely helpful. By creating a schedule to not check your inbox, you can save plenty of time, and you won’t burn time sending replies throughout the day. You’ll stay focused and be far more productive.   Just stop checking your inbox when at work. Stop refreshing that page so darn much. And if you think this is easier said than done, let us introduce you to a few tools that can help you with the same:   Inbox Pause: With this tool, you can have complete control over when emails appear in your inbox. Thus, you get to increase productivity by eliminating interruptions and reducing stress. Freedom: An app that blocks internet access to selected apps and websites, allowing users to have a distraction-free workplace, and self-imposed time. Cut back the Email push notifications: It’s the pop-ups that distract the most. They are ruining your work life. Why don’t you kill them too? Yes, really. Turn them off, for good! Add Message with your Signature: Add a statement under your signature, which informs your important contacts that you may not respond unless urgent. For Example, “I only check my emails four times a day. If it’s urgent, please walk to my desk to see me or call me.” 2. Set up an Email-Cleansing Routine   Your Inbox is someone else’s To-Do list, and you don’t have to keep them all stored unless they are really important and they serve a purpose. What’s the point of having so many useless emails?   Merlin Mann suggests the practice of clearing the email inbox of unnecessary emails. The Email-Cleansing Routine is something you need to do every single day. It can be tough but sure is very rewarding. Here’s what you need to do:   Do – Do the task right now if it’s actionable. Delegate – Forward this email to the correct person. Defer – If it’s not urgent, do it later. Delete – If useless, drop it in the bin. File – If the message has the information you may need in the future Add it to the archives. 3. Create an Email Hierarchy   If your work demands you to go through your Inbox multiple times to access important files and information, the first tip is not useful in your case. People like me who get assignments and tasks via Emails, need to stay active and frequently refresh our inboxes because that’s our virtual workplace.   Hence Avoiding Emails or Inbox-checking is not possible. Here’s another solution: Use Filters.   Yes, with filters, you can scan your inbox for better email management. Since Gmail has advanced so much over the last few years, you can   Use it to save time and avoid elements of distractions. Here’s how: File + Folders Filter: With this, you can organize emails containing files that need your attention Filter Based on Work: Put your Work Emails under the Label ‘Work’ to read only filtered mails Filter Based on Personal Emails: Put your Emails under the Label ‘personal’ to read-only filtered mail Filters Based on a particular Email address: ‘Put your Important contacts under the Label ‘Important’ to read-only filtered mail Star Important Contacts: Start Important Contacts for quick access.   4. Use Canned Responses  I told you in the previous section about the amount of time we all waste composing emails or send outbound emails. It kills work productivity.   The struggle is real. But you’ve to face it, and Canned Responses can be a savior as long as you know how to use them.   For those who don’t know, Canned Responses are a Gmail Feature that allows users to create and save a standard response that can be inserted into while composing a message or sending a reply-all at the click of a button. Here’s how you can Enable Canned Responses:   Go to Settings Navigate to ‘Advanced Tab’ Select ‘Canned Responses’ and Enable it.   To use a canned response, you first need to write one, and for that:     Open a compose mail Type an email that you wish to use as a canned response Click on the three dots available at the bottom right corner of the window Click Canned Response Finally, Enter the name of this canned response Click OK   Now, whenever you wish to reply with a response, you simply have to open the email, click the three dots, select canned responses, choose among the saved responses, and Insert it before clicking the press button. 5. Leverage the power of Email Management Tools Email Productivity can be made a game with cold email software. With an appropriate tool like a cold email outreach tool, for instance, you can solve the trouble for yourself and your employees and team members as well.   Apart from managing the high bounds of electronic emails, you can also organize important ones into a specific pipeline. Since millions of entrepreneurs are vouching for creating a distraction-free workspace, there are plenty of Email Management tools to choose from:   Constant Contact: To manage email lists and communications Boomerang: To remove emails that don’t need immediate attention Bananatag: For tracking the sent emails Infusionsoft: For following up with prospects MailChimp: For sending your subscribers the content they want.   6. Develop a smart email etiquette Email-Etiquette is something most of us lack, even though it is one of the most sensible ways to get more done and also maintain a sound work-life balance. Once you follow proper Email-etiquette, you get to expand your network and save time too.   