We have already emphasized the importance of instant communication and discussed some of the basic features of Troop Messenger in that context. (Read our article Connect with Your “Team” with the Latest Troop Messenger for more details.)   While team collaboration through communication evidently is essential for businesses, doing it securely is a necessity.   Table of Contents   1. Encryption 2. PIN 3. Finger Print 4. Activity Monitor    Troop Messenger, therefore, offers you state-of-the-art security features that protect your data from cybercriminals.   Encryption  With the advance of numerous online frauds and security breaches, any online exchange of information calls for the security and privacy of the transmitted data, as any weakness in security could be disastrous for a business.   The new-age business chat app Troop Messenger uses Server-Side Encryption (SSE) to keep your data secure and confidential. The benefit of SSE is that along with maintaining the isolation of your data, it also limits the complexity of the environment.   PIN Troop Messenger gives you an option to save yourself from the trouble of signing-in on your mobile device with your user ID and password every time. It lets you sign in using a 4-digit personal identification number (PIN).   The PIN is not only easier to remember as compared to an alphanumeric password but is also a faster way to sign in. To enable it, you can go to your profile settings and select security and set your PIN.   Finger Print  Troop Messenger is a one-of-a-kind team chat app that provides you the latest and secure ways to sign in on your mobile device. If you prefer to not use a PIN but a more secure and easier way to sign in to your mobile device, do that by using your fingerprint. To enable it, click on the menu option on the top left corner of your screen.   Then go to Profile and select Security. If your device has a fingerprint scanner, it will show the corresponding option. Once you have selected the fingerprint option, keep your finger on the fingerprint sensor (on your mobile device) and click on “Confirm” when prompted. You can now use your fingerprint to access the app on your mobile device.   Activity Monitor  Troop Messenger is certainly an innovator when it comes to security features, and this can be realized by exploring its activity monitor. If you go to your profile settings and click on the tab labeled “Activity,” you can see all those devices that are currently signed in to Troop Messenger with your ID.   You can log off from any suspicious devices by clicking on the icon that looks like a box with an arrow, and you are logged out from that device. If you want to log out of all devices, just click on the tab, and you’re done. Besides that, the activity monitor also lets you view your usage details, such as the number of messages, images, videos, files, and space utilized.   There are many more salient features that we will share with you in various articles. Until then, share your feedback about Troop Messenger with us. On a different note, if you’re looking for a unique way to preserve your memories, you could consider Wall Art for Custom Canvas Photos Prints, which adds a personalized touch to any space, much like how Troop Messenger adds a personalized layer of security to your communication.

Seamless and hassle-free communication is a vital element for any business to flourish. Advances in technology have helped businesses to expand across the world, and that makes it very essential that its employees stay connected irrespective of their geographic location. This can be accomplished through instant messaging services.   The benefit of instant messaging application is that they offer real-time information exchange between people who may be sitting in different parts of the world. Software developers across the world have recognized this high-priority requirement to come up with several apps that offer excellent intra-entity communication platforms.   Unified communication platforms such as Slack, Skype, Facebook Workplace, etc. are increasingly feeling the heat from the upcoming team collaboration apps. Foremost among them is Troop Messenger — a new-age business chat app for both corporates and governments. There are many instant messengers available in the market, but the Troop Messenger is one of the latest and most efficient business messengers.   Troop Messenger is gradually becoming the most sought after due to its various unique features:   1) It is one of the lightest business communication messengers : It does not take much time to download and install because it is one of the lightest software in the market that allows people to stay connected on the go. It occupies a meager 29.7 MB space on a mobile phone and only 54.5 MB on a computer.   2. It is Native: The Troop Messenger is unique in the sense that the app is exclusively designed as a native application. Each platform — Windows, Linux, and MAC — has a build of its own. Similarly, Android and iOS apps are developed exclusively to provide an enhanced experience to the users. All you have to do is download the correct version that is compatible with your piece of software.   3. It has the easiest sign-up procedure : With Troop Messenger, you don’t have to bother about remembering the domain name or the aliases of your company when you are signing up. It simply asks the user’s name, email address, mobile phone number, and company’s name. If the user wishes, they can fill in additional details such website and physical address, but that is optional.   4. It has a simple and friendly user interface : After signing in, the user interface that greets you is very soothing to the eye because it is clutter free. While building the app, its developers probably had only one thing in mind and that was to keep its user interface as user-friendly as possible. Perhaps that is the reason why using this app doesn’t give unnecessary headaches.   5) Troop Messenger has only two status messages : Before we discuss more on this feature, we would like you to remember the different status messages that are usually available in many instant messengers such as “available,” “away,” “busy,” and “do not disturb.” If you try to recall the number of times your contacts have dropped you a message even when your status showed “away” or “busy,” you’ll realize that those status messages most of the time do not work.   Perhaps this is the reason why Troop Messenger has done away with unnecessary status messages and provides a user with only two options — “available” and “do not disturb.” So if you want people to contact you, you set your status as “available”; otherwise, set it as “do not disturb,” and save yourself from distractions.   These are just the basic features of Troop Messenger. There’s more to come. Follow me for more interesting discussions in our forthcoming blogs.   Also, do not forget to share your experience using Troop Messenger. Any feedback from you will help us get better by the day.  

