The use of WhatsApp as a primary communication tool is increasingly common in enterprises as well as in the entire public sector, posing several regulatory and legal risks which must be addressed through effective mobile archiving.
While some organizations have banned WhatsApp in their workplace to avoid non-compliance, more companies continue to tolerate their employees’ use of the app not only because it’s an effective collaboration tool, but also because there are now enterprise-grade solutions that can capture and record WhatsApp chats, content, and metadata in real-time.
One way WhatsApp helps boost employee collaboration is through its Group Messaging feature. While group messaging has been a common characteristic of most enterprise messaging apps, WhatsApp offers more advanced features that enable employees to share information in a more efficient and personalized manner.
Here are possible group chat configurations that enterprises and public sector can utilize to maximize their compliant use of WhatsApp in their workplace:
- Basic Group Messaging
For a two-or-more employee grouping that needs to work on a single assignment, the basic group messaging app of WhatsApp should be sufficient to keep everyone in sync. In this type of group chat, members can easily exchange information, discuss work-related issues, and share digital content.
- Topic-Based Group Chats
For selected industry verticals, such as financial services companies, as well as government offices (including law enforcement agencies), a collaboration between personnel or departments from different branches or regions is required to improve the output of a project.
By forming a topic-based group chat, members with relevant knowledge about certain principles or aspects of the project can share helpful insights which other participants can use or apply in their current task. Also, setting-up a topic-based group chat can help minimize out-of-topic discussions.
- Department/Team Channels
Team leaders and department heads can also configure a WhatsApp group message that will serve as a default mobile communication channel for their organizational group (e.g., human resources, IT, marketing, etc.). These team channels can help enhance information exchange between managers and employees, simplify coordination, and fast-track decision making.
- Broadcast List
WhatsApp also has Broadcast List feature which can enable you to disseminate information, news, and updates quickly and efficiently. With this feature, only the administrator has the right to initiate messages and share attachments, while the members can only read and access those chats and content.
When a member replies to a group message, their chat will appear on the administrators “Chat” screen and will not be sent to other recipients, which keeps the group chats controlled and organized. As such, it’s the ideal group chat type when messages require maximum exposure to all members.
- Large Group Chat
When an organization must form large group chats for quick information exchange and to reach a large number of recipients as possible, the Group Messaging feature of WhatsApp which currently allows for a maximum of 256 participants, may be appropriate, particularly for emergencies or critical events where every employee’s situation must be confirmed before the organization takes action.
As you can see, the Group Messaging capability of WhatsApp can be utilized by enterprises and the public sector in some ways. It can be an effective collaboration tool as well as a mission-critical platform which will enable employees to be productive and safe in times of crisis.
TeleMessage’s WhatsApp Archiver is a unique platform tailor-made to solve WhatsApp compliance and regulation issues by allowing financial firms to capture and archive WhatsApp messages, including conversations that transpired in group messaging threads. This platform works exactly like the standard WhatsApp application, ensuring that your employees will still be able to send work-related communications easily and quickly.
The benefits of using WhatsApp Archiver in your business include:
- Archive all WhatsApp communications
- Use WhatsApp to communicate with customers, employees, and stakeholders
- Search, track and retrieve WhatsApp messages in the corporate archive
- Deposit WhatsApp messages with any email archiving vendor
- Full administration and reporting
The TeleMessage WhatsApp Archiver is the latest addition to our mobile archiving products that securely capture content from mobile carriers and mobile devices for a variety of ownership models (BYOD, CYOD, and employer-issued). With our multiple archiving methods, you can always find the right tools or blend for your requirements:
TeleMessage offers cross-carrier and international mobile text & calls archiving for corporate and BYOD phones. Visit our website today at www.telemessage.com to learn more about our compliant WhatsApp Archiver solution.
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