Email Etiquette might not sound like a productivity tip but following these five tips save your recipient from confusion, for they receive the required information at once, and   Use a meaningful subject: Messages without a subject deserve a place in the trash can. They are a way to convey messages in a short time and let your recipient know what the mail is exactly about. When you expect others to not burn your time, make sure you don’t burn them either. Don't use ALL CAPS: Yes, it’s the most annoying thing, and yet people think typing in caps helps them get attention when in reality it only repels. Be concise: Let me remind you once more - When you expect others to not burn your time, make sure you don’t burn them either. Bottom line is to make sure your message is easy-to-read and scannable. I recommend using bullets or numbering. You don’t have to write a novel there. There are plenty of authors already. Proofread your email. Ensure readability: Avoid writing with overuse of exclamation marks and emoticons, unless the person on the receiving end is your ex! Add a CTA: When writing a professional email, adding a call-to-action is important so that the other party knows exactly what step you want them to take. Your CTA should have a clear direction so that the recipient doesn’t have to respond with a bunch of follow-up questions.    7. Leverage the Office Chat Application     I’ve saved the best for last.   Using an Office Chat App is indeed the best way to increase workplace productivity, reduce the chances of emails killing worktime, and assuring efficient collaboration as well.   One of the easiest ways of protecting time is by using communication tools designed for workplace collaboration. When you use a customized app, all the notifications and messages you receive are about work only. There’s no unnecessary pop-up vying for your attention. If you are a team leader or an employer who constantly worries about their employee's productivity, it’s high time you start leveraging the power of using an office chat application.   Troop Messenger, for instance, allows internal team members (employees and employers) to exchange messages, media, and files in a single, secure interface. With features like one-on-messaging, and video and voice calling, you can get things done faster and manage daily project tasks in an organized manner. With Troop Messenger, you can do a lot more than message and file sharing. Here’s how:   Video and Voice Calling: Face-to-Face interaction over presentations, deadlines, and projects. Audio Messaging: Crystal clear audio to know things better Burnout: Private conversation window to chat confidentially with a team member. Your chats aren’t stored anywhere. Live Location Tracking: Share or receive real-time location for a specific amount of time. Screen-Sharing: Share real-time desktop scream for collaboration on a task Advanced Search Filters: Filter your search by contacts, images, locations, and videos for easy and faster data retrieval. Unlimited Groups: Make collaboration easy with unlimited Groups.   Key Takeaways It’s Established. While intended to act as a productivity tool, in the majority of cases, emails are only killing productivity!   Emails are controlling your work life, believe it or not, and they will continue doing so if you don’t take the charge. Hence it’s crucial to embrace better Email habits to stay on the right track, clears away distractions, and have a clear head when working.   Make use of the right tools, use filters, create connections, and stay in control of your time. Start using office chat apps. It’s on you to safeguard your cognitive resources. The more you avoid ‘task-switching’ distractions, the better work you’ll be able to do, and that too in a lesser amount of time.   And now, I’ll take your leave with a Mantra you need to remember: “Not everything is as urgent as it seems.”

Hey, Can I have your undivided attention for a minute? Thank you! There is a question I nee...

mattermost or riot

30 Aug 2022

Mattermost vs Riot/Matrix: Which Office Messaging Platform will Make our Collaboration Game Stronger

Uber, Samsung, United States Armed Forces, TADHack, W3F, and UpCloud World’s leading companies are using Mattermost, Riot, or Matrix to give their teams the ‘best-ever’ virtual workplace experience.   While these companies are on three different messaging platforms, with different requirements, they have one thing in common - they all understand the importance of having a virtual workplace where all employees and stakeholders can communicate and collaborate, irrespective of the differences in time zone and location.   Along with these renowned names, 97% of businessmen and executives believe that the lack of communication within a team negatively influences the outcome of a project.   75% of the businessmen rate team collaboration and communication as the ‘most critical aspects,’ and 86% of the entrepreneurs cite a lack of communication and ineffective collaboration for workplace failure.   These statistics are a testimony to the fact that getting communication right can easily be a make-or-break factor for businesses, especially for virtual teams that rely on an in-depth communication style.   In a virtual business, relationships can be strained where communication happens primarily over electronic devices and the internet. The better you communicate, the better and more cohesive will be the end-projects.   Conventional forms of e-communication like email or Whatsapp fail to cut it as people are spread out further afield. And that’s where we realize the immediate need for messaging platforms like Riot-Matrix and Mattermost - office chat applications specifically designed to meet the collaboration needs of teams working remotely.   