In order for a business to thrive and meet deadlines and exceed the goals of the bottom line of the company, it is essential to have a decent enterprise social network, aka the business chat app or team chat app where all the members can converse at one place to keep the network in sync.   Table of Contents   1. Troop Messenger 2. Connecteam 3. ProofHub 4. Slack 5. Fleep 6. Flock 7. Stride    If you are not using an enterprise application among your team, chances are that team communication is not productive enough which is the backbone of any business.   Communication is the only thing that leads to a community.   Poor communication in the workplace will eventually lead to friction, confusion, and a serious drop in productivity levels. Communication is the key to achieving productivity and maintaining a strong and healthy relationship irrespective of the role the person possesses in the office.   Gone are the days, when people used boring phone calls, video conferences, and email services that crave a subject and specific format to connect with the team.   The one-stop abode to destroy all these obstacles is ‘chat.’ Hands down! Chat simplifies everything. You could type a quick message without following any pattern and get a short reply even as an emoticon signifying that the work is done. This is simple, reliable, and compatible.    Now, every organization needs a business application where the members no longer need to search for a co-worker’s email id. Everyone is just a tap away.   All you have to do is just say hello! Team chat applications must consist of features like screen sharing, video chat, and the best search filters which save time and upshot the team productivity in the organization. As there are many business chat apps in the form of Google Hangouts alternatives on the market, it happens to get confusing to choose the one with all the features.   For your comfort, we have listed the 5 Google Hangouts Alternative/Replacement that maximized your team productivity:     Troop Messenger (Feature-rich Hangouts alternative)     One size does not fit all is a myth for Troop Messenger. It recently entered the industry as a feature-rich team chat application that comes with end-to-end encryption, a user-friendly interface, data ownership, screen sharing, video conference, and the best search filters that one could ask for.   It is suitable for all kinds of business sectors and sizes. Being a purely business chat app, Troop Messenger has high protocols for user entry. Only Admins can let users onto the platform. Troop Messenger is one of the best alternatives to Google Hangouts that allow the overseer to monitor the messages to analyze the contribution of members of the organization.   The real beauty of Troop Messenger is the fact that it allows users to get integrated with third-party platforms and offers colossal storage of 15GB which can be upgraded to 1 TB. And unlike most team communication apps like Slack, Skype  Troop Messenger is very economical for the entities. In fact, it is as low as 1/3rd of most apps like Google Hangouts in the market. And what's more, with more utilitarian features, ideal for price-sensitive markets.   Available On: iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, and Web    Connecteam (A New Hangouts alternative)   Connecteam is a perfect alternative to Google Hangouts, which is an employee app designed and built, especially for non-desk employees. Think about employees from industries like construction, retail, field services, security, etc - they don’t have access to a workstation or a computer as they’re always on the move.   Connecteam is addressing this challenge by having multiple communication tools, all in one place: team chat or personal conversation, immediate updates, social feed, employee directory, employee training hub, job scheduling, time tracking, and more.   Hence, combining all those together, you have a great Google Hangout alternative to have your spread deskless employees in one place.   Available on: iOS, Android and web (system admins only) ProofHub (Powerful Hangouts alternative)   ProofHub is a powerful google hangouts alternative, in fact, it is way beyond Google Hangouts replacement, which solves a lot more than just the communication challenges faced by teams. This easy-to-use project management and team collaboration software offer flexible task management options with simple to-do lists and custom workflows for agility. It comes with an in-built group chat tool for keeping your effective communications centralized. It also offers a dedicated space for real-time discussions, and an online proofing tool for proofing files, annotating them using markup tools and reviewing them. What makes ProofHub great is that it replaces the many different apps teams use for managing their tasks, planning their projects, communicating with each other, reporting, and working productively with single all-in-one software. And, its simple no-per-user pricing makes it a comparatively affordable option.   Slack (Biggest Hangouts alternative)   A name that doesn’t need any introduction. Slack is one of the best team communication apps and one of the appropriate alternatives to Hangouts which allows the user to sort conversations into channels that can be integrated with other services.   It quickly became one of the popular ways to connect with a group as it works on multiple platforms and interfaces. Slack is the prime reason for becoming ‘bot’ a buzzword. You can build customized slack bots with available tools. The one thing we have to mention about Slack is the feature that has the ability to manage notifications for keywords.   