In this article, we will look at the best Russian alternatives to Workplace Chat — the corporate messenger from Meta, formerly Facebook (recognised in Russia as an extremist organisation and banned). Using foreign services in Russia can pose certain risks for companies, so it is worth keeping abreast of corporate communication platforms that offer similar features tailored to the specifics of Russian business.
What is Workplace Chat
Workplace Chat is a corporate messenger designed for employee communication within a company. It supports group chats, video calls and voice messages. Although Workplace Chat is convenient for many international organisations, its use by Russian companies is associated with risks related to data storage on foreign servers and potential access restrictions in the future. Therefore, Russian companies are switching to domestic solutions that offer similar functionality but operate under local legal and technological standards.
Advantages of Russian corporate messengers
Among the main advantages of domestic solutions are local servers for data storage, support of Russian legislation, high level of confidential information protection and adaptation to business needs. Many messengers also integrate with other company business systems, such as CRM and ERP, which simplifies work with clients and internal processes.
In addition, Russian messengers pay special attention to security. Many platforms offer built-in encryption, two-factor authentication and data protection.
There are enough solutions on the market with different corporate communication functions to suit every need. For this article we have selected 8 solutions that are the most relevant today.
eXpress
eXpress is a corporate superapp from a Russian team (Anlimited Production Company), which combines in one application all business communication tools, corporate resources and services for comfortable work of employees. The app has group and private chats, support for text and voice messages, reactions, tags, groups for communication on different topics or for communication between different teams in the company. You can share documents and files in a secure format.
The app has inbuilt VCS, call recording, screen sharing, calendar for booking appointments.
Features:
- A large selection of chatbots for automating processes in various departments
- Certification of FSTEC of Russia on the 4th level of trust
- Routing scheme (routing)
- End-to-end encryption