MatterMost vs Riot/Matrix   1. Messaging Functionality 2. Voice and Video Conferencing 3. Integration 4. FileSharing 5. Security 6. Supporting devices 7. Pricing   A bit about Matrix   Three keywords define Matrix: Interoperable systems, Real-time Communication, and Decentralised collaboration. As an open standard team chat application, the matrix is known for robust specifications that have the potential of evolving the concept of modern communication.   Interoperable: Matrix, being Open Standard, is specifically designed to integrate and interoperate with multiple communication systems. Decentralized: As a decentralized tool, with no central point, the matrix can be hosted on different servers. The team leaders can business owners can have complete control over their data, which gives zero opportunity for the third party to peek-a-boo! Real-Time: Matrix is designed to function in real-time, which makes it an ideal tool for systems and workplaces that need an immediate exchange of data and media. And hence, it makes for an apt Instant Messaging tool as well. A bit about Riot   Riot is a Matrix client that was built with an emphasis on usability and performance. Built on top of Matrix-react-SDK, this open-source tool allows teams to bridge beyond their borders.    Uber, Samsung, United States Armed Forces, TADHack, W3F, and UpCloud, with Riot, you don’t have to juggle between different applications for communicating with different vendors, teams, suppliers, and networks. It bridges various services like IRC and Slack, and thus people using different tools can chat with you, while you use integrations and bots from the open-source Matrix ecosystem.   Here also, you are in complete control of shared messages, documents, files, and sensitive data, and private conservations are end-to-end encrypted so that you never have to compromise your team's business's privacy.   A bit about Mattermost     As a self-hosted Slack Alternative, Mattermost is a flexible messaging platform that enables highly secure team communication and collaboration. With Mattermost you can deploy faster by connecting files, people, and systems with workflow. The centralized DevOps communication platform can be used for secure integration with popular DevOps tools like bots, Git, CI, and CD.    Many global companies like Uber are working better with Mattermost by connective tools, people, and automation across millions of users. This exclusive team chat app is employed for enterprise-grade security, scalability, and availability - all of which help team members and employees to work seamlessly with complaint systems and mobile security. Why are we comparing Matrix/Riot and Mattermost? If you’ve read the Troop Messenger blog before, you know how we’ve always been curious about our rivals. Exploring rival apps and similar team collaboration software helps us analyze office collaboration needs from a customer’s perspective. An unbiased analysis of our competitors leads us towards designing a better tool for our end-users - Troop Messenger- a better, cleaner, and more user-friendly chat alternative. Recently, we did an in-depth analysis of Rocket Chat and Zulip. This time we would like to focus on the well-known Mattermost, Riot, and Matrix. Comparing the emerging leaders of office communication Let’s dig deeper into comparing these office communication platforms and review what’s the big deal about them. To help you with the decision to choose between Matrix/Riot and Mattermost, you should know the key differences in using this new infrastructure: 1. Messaging Functionality  Matrix  With Matrix, you can create an open collaboration platform that is vibrant, independent, and continuously evolving. It maintains a complete conversation history and features end-to-end encryption of chats that are synchronized across all devices. Simple HTTP APIs for creating a chat room SDKs (iOS, Android, Web) for creating a chat room Direct chats and chatbots Conversations replicated over all participating servers Reach other users in the Global Matrix Ecosystem Complete with end-to-end encryption Synchronized conversation history Formatted messages Read receipts  Rating: 4/5         Riot  Riot is more than a simple chat platform and makes for a perfect team chat app whether you’re a team, a community, or a family. Whether you want to stay visible for attracting more members or stay flexible enough to gather users across different apps and entities, Riot is a good choice. Here, you can create private communities for grouping your rooms and filtering them.    One-to-one chats Big public chats Small private conversations Create chat rooms per topic, group, event Decide the level of access control Decide the visibility of history Create your own private communities   Rating: 3.5/5     Mattermost  Mattermost is unarguably one of the fastest-growing messaging platforms designed for DevOps. Uber and the US army use Mattermost for handling over 70,000 simultaneous users who send hundreds of messages every second. With a highly available setup, you can avoid outages and track your system health with various performance monitoring tools.   