If we dig more, Slack even has customizable themes, emoji-based reactions, and reminders. The reason why Slack has become popular is, it offered Slack for free when its competitors did not.   Available On: iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, and Web     Fleep(New Hangouts alternative)   Fleep is a new block in the industry that performs quite well in bringing all the employees to one place. With Fleep, users can have a one-on-one conversation, and group creation with emoticons, photos, videos, gifs, and even maps in a professional overtone.   The best part about Fleep is that it allows you to video conference with hundreds of others, unlike Skype which allows you to add only 10 to a conference. As it is synced up with all platforms, everything would be in a synchronized mode.   On top of everything, you can turn your conversation into a video call with just a tap and it offers 10 GB of file storage in the basic plan itself. Probably, which is why it is the demigod of the virtual world.   Available On: iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, and Web    Flock (Simple Hangouts alternative)   Flock is a simple, secure, and white-collar corporate application that lets you integrate with as many outside services as you want.   It makes communication seamless and enhanced the speed of execution which is a major part of any business. It is the ideal collaboration tool at work as it has management features like sharing, video conferencing, audio calls, polls, reminders, and many more.   Slack could be the dominant player but there are other small replacements for Slack for a lesser price. Flock is one such application that almost proved that there are better collaborations than email.   Available On: iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, and Web   Stride (Acquired by slack) Stride ( formerly HipChat ) is one of the fast-growing solutions for enterprise chat apps as it allows file sharing through various windows such as web, mobile and desktop computers.   Stride allows the users to format and edit the messages you sent. You can mark certain messages as tasks and find them on your chat sidebar. You can even customize your status to let the team members know whether you are available or indulged in some work which enhances to keep the focus on the work you are doing without any buzz of notifications.   Available On: iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, and Web   Conclusion If you are seeking the best Hangouts alternatives cum business chat apps, the aforementioned can increase team efficiency by providing seamless interaction despite having distinct geographic boundaries and time zones and accomplishing the projects on time.

Have you ever been on a team that made you feel one kind of hell?   A team where you were shaking in shoes to speak up about your honest feelings?   A team where there were persistent conflicts and squabbles?   On the other side, have you ever been in a team where each one of them is embracing?   A team that charges you up with energy to run the extra mile? Do you know the thick line between the two scenarios?   It is team communication. In almost every angle of life, be it professional or personal, relationships cannot thrive without free and open communication.   While in an organization, the quality of internal communication matters a lot. If you let the communication get inferior, your organization's days may be numbered.   But well, fortunately, there are a plethora of ways to improve communication in the workplace and keep teams more coherent, productive, and motivated. Table of Contents What is Team Communication? How Does Team Communication Work? How to Improve Team Communication? Know every member of the team Do not bump into each other  Welcome new employees with open arms Have an open door policy Choose the right communication tool Follow up the work output Bring out an anonymous “suggestion box” Bottom Line   What is Team Communication? A team is a group of employees who work together in an organization to achieve a common goal, whether in the office, remotely, or in a hybrid setting. Team communication refers to all information shared or transmitted among teams about operations such as chat, emails, files, audio/video calls, conferences, written material, etc are all possibilities. Most organizations want to document workplace conversations using an official team communication tool, thus they use emails or chats. Many organizations underestimate the importance of communication, hence they employ mediocre communication tools or they depend on social chat apps for internal communication despite knowing the fact that they have privacy issues that can likely result in communication breakdown. Ordinary instant messaging software certainly cannot adhere to the team or office requirements, so while researching chatting apps you have to check each aspect, to be precise make your checklist using checklist apps and test the app. How Does Team Communication Work? Teams in a company are interdependent, and they must collaborate while avoiding conflicts. Organizations must also host events and use them to their benefit, such as collaborative skits, and you can take this opportunity to heal rifts among team members. Make groups based on teams, projects, and other factors. This practice will resolve issues in team communication, and each team will be in a position to take advantage of daily updates. How to Improve Team Communication? As stated previously, a team is comprised of employees or individuals who have various attitudes as individuals and as team members, with diverse roles and responsibilities. As a manager or team leader, you must train your team to adhere to the company's communication standards at all costs. Although workplace communication styles may differ, everyone is required to follow communication standards to achieve a common organizational purpose.   