Are We Facing the End of Email?
Reports of the death of email have been wildly exaggerated. Or have they? Thanks to the rise of task management and collaboration tools, teams have become much less reliant on email over the last decade. Are we now finally facing the end of email?
A Short List of “Email Killers”
For years, vendors have been popping into the market, claiming their tools to be email-slayers. Over the years, we’ve seen the emergence of task management tools like Asana, Wrike, Trello, ProWorkflow, Microsoft Project, Zoho Projects and more. These tools offer centralized ways for managers to track projects and for collaborators to share files and messages without the use of email. Work media tools like Yammer, Jive, Facebook for Work utilize social media modeling for teammates to communicate outside of an email platform, as well.
More and more companies rely on these tools every day, and many managers have an email-last mandate, which many believe is finally signaling the end of email.
A New Turning Point
Another harbinger of the death of email lies with Microsoft, the granddaddy of modern office technology, which allegedly building a response to Slack. This comes on the heels Microsoft’s failed acquisition of the tech company. It is worth noting that Microsoft owns Yammer, which has never really gained the traction of Slack, and insiders believe that Yammer will be the foundation on which this new platform is built.
Microsoft has the benefit of a ready-made audience in the millions of users on Exchange and Office 365. Pushing people towards their team platform could be a boon for the company and another blow to email.
The Number One Reason Email Isn’t Dead
Work management tools truly do make work communication easier than email, however, there is still one major hurdle to overcome: Those platforms don’t talk to each other. So, while they streamline in-house communication, this limitation ensures that external communication still requires “old-fashioned” email.
It is certainly wise to adopt modern tools for team collaboration and communication, but email is still a necessary tool for every employee who must communicate with people outside their four immediate walls. Though, there was a time when email was internal-use-only, so the idea that Slack could communicate with Yammer and Asana one day isn’t out of the question. The possibilities are endless, and there could come a point in the not-so-distant future when we are facing the true end of email.
Are You Looking for Top Tech Talent?
The right IT and tech staff can help you leverage modern tools to reduce reliance on email and make your teams more efficient and more effective. If you are looking for talented tech pros who can help you stay on the cutting edge, contact the IT recruiting experts at Talon today.