Organized conversations in channels Scalable messaging Fully searchable message history 1-on-1 and group messaging Multi-language support Private/encrypted direct messages Emoji and rich Markdown formatting   Rating: 4.5/5    Verdict:  Mattermost’s Messaging Functionality > Riot-Matrix’s Messaging Functionality When it comes to messaging functionality, Mattermost winds over Riot-Matrix. Whether it be scalable messaging or organized conversation, Mattermost leads Riot-Matrix, which are inter dependable on each other, support big public chats, but they lack features like multi-language support and Markdown formatting.   2. Voice and Video Conferencing  Matrix With the advent of WebRTC, Matrix developers acquired the ability to create a robust platform for exchanging high-quality video and voice calling. If you want to build VoIP into your application or wish to expose your current VoIP application to a wide audience, then building on SDK Matrix and bridges should be a brainer.   Matriz is a decentralized conversation store instead of a messaging protocol. Hence, once you send a Matrix message, it is replicated over all servers and sent among servers participating in a given conversation.   Internet of Things communication VoIP/WebRTC signaling (voice and video) Integration with Jitsi for multi-party video chats 3D Video Calling Group conversations Read receipts Typing notifications Presence    Rating: 4/5     Riot With Riot, you can make one-touch video calls, and voice calls, and send audio notes on all platforms. The audio quality is decent enough for workplace communication.   Respond to calls natively (as you respond to phone calls) Share links with users during conference calls External users can join video conferences via links and their browsers   Rating: 3.5/5     Mattermost Mattermost supports different third-party videos, screenshots, and audio via plugins is planned. There are also plugins like Cisco WebEx Meetings supported on a self-hosted on-premise solution.   Video call with screen sharing Audio call with screen sharing Invite team members to a Zoom call One-on-one calls based on the WebRTC protocol Third-party plugins like Zoom, Skype, BigBlueButton Integration with Jitsi, Kopano, SIP PBX, and appear.in   Rating: 4/5   Verdict: Riot-Matrix’s Voice & Video Conferencing > Mattermost’s Voice & Video Conferencing   Matrix, as a decentralized conversation store, leads in this context, all thanks to VoIP/WebRTC signaling for voice and video. Mattermost doesn’t support options to respond to voice & video calls natively (as you respond to phone calls).   3. Integration   Matrix  Matrix is definitely the boss when it comes to integration. With bridges, bots, and Widgets, there’s a lot that can be done. Where Bridges link discussions across various networks, Widgets embed third-party tools in the chatbox, and Bots interact with third-party apps directly from the chat.   Read and Write to Channels outside Matrix (Slack, Gitter, and IRC) Bots to sit in channels and listen & respond to commands (GitHub, Guggy, Giphy, and RSS Bot, Travis CI). Widgets for a full-blown interactive matrix room (Jitsi, Etherpad, and Grafana)   Rating: 5/5            Riot  Same as Matrix, Riot also allows interaction with other applications and services directly from your rooms. Since Riot is built on Matrix, anyone can easily and effortlessly develop their own integrations as well.   Bots like Giphy and Google Images to help with tasks like searching Embed widgets within the chat rooms for collaboration on documents Stickers addition from ever-growing sticker packs In a Riot chat room, add a bridge to transparently talk with external app users like Slack (without even leaving Riot).   Rating: 4.5/5    Mattermost When it comes to integration, Mattermost definitely rules. The powerful integration features can facilitate the teams to work faster and do more within a single platform.   DevOps integration set Custom slash commands Incoming and outgoing webhooks Plugins and extensions Robust API library Bots and developer toolkit OAuth 2.0 applications   Rating: 4/5   Verdict: Riot-Matrix Integration > Mattermost Integration   When it comes to integration, Matrix-Riot is definitely the boss. Matrix-Riot bots interact with third-party apps directly from the chat. In both these tools, you can add the bridge to transparently talk with external app users like Slack. Mattermost allows DevOps Integration, plugins, and extensions, but doesn’t support bridging features like Matrix-Riot.   4. File Sharing  Matrix Cloud file sharing and Synchronous Editing Share, view, and receive files Encrypted file sharing   Rating: 4/5     Riot  Share, view, and receive files in any conversation Search for files in the file panel. Drag and drop the option for quick file sharing   Rating: 4/5  Mattermost File, image, and link sharing Build powerful workflows Share system feeds in channels   Rating: 4/5   Verdict: Riot-Matrix File Sharing = Mattermost File Sharing   It’s a tie. Both Riot-Matrix & Mattermost support easy and user-friendly file sharing across devices.   5. Security Matrix Matrix’s security is strengthened with the Double Ratchet Algorithm that’s made effective by Signal and extended to support the encryption to matrix rooms that contain hundreds of devices.   End-to-End data encryption via Meglom and Olm cryptographic ratchets The only recipient can access or decrypt a message Warnings for logins from unexpected devices   Rating: 3.5/5    Riot If you are using Riot for team communication, be sure that no one else can peek into or eavesdrop on your conversations. Even the server admins cannot access chat since it uses the best end-to-end encryption available.   