It is recommended that you use effective team chat apps because they can facilitate seamless virtual communication while working remotely. Conduct daily meetings at times when everyone can comfortably attend and assign a team member to send minutes of the meeting (MOM) to all the participants. Use a team collaboration application that allows all channels of communication. A team chat app should improve productivity and enhance internal team communication. Be a righteous and friendly manager who allows any team member to express their grievances to you. Don't give any team members special treatment; instead, give everyone extra duties to demonstrate that you have faith in them.   Know every member of the team Building individual relationships assures mutual respect between you and every other employee. Healthy relationships result in a strong bond throughout the team.   Sit with them for a while, go on a short walk, invite them for lunch or dinner, get to know each team member on an individual basis as it cements your position, and also be the one to talk to in case of any issues. Do not bump into each other  It happens that some people work offshore, some in client locations, and some work in-house. Therefore, never compensate for the fact that fellow employees are not bumping into each other.   They might have forgotten them, living in their world and not collaborating much they actually have to do. Conduct team-building activities to bring them all together in one place once in a while. It is your duty to create opportunities to let them communicate in all ways. Welcome new employees with open arms For brand-new employees, it gets obviously difficult to learn the ropes of the organization and act accordingly.   While hiring employees, most of the companies would already have some built-in training program that teaches them about the company and also opens doors to them, how they are expected to perform in their assigned roles.   Make them get accustomed to the company and maintain effective communication flow for better productivity. Have an open-door policy Out of many biggest obstacles in any organization is how the employees communicate with the managers or CEOs. Many employees prefer to avoid bringing up or discussing any points with the boss which apparently blocks the collaboration. But when you have effective team communication at the workplace, where the approachable is just a cakewalk, employees would feel free to discuss or bring fresh ideas to the board.   It is a great way of encouraging your employees in the organization and it certainly boosts their performance.   Don’t believe me? Try it out and you will thank me later.   Choose the right communication tool Do not encourage one-way communication. Majority of the organizations or businesses practice a top-down approach to team communication which has been constant for decades. It may be an element of control but it would never get your employees any favor. Henceforth, make sure communication is a two-way street and relish the benefits it brings.   “In the long history of humankind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” — Charles Darwin   Considering the needs and day-to-day activities of your business, go for the communication tool that works best for you. True that Email is still a powerful medium tool, but there are many effective substitutes such as business chat apps and project management tools.   While you look for a communication channel, many businesses rely on multiple tools. One tool for written communication, one for video conferences, one for managing to-do lists, and so on. But there are office chat software applications like Troop Messenger where you can discover all in one place.   With this internal communication, one can share the screen, send instant messages with funky emoticons, set up availability status, transfer files, share media, and many more. Follow up on the work output Now, it is your duty to measure productivity.   Do not beat around the bush.   Yes!! Do not do that.   Be transparent around this which helps you in analyzing if a particular team member is being productive or not. Let the employee be from a remote team or an in-house member, and keep track of everything. Bring out an anonymous “suggestion box” Yep. Just like how it used to be in our school. It may sound old but it is one of the compelling ways to improve communication in the workplace.   Setting up a “suggestion box” would greatly benefit as it allows employees to comment on things they are shy to speak out loud. Employees are not comfortable raising any concerns because of various reasons such as job insecurity, hike approval, and much more. But they might tend to drop suggestions or any complaints when bringing about the anonymous approach.   This is one of the internal communication tools you must not brush off. If you are not sure of the physical suggestion box, you could use the virtual platforms where the response is anonymous. Bottom Line Influential managers and CEOs are aware of how to push their team members to run that extra mile and produce stellar work even on a hectic schedule on a tight deadline.   Hence, always keep in mind that effective team communication is the driving force for any organization. Use the above tips if you are bound to experience positive results and bring your employees together for a robust team. After all, teamwork makes the dream work!

