Slack Technologies
By Salesforce
Slack Technologies is a business messaging platform company that develops Slack, a workplace communication tool organized around channels, direct messages, and third-party app integrations. Originally an independent company, Slack was…
Definition
Slack Technologies is a business messaging platform company that develops Slack, a workplace communication tool organized around channels, direct messages, and third-party app integrations. Originally an independent company, Slack was acquired by Salesforce and now operates as part of Salesforce's broader enterprise software portfolio while continuing to be sold and used as a standalone product. It competes most directly with Microsoft Teams for day-to-day workplace communication.
Overview
Slack popularized a specific model of workplace communication built around persistent, searchable channels rather than the email threads and ad hoc chat tools that preceded it, and in doing so became one of the products most associated with the broader shift toward channel-based team collaboration software. Its core interface organizes conversations into channels dedicated to teams, projects, or topics, alongside direct messages for one-on-one or small-group conversation, with all of it searchable and persistent rather than disappearing the way many earlier chat tools did. Mechanically, Slack's platform is built around a real-time messaging backend that syncs conversations across web, desktop, and mobile clients instantly, combined with an extensive app and integration ecosystem that lets other software tools post updates, trigger workflows, or surface notifications directly inside relevant channels. This integration layer, exposed through Slack's API and app directory, is a significant part of what differentiates Slack from a simple chat client: it functions as a hub where notifications from project management tools, code repositories, calendars, and countless other services converge, reducing the need to check each source separately. Within workplace collaboration software, Slack's closest competitor is Microsoft Teams, which offers similar channel-based messaging but is typically bundled into Microsoft 365, giving Teams a built-in distribution advantage among organizations already using Microsoft's office software. Slack differentiates through its integration ecosystem, third-party app marketplace, and a reputation for a more focused, developer-friendly product, though since being acquired by Salesforce it has also begun integrating more closely with Salesforce's customer relationship management tools, extending its reach beyond general team messaging. In practice, organizations use Slack as their primary internal communication tool, replacing much of the day-to-day email traffic that previously handled quick questions and status updates, and many software and technology companies in particular adopted Slack early because of its strong integrations with developer tools. Video calling within Slack, added over time, provides a lighter alternative to dedicated tools like Zoom for quick internal conversations, though many organizations still use a separate dedicated video conferencing tool for larger or external-facing meetings. Since its acquisition, Slack has increasingly been positioned within Salesforce's broader vision of connecting workplace communication with customer data and sales workflows, a direction that distinguishes it from Microsoft Teams' tighter integration with general office productivity tools instead. Organizations already committed to the Salesforce ecosystem have additional reason to adopt Slack, while those built around Microsoft 365 more often default to Teams, making the underlying software ecosystem a significant factor in which platform an organization chooses.
Key Features
- Organizes workplace communication into searchable channels and direct messages
- Provides real-time messaging synced across web, desktop, and mobile clients
- Offers an extensive third-party app and integration marketplace
- Surfaces notifications from other tools directly inside relevant channels
- Includes built-in video and voice calling for internal conversations
- Now integrates with Salesforce's customer relationship management tools
- Competes most directly with Microsoft Teams for workplace messaging
- Popular among software and technology teams for developer tool integrations
Use Cases
Alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
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