End-to-End data encryption No access to the third party for shared data, not even server admins Secure key backup for recovering the encrypted data Double-factor authentication Highlights when the account is compromised   Rating: 3.5/5    Mattermost Mattermost clients have the freedom to keep complete control over their data. From e-compliance reporting to enforcing multi-factor authentication, Mattermost guarantees security in the best manner possible:   eDiscovery and compliance reporting Custom terms of service Data retention policies AD/LDAP authentication AD/LDAP Group sync SAML 2.0 single sign-on Database management tools Multi-factor authentication Performance monitoring   Rating: 4.5/5  Verdict: Mattermost Security > Riot-Matrix Security   Mattermost is an undisputed winner since it guarantees security through features like AD/LDAP authentication & SAML 2.0 single sign-on. Riot-Matrix provides End-to-End data encryption via cryptographic ratchets but fails to compete with Matermost’s Multi-factor authentication.   6. Supporting devices   Matrix The best way to use Matrix features is by using the Riot Web client within the browser. The Riot Web client is then configured by default in order to connect it with the home server of matrix.org.  Rating: 3/5       Riot Browser: Launch Riot right in your browser; Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome  Desktop: Download the application on your personal computer App Store: Supported on iOS 11+ v1.25.1, 10.12+ v4.3. Play Store: Supported on Android 7.0+ v1.25.1 F-droid: Version 0.9.9 (40090900)   Rating: 4.5/5     Mattermost Mac: Supported on 10.12+ v4.3.2 iOS: Supported on iOS 11+ v1.25.1 Android: Supported on Android 7.0+ v1.25.1 Windows: Supported on Windows 7+ v4.3.2 Linux: Supported on Ubuntu 16.04+ v4.3.2   Rating: 4.5/5  Verdict: Mattermost Supporting Devices > Riot-Matrix Supporting Devices In the context of Supporting Devices, Mattermost has an upper hand over Riot-Matrix. It’s available across multiple platforms. Matrix is chiefly available as Riot’s web client, meanwhile, Riot can be accessed through Browser, App Store, and Play Store.   7. Pricing Matrix  By registering an account on matrix.org, you can use Matrix for free, which is maintained by a non-profit Matrix.org Foundation.   Rating: 4/5    Riot Riot is open-source and it’s also free, for everyone, and forever. You can use Riot free of cost, without even having to compromise your data and privacy. Premium service is available from Modular.im, with plans starting from $1.50 per active user per month to   Rating: 4.5/5   Mattermost Enterprise E10: $3.25 per user per month, suitable for small-scale companies. Enterprise E20: $8.50 per user per month, suitable for high-trust enterprises and organizations   Rating: 3.5/5   Verdict: Riot-Matrix Pricing> Mattermost Pricing   When it comes to pricing, Riot-Matrix is the cheapest office collaboration tool. Riot/Matrix is free, and you can also upgrade to premium plans. Mattermost sure offers value for money. It’s a great tool for large enterprises. But if you have a limited budget, Riot/Matrix is undoubtedly the cheapest solution.   Key Takeaways If you want to be in more control of your company’s security, my advice would be to go with Riot or Matrix.   Matrix and Riot are the perfect choices if your employees need to communicate with vendors or stakeholders using chat apps other than Matrix (Slack, Trello, etc.) They can literally communicate with them without being forced to install the same application.   If you want to be in more control of your company’s data, my advice would be to stick to Mattermost.   Mattermost’s self-hosted platform offers unmatched control over data, legal compliance, and privacy. If data control is your team’s priority, Mattermost must be the solution, for it provides full access to source codes, libraries, and server APIs, without any monitoring by a third-party tool.   If your team’s virtual workplace priority is an intuitive user interface with an advanced feature stack, you can try Troop Messenger.    While Riot, Matrix, and Mattermost offer efficiency and agility through modern communication, Troop Messenger can provide additional internal security with features like ‘Finger Print Access’ and ‘Passcode Security Pin.’ Troop Messenger can be a good pick if you prefer an easy-to-understand messaging platform with simple navigation. Conclusion When intellectual minds, with brilliant ambitions, work towards a common goal, great things are bound to happen. But, no great thing is achieved without a team effort, and for an effective team effort, office collaboration tools are an indispensable component.   With the right tools, employees and team members are able to complement each other’s weaknesses, and strengths, and ultimately become unstoppable! Not only are these tools designed to reduce the need for extraneous meetings but also for providing faster access to media, files, and documents to make communication efficient.   If you too have given thought about adopting a team communication platform, I’m sure you’ve already considered collaboration giants like Slack, HipChat, and Skype. All three of these platforms have been the biggest players in the office collaboration field, and with great reasons - similar functions with quirky differences.   We’ve all been loyalists to Slack, and to some extent, Skype as well, but this winter Let’s try Riot, Matrix, and Mattermost and see what might be different. It’s always great to change things once in a while!