"Work is engrossing. Enthralling. Buzzing." The workplace is the platform where you learn more about yourself. But, at times we find ourselves in a productive rut. Where we just look out of the window so much that we are writing the scripts of people walking over the road or spending most of the time talking about ‘The Crown’ or if you are still reading this instead of working on that presentation.   Best Productivity Apps  1.  Evernote 2.  Troop Messenger 3.  Google Keep 4.  Pocket 5.  Grammarly 6.  Team Viewer 7.  Pushbullet 8.  CloudConvert 9.  Zapier 10. Acollab 11.  MindMeister 12.  Google Drive 13.  HelloSign 14.  Screencastify 15.  Todoist 16. Salesmate 17. Rebrandly   Nevertheless, worry not! Technology has got your back. With the advancements in mobile applications, you could make the most of your time with these substantial productive apps that come for phones of all platforms, tablets, and computers:   Getting distracted at work is common for all of us. However, with the advancements in technology, you can stop getting distracted and stay productive.   We list below the best productivity apps that come for all operating systems and devices. 1. Troop Messenger   Troop Messenger has changed the way business operations happen in the workplace. This application serves both collaboration and communication in a single plate. Regardless of the size of your organization, you can initiate a conversation, build groups and talk about anything under the sun.   Using Troop Messenger, you can do everything from project management to creating to-do lists, video conferences to screen sharing and integration of third-party applications to user status setup. It can tremendously cut down the time you spend visiting a fellow mate’s desk or typing a long boring email. This is the perfect platform for the not-so-good with technology people as well; because the user interface is friendly. 2. Evernote    Hello mate! Meet your second brain. If your brain works like mine, where hundreds of things run from family - work - dates in the evening - friends; Evernote could be great for storing that ephemera. It is the notebook application for almost everything.   You can craft your ideas and to-do lists at work or personal things to follow up on, format them with rich text and reminders for more paramount notes you need to remember. As the phone is always handy, you will have a place for it.   Make use of the built-in camera to scan the documents. A user can even drag the files, and keep track of forms, tickets, and more. One of the productivity apps comes with a search tool that could even identify the text inside images and scans. With Evernote, you could scan, share, and save everything. 3. Google Keep   Capture your every thought in any format. I personally use it all the time since I am the kind of person who has to remind myself of the important things and to-do tasks. Google Keep is the quickest way to dump things the moment they hit your little brain. With this desktop and mobile application, you can create notes, lists, and set reminders.   A user can check off the completed tasks and can access their notes on any device. Keep ensures to be in sync automatically to your Chrome extension or app, phone, watch, tablet, and Google Keep website. Users can add photos, draw, or can even draw on the pictures. By coloring the notes with vibrant colors over there, it has been relatively easy for scanning.   By #lables, we can group notes together. On top of everything, if you want to use Google Keep in your work, Google Docs let you bring notes into your document to put all ideas together to make a final piece. 4. Pocket   Capture content from everywhere. Organize your space with everything you cannot wait anymore to learn. You can save an article or link a video or anything to watch later to Pocket. This is one of the best productivity apps for iPhone where you can read or watch anything later.   Pocket has entirely eradicated the way we bookmark pages till now as it is difficult to find the essential stuff in our bloated bookmarks. What are you waiting for? Just tap on me. 5. Grammarly   If I was asked what’s your favorite productivity application, I would name Grammarly without any second thought. Being a writer myself, sometimes I fall into a predicament whether my content is easy-to-read or error-free. But when I say, typos or errors, they are more than embarrassing, bruh!   I discovered Grammarly, a grammar checker that would fix broken tenses, and wrongly spelled words and also suggests better synonyms. What else would anyone ask for?   While at work, employees have to write some or other thing every day. An email to the client asking for resources, telling a coworker who is working from home to resolve the issue, or asking permission to leave early saying that you are sick but actually have a date in the evening. Yeah, yeah! I know you.   You see, Grammarly is the tool you need. It has a Chrome extension and can work inside Microsoft Word, Google Docs recently, and any web application with its browser add-ons. Also, it comes for mobile applications with its custom keyboard.   I am not saying that this grammar checker tool is perfect. It can only provide you with incorrect suggestions and also bug you to replace the monotonous words. Of course, there are many other Grammarly alternatives that toil more efficiently. Grammarly could tighten up your writing and ensures everything is correct from quick emails to a detailed statement of purpose that makes your English teacher smile ear-to-ear. 6. TeamViewer   One of the productivity apps that let you access your desktop remotely. It happens at times when you are working on something in-house and you have some about.php page code on an office desktop. How do you get that now? Well, TeamViewer has the simple and easiest way to do that.   This application work everywhere - even a Chrome extension to control PCs from a Macbook. Keep the TeamViewer running or active on the system you want to access, then when you need something from that computer, just open the application on your device, get logged in, and use that remote computer just like you were sitting in front of it.   