Uber, Samsung, United States Armed Forces, TADHack, W3F, and UpCloud World’s leading companie...

military collaboration

19 Dec 2020

Increase Productivity and Secure your Collaboration With Troop Messenger

You’re leading a peacekeeping mission and simultaneously safeguarding your nation against enemies. It’s a multi-state effort, that involves an active contribution of your colleagues from different departments, some working next door, and some in remote areas.   As a leader, there is a dire need for you to maintain active collaboration and real-time data sharing with all the team members. You also need to integrate with third-party contractors who are handling other mission-critical services.   But, you don’t have the right medium to maintain that interaction. You don’t have a secure platform to deliver critical information to your team members. Your mission is hampered through phone calls and static email solutions, and eventually, the lack of tools and an effective collaboration process dawns upon you.   But it’s too late, the delay has already caused a ruckus, and your opponents are already a step ahead.   Now, Let’s flip the scenario: You’re organizing a similar mission with a war-torn nation. You need to have a collaboration with the masses. There are a thousand people who need to exchange information with each other - actively, remotely, and frequently - without having to worry about security breaches.   And you are already prepared for that!   You have a dedicated application that supports defense collaboration services and allows an unprecedented level of communication and real-time collaboration. You have an end-to-end encrypted tool that offers solutions ranging from instant calling, messaging, video conferencing, workflow sharing, creating virtual workplaces, managing action logs, exchanging risk registers, and tracking the progress (through insights and analytics) till the very end.   Which scenario would you rather be in? The first is when where you’re likely to compromise the security of your organization and hamper the workflow.   Or   The second, where you have got complete control of real-time data sharing, anytime/anywhere productivity, and cross-agency collaboration.   The answer is so obvious. I am ashamed I even asked that question!   This brings us to a fact: Collaboration tools  are the need-of-the hour for military, defense, and security-conscious government organizations - not only because of the exciting range of features that make them do more in less but also because they are a perfect solution to data and security challenges as well.” For instance, Microsoft Office for military personnel offers a variety of features to promote military collaboration in a secure environment.”   Let’s look at the role these applications can play in changing the dimension of modern collaboration among defense forces while meeting today’s security and mobility issues:   Top 5 Defence Organisation requirements that only a dedicated collaboration tool can fulfill: I. Reliable Communication: There’s no denying the importance of communication for the smooth running of any organization. One cannot imagine operating a business without a source of communication. It is vital for any business owner, and when it comes to military forces, it is indispensable.   Real-time communication or miscommunication between the members can make or break a mission. From the alerts carrying orders to the interaction with field personnel to audio/video links to an enemy or strategist, real-time communication can change the game for them.   Despite Communication being the most critical factor, Military force leaders and organizations find it challenging to provide their team members with appropriate collaboration and communication services. Because of the differing characteristics and needs of these organizations, they cannot communicate with a standard industry template.   Military teams need special tools that can handle military messaging without compromising security and data sensitivity issues. Military messaging tools help information flow within teams for electronic communication across different systems and between nations. These tools ensure messaging data is compliant with international standards and encrypted to reduce the chances of security breaches.    1. Mobility  Commanders and Leaders: Access information anytime, anyplace, and through different devices, and work from remote areas without the need for a conventional office premise. Staff and Analysts: Seamlessly collaborate with the commanders, headquarters, and staff from the upper or lower hierarchical structure. Infantry Soldiers: Communicate anytime, from anywhere, and exchange alerts  Administrative Staff and Field Personnel: Deliver field-related communications and real-time data to mobile personnel.   2. Virtual Meetings: Commanders and Leaders: Force leaders and commanders require constant access to real-time data/information and frequent interaction with team members to make an informed decision. Staff and Analysts: Staffs and analysts working at different levels rely on video conferences to coordinate and engage in an automated translation of responsibilities. Infantry Soldiers: Join conferences and meetings hosted by their leaders from remote locations.  Administrative Staff and Field Personnel: Partakes in role-specific training sessions, which reduces the need for instructors to travel.   II. Real-Time Collaboration to Support Mission Objectives: The top priority for Military and Defense personnel is to support the mission objectives by staying informed and making informed decisions.   Such organizations and their associates need to grasp the situational context, understand the scenario quickly, respond rapidly, and pass the decisions to others. The situation can either be a regular conflict, a threat to the nation’s safety, or a major disaster, but the approach is usually the same.   Not only do these organizations generate and analyze huge amounts of data but they also communicate speedily with experts and counterparts to aid resolution of the problem or project at hand.   Equally important is the need to achieve goals from anywhere, at any time, and through encrypted, highly-secure platforms. Here’s how a security-dedicated collaboration tool can ensure reliable collaboration across different roles and hierarchical structures of a Military organization:   Secure Collaboration Commanders and Leaders: Agencies working for Defense and Military forces do not work individually. One decision originating from Department A could affect the dimension in Department Z. With a thorough collaboration between leaders, such errors can be avoided.  Staff and Analysts: Team members working at different levels can work simultaneously on a single project, share documents, and make edit suggestions from anywhere and on any device.  Administrative Staff and Field Personnel: Have access to a role-based portal and get real-time information. Finding Experts Commanders and Leaders: Find the expert for making a rapid and quick decision, and get questions from the staff and field personnel and give an immediate answer. Staff and Analysts: Reduce the decision-making time by reaching the experts through real-time exchange of data and media and other sensitive files. Infantry Soldiers: Find the expert for resolving an immediate issue. Administrative Staff and Field Personnel: Find the seniors for resolving an issue related to logistics and equipment.   III. Business Intelligence: Insights and analytics features can enable defense and security & mission-conscious organizations to mitigate threats on time and enable a rapid decision-making protocol.   Insights generated from real-time data can enable such organizations to take up-to-the-hour actions and up-to-the-minute strategies. It also helps get an accurate view of the impending situation, understand the status and capacity of allied forces, and plan according to their exact locations.   Here’s how Microsoft Office for the military, a security-dedicated collaboration tool can ensure Insights & Analytics sharing across different roles and hierarchical structures of a Military organization:   Commanders and Leaders: Create a real-time view of tactical data and share it across the command structure in a highly secure portal. Get insights into economic and political data. Staff and Analysts: Analyse received information and share operational, intelligence, and logistical insights to make more informed decisions. Infantry Soldiers: Understand the strategy and be a part of the planning process. Administrative Staff and Field Personnel: Use the dashboard for visualizing the level of supplies needed for forces, and make better and more informed logistics and purchasing decisions.   IV. Security and Compliance: One of the most important factors to be considered while choosing a ‘Defence team collaboration application’ is data security and privacy. This is something a regular chat application cannot provide.   Robust instant messaging capabilities like DISA DCS provide security and compliance with the ability to share content and provide collaboration, and playback capabilities. Through DCS web conferencing, users can communicate securely using voice and video and have the ability to share documents, PowerPoint slides, photographs, and spreadsheets in different formats.  The Solution addresses security concerns unique to defense agencies within a private and dedicated cloud environment. A security-dedicated collaboration tool allows encrypted data sharing across different roles and hierarchical structures of a Military organization: Commanders and Leaders: Make sure that sensitive and confidential data is protected over the cloud and across devices. Staff and Analysts: Securely receive confidential information, and reports, and update it via extranet and intranet applications to help other members be better informed and control the decisions. Infantry Soldiers: Make secure connections with other military sources and agents or cloud resources Administrative Staff and Field Personnel: Securely exchange field reports and their analyses to the Commanders and leaders.   V. Tech-Enabled Platform: Defense organization is in dire need of a tech-enabled communication and collaboration platform which simplifies task management reduces cost, improves services, and simultaneously provides transparency to work across different departments and agencies.   To achieve Military missions, maintain collaboration at sea, and support defense goals in today’s fast-changing world, defense agencies and all their partners must work together, securely, and over a tech-enabled platform. Today’s high-tech collaboration tools offer all of these features at lightning speed and across multiple devices while also delivering the highest levels of security standards. Some of the features only a tech-enabled tool can provide are:      Live-Location Tracking: With live-location tracking, team leaders and members can always create up-to-the-minute strategies and take up-to-the-hour actions.   