The graphics would be of a bit lower quality, but you can get things done, right? 7. Pushbullet   Have you ever wondered if you could copy something on your MacBook and paste it on your Windows operating system? Pushbullet is the platform you need. With this, you can even get personalized notifications from Twitter, Reader Digest, online news portals, and to-do lists as well. It is one of the productivity tools that work everywhere.   It is highly integrated with Windows and Android. With a premium plan, a user can get global copy/paste and can also send or receive messages of your Android on PC. 8. CloudConvert   Convert anything to anything! CloudConverts supports the conversion between more than 200 different media formats. We all have movement when the file dumped us by displaying that you cannot open :( But, worry not!   CloudConvert could fix that. It can convert from famous document formats like .doc or .pdf to design files such as Adobe.psd and .ai. All you gotta do is add the files you want to be converted and then choose the format you want to be. That’s it. The application itself take care of the rest. It converts and you can either download them individually or also can store those groups of files as in ZIP.   Additionally, CloudConvert also has the ability to transform files in the background. Let it go in touch with Google Drive or Dropbox and convert files on a whole new level as a cakewalk. 9. Zapier   Zapier is widely known for its thing for automation. This application lets you focus more on your work. It deserves a position in top productivity apps since it has the capability to move information between your web application automatically. Rather than copying and pasting the information between the applications or forwarding the same or allotting the same task every month, Zapier can do all that for you instantly with a matter of clicks.   It connects web apps over anything else. It already has connected over 1300 applications for a better together. For instance, when some activity happens in your application such as getting a new order or a contact us form gets filled out, an appointment would be soon coming up. Zapier sends follow-up emails, and copies data into the CRM, spreadsheets, and much more.   Set up Zapier and automate all your strenuous tasks which give you more time on doing other important chores. 10. Acollab   Acollab is a collaborative tool that facilitates the work with his team and his customers.   It centralizes a project management tool, a document management tool, a time tracking tool, a shared calendar, collaborative writing, and communication tools. Acollab allows you to share all the useful information in a dedicated webspace. It's also available as a mobile application. You can request a free trial: https://www.acollab.com/en/free-trial/  11. MindMeister   Well, we all get ideas but at times we struggle to put them all together in one place. MindMeister is an online mind-mapping platform that lets you grab, nurture, and share ideas visually. This application is entirely web-based which signifies that there is no annoyance of downloading or upgrading.   In order to get started, double-click anywhere on the provided canvas to add a new idea, Just dump everything in your mind. Bring your team and add as many solutions as possible. Next, club them all together. Join related topics to one another and within no time, you would have a comprehensive map that traces everything back to a focal point. It is a team setting that has never been easier and more productive. 12. Google Drive   Aah! Yet again, another favorite of mine. It is one of the productivity apps that never let me down. Google Drive is the place where I store all of my files; from the Quotation document at work to Coorg trip photos with my mate. It is flawlessly integrated with most web applications enabling the users to open the drawings or prepare monthly expenses record through a spreadsheet.   It has everything to store that can handle all my office needs. As I said earlier, I use Grammarly and now it can check grammar and spelling in my Google Docs. Isn’t that great?   I can just drag and drop files in between folders, access recently viewed files with a click, and search for the document I worked on 6 months ago easily. It works perfectly with teams, and collaborative docs of files, and can recognize the scanned files with its inbuilt OCR tool. It syncs flawlessly with all my devices. 13. HelloSign     Hello!! While you are running a business or working in an organization, you have to sign the documents at one or the other time. It is okay if it is one or two, but at times, you gotta sign dozens of them. But, HelloSign helps you sign every page that expects your signature in a few clicks. Yep, you read it right. This is the only platform in the market that enables the end users for a seamless embed signing experience. To get started, draw your signature on HelloSign’s mobile application initially or it even has an option that generates your signature. Just enter your name and the software would fetch you unique signatures in seconds, select your favorite one and then click on each signature field to add it.   Do not waste your time anymore in signing something. It is well integrated with Google Drive so that you can send files as soon as you make them. Dump the old fax machine and say hello to HelloSign! 14. Screencastify   Screenshot tools are quite beneficial. It helps you capture what is on your screen. But what if you want a screenshot of large data? Screencastify is the simplest and easiest option to capture your entire desktop, webcam, or browser tab.   Enable its Chrome extension to record anything without any need of downloading the software. Once you are done with the recording, use the application editor to crop and trim precisely what you want.   It also has synchronization with Google Drive so that you can share the recorded items with anyone, anywhere. 15. Todoist   Work-life is overwhelming. But it does not have to be. To organize tasks and stay profitable, make use of these productivity tools so you can get it all done and enjoy peace all along the way.   Todoist is more like a fitness tracker for productivity. It can track all your tasks, verify them off and later shows you how productive you are at the end of the day. Let this application do everything for you. Get tasks out of your head and list them here.   This application keeps you focused on Users who can add tasks with the Quick Add option that grasps dates, and project names, and also tags with any kind of symbols. You can check what all have to be done today and what is ahead for tomorrow. Organize projects into a hierarchy, and get access to all the tasks at once. 16. Toggl     A hassle-free time-tracking software for your day-to-day activities. To make smarter choices or moves ahead, you have to know the correct time. Toggl is one such time-tracking tool that tracks reminders even if you forget. The thing about Toggl is that it tracks time only when you are working. No cheating, bro.   To not let you burn out, it has also incorporated the Pomodoro technique that lets you take a break when you have worked for some 30 minutes straight. All your entries could be well synced with the website, mobile application, desktop, and even Google Chrome extension. 17. Salesmate   Take control of your sales opportunities and increase your conversion rate with Salesmate. It is an intuitive sales CRM for growing small businesses that want to make their salespeople more efficient and productive. With this high-end sales tool, you can manage your sales deal, streamline your sales process, analyze your sales performance and automate various time-consuming tasks. Salesmate makes vital sales data easily available and helps in maintaining long-term relationships with your valuable customers.   Salesmate allows you to take the information related to your sales deals wherever you go as it is accessible through both iOS and Android apps. Quit ceasing sales communication when you are away from your desk. With the Salesmate mobile app, you can connect with your customers from anywhere and seamlessly sell on the move. 18. Rebrandly   Rebrandly is the industry-leading URL shortener and link management platform to brand, track, and share short URLs with a custom domain name.   Links are an important asset to any business. They connect your brand with the online world, so it’s essential that you’re in control of them. Between social media sharing, email marketing, customer support, admin, and internal communications- it’s difficult to estimate just how many links you create and share each year. That’s where a central link management tool comes in. From improved collaboration and tracking to safeguarding your brand against a PR crisis, Rebrandly helps you take back control of your links. With branded links, you can:   Increase social engagement and CTR by up to 39% Improve your conversion rate with advanced traffic routing Grow your audience by adding retargeting pixels to your link   Bottom line These are a few comprehensive and productive apps that let you run faster and more efficiently at work. Of course, there are still more in the line. However, I assure you that these aforementioned applications could bring you closer to realizing your business goals.

It does not matter if you are a tech-savvy young individual who cares about his privacy or a professional with a business that holds secrets of values, secure messaging has already become a no-brainer for everyone.   We are all using Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Skype, Google Hangouts, and even Instagram.   But are they all SSL encrypted?   Businesses in today’s world are facing unprecedented risks.   From financial transactions to private messaging, all have become vulnerable to disruption, and human error. Also, it is not something new how certain people intentionally want to destroy the game of others.   Not so proud, but the communication mediums and the crisis are directly proportional to each other.   Secure texting not only nurtures a strong collaborative environment but also enables the users to communicate and coordinate with co-workers seamlessly.   It eliminates the need for multiple tedious communication platforms and several devices.   For instance, if you want to convey a message an email might work well to an extent.   But, if you have to describe things manually to a person who is on the opposite side of the globe, you would need a video calling application.   Likewise, you are in need of a separate channel for different functionality.   That was the moment when instant messengers raised the bar for businesses to team up like never before.   With just a single platform, any kind of information can be sent and received without having constant checking of the email inbox or constant login to a website.   But, security pops up with a “DON’T IGNORE ME!” look at who would want to risk an organization’s data when it is a cakewalk for the purpose of communicating.   Table of Contents 1. Encryption 2. Keep Personal Information Private: 3. Message Deletion 4. Metadata 5. Openness Bottom line   1. Encryption   The major component of any messaging application should be end-to-end encryption. The messages should not be accessed by any third parties except the sender and the receiver.   With the advancement of technology, it is hard to discover an application that would not encrypt your information.   To secure the data of your organization, make sure of the protocol you are choosing.   AES with 256 bits has more chances to keep you protected from almost all kinds of brute force attacks.   There are messengers like Skype and Google Hangouts that store encryption keys on their own servers, which significantly means that anyone who has the access to the servers can peep into your account and would be able to read your every single message.   Therefore, choose an encrypted messaging software that enables you to set up your own server. Make sure the ball is in your court, i.e., have the control that you have access to the database.   