Real-Time Desktop/Screen Sharing: Faster and real-time collaboration. Defense forces can share the contents of their screen with another or multiple devices, and show colleagues or vendors presentations, media, documents, or videos on their devices, without having to send any files to them. This is a lifesaver for defense and military teams because there are a lot of confidential files that cannot be sent over and only be shown to the teams.  Large Storage for unhindered communication: Since the teams are massive and have a hundred topics to communicate about, a collaboration tool offering large storage is appropriate for unhindered communication.  Crystal-Clear Audio Calling and Messaging: Technologies like AI are being included in collaboration tools to make communication easier and simpler than ever. Confidential Chat: Understanding the need for privacy for an organization, software vendors are focused on providing a confidential, end-to-end encrypted platform for the confidential and data-sensitive exchange of information.    Troop Messenger provides collaboration solutions that meet military objectives: Today various platforms offer users to communicate virtually and create a workspace for team members working remotely. On these platforms, workers/employers can chat online, prepare presentations, create documents, hold conferences, and make calls - all through one interface.   Finding a Suitable office chat application for business is easy because they are sufficient options to choose from. But when it comes to choosing communication and collaboration for a military/defense team, the toughest part is finding a tool that is dedicated to meeting military objectives i.e. it meets the unique challenge of protecting critical data without compromising with real-time defense collaboration features.   With Troop Messenger, defense forces can get both Security and Feature level Benefits.   Security-Level Benefits offered by Troop Messenger:   Data encryption while at rest and transit Mitigation of data theft risk ‘Burnout Window’ for a confidential chat Multi-layered admin privileges Multi-layered data security   Feature-Level Benefits offered by Troop Messenger:    Designed for private networks Live-Location tracking Multi-factor authentication access (FingerPrint and Passcode) Real-time defense collaboration services Surveillance features for close monitoring of communication  Efficient with low latency satellite communication   11 - Ways to elaborate defense scenarios with Troop Messenger (In real-time): Troop-Messenger, as a leading Military collaboration tool is dedicated to elaborating Military communications with features tailor-made for hierarchical collaboration, critical conversations, informed investigations, and training and development.   This team communication app for defense communications has been designed considering all aspects of productivity and collaboration challenges faced by commanders, soldiers, and military organizations around the world.   Here’s how defense scenarios can be elaborated with Troop Messenger, in real-time:      1.   Hierarchical communication & collaboration: Users can communicate and report to higher authorities of different cadres right within a single interface.    2.   Video Conferences with desktop screen sharing: Real-time meetings with options like screen sharing and integration of third-party applications.    3.  Dedicated War Rooms: React promptly and find help from experts during a sudden and major outbreak. Create a shared workspace for understanding the redefined priorities.    4.  Training and Development: Train junior cadres and receive training online through chat groups, shared workspace, and conferences.    5.  Informed Investigations: Real-time access to prompt decisions on all the investigations you’ve been handling.      6.  Real-Time Location Tracking: Live track your troops on a mission with Troop Messenger, get to know their location, and send/receive prompt updates.    7.  Secure & Encrypted File Sharing: Army-Safe, highly-secured, multi-factor encrypted file sharing.    8.  Designed to fit All Network Types: Troop Messenger is designed to fit networks of all types, including low and medium bandwidth.    9.  Compliance Benefits: Being security-conscious, TM ensures complete I. Reliable Communication: security of entire shared and stored data with its GDPR compliance.   10.  Data Ownership: Admins are the owner of all data and message exchanges and are responsible for managing data space with collaborative or single-point ownership.    11.   Hide and Seek Features: Enable and Disable features depending on the need of the minute and consider what you feel secure/insecure about.      The Future Looks Promising! Continuously evolving technology has changed the way businesses function and interact. Collaboration tools have made enormous changes for business, and now with dedicated platforms like Troop Messenger, there’s more scope to increase the productivity of your organization in real time.   This change is most likely to allow military forces and defense teams to create workspaces that allow faster interactions around projects and have meaningful descriptors in a more secure way.   Troop-Messenger is dedicated to elaborating defense communications with features tailor-made for hierarchical collaboration, critical conversations, informed investigations, and training and development.

You’re leading a peacekeeping mission and simultaneously safeguarding your nation against enem...

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Defence

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Defence

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