2. Keep personal information private:   Against a backdrop of only increasing digital risks, it is your responsibility to prioritize cybersecurity within the workplace.   There are just a few blurry lines between personal and business communication that are obscuring at an increasing rate, which means that unsecured applications come with huge risks and become rife within companies.   With the practice of allowing the employees of an organization to use their own systems, laptops, and mobiles (BYOD), it is impartial that one must be able to manage their personal information privately.   That’s why end-to-end encryption is crucial for enterprises and employees to protect their assets. With secure messaging, it is assumed that the data is protected to the maximum.   3. Message Deletion   I admit that there are certain situations where I have sent sensitive information to the wrong people or windows, or times we do not want anyone to see the messaging history.   Bro, It was no less than embarrassing. Even if it has an end-to-encryption, make sure whether you have the amount of control over deletion. Message deletion is a nifty component in an application to clean up your history or eradicate something unwanted behind. So be careful of what you say prior to saving yourself from either getting fired or becoming the reason for laughter.   4. Metadata   We have all studied that metadata is simply data about data. Well, the majority of secure instant messaging apps store metadata about your messages.   Surprised, eh? Ummm, me too.   i.e., the information other than the actual message, such as the sender, receiver, time, device information, etcetera.   It gives Kohinoor’s (am I exaggerating? Never mind) worth of information to hackers when they are not able to bypass the messaging encryption.   Hence, it is advisable to see what kind of information they are seeking from you before you hit “agree” or “accept.   5. Openness   Regardless of how secure an application is broadcasted to be, if you do not pay attention to it, you have to say that you are digging your own grave.   Mmm, yeah!   You can never be sure of what is lying behind the super-flashy, smooth user interface.   With the implementation of GDPR and several other government agencies and tech firms maintaining a track record of cooperation with third-party agencies, the only way to know about transparency is to talk with the developers.   In software terminology, openness or transparency refers to open source where the source of the applications is visible to everyone who is in use.   Bottom line   End of the day, security always matters, so it is important that you care about your privacy. You need to understand that security does not come at the cost of productivity.   Using a secure messaging communication tool need not mean sacrificing essential functionalities such as screen sharing, video calls, or securing files.   Thank the gods, we have now multiple solutions that come with security benefits as well as expected features that usually businesses rely on. Over to you, now. Analyze these guidelines and determine how secure you are and what application to choose for your further conversations and conversions.   FAQs     1. What is secure messaging?   Secure messaging refers to the exchange of messages through platforms that use encryption and security protocols to protect the content from unauthorized access, ensuring privacy and confidentiality.     2. Why is secure messaging important for businesses?   It helps protect sensitive business information, intellectual property, and customer data from breaches, cyberattacks, and unauthorized access—ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.     3. What are some key features of secure messaging platforms?   The Key features for secure messaging platform include: End-to-end encryption.Role-based access control.Data loss prevention (DLP) tools.Secure file sharing.Audit logs for compliance.     4.Why is secure messaging important in finance and banking?   Financial institutions use it to protect sensitive customer information, conduct secure transactions, and comply with strict data protection laws like GDPR and PCI-DSS.     5.How can unsecured messaging affect data privacy?   Unsecured platforms may lack encryption, making it easier for cybercriminals to intercept and exploit confidential business conversations and shared files.     6. What are the risks of not using secure messaging for business communication?   Without secure messaging, businesses face serious risks such as data breaches, unauthorized access, and loss of sensitive information, which can lead to financial loss, legal issues, and damage to reputation.     7. What are some popular free secure messaging platforms?   Here are a few widely used ones: Signal – Open-source, end-to-end encrypted, supports voice/video calls and file sharing. Great for individuals and small teams. Element (Matrix) – Decentralized and open-source; good for organizations needing control over hosting and data. Wire – Offers a free plan with secure collaboration features; known for strong encryption and European hosting. Session – Privacy-focused with no phone number requirement and decentralized architecture. Threema Work (free trial) – Focused on enterprise use with a trial available, though full features are paid.     8. What’s the difference between regular and secure messaging?   The key difference lies in security and privacy. Regular messaging (e.g., SMS, basic email, standard chat apps) often lacks encryption, leaving messages vulnerable. Secure messaging uses end-to-end encryption and other security features to protect message content and user identity.       9. What key features should we look for in a secure messaging platform?   Look for these essential features: * End-to-end encryption (E2EE)* Multi-factor authentication (MFA)* User access controls & permissions* Data loss prevention (DLP)* Compliance certifications (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2)* Audit logs & monitoring* Secure file sharing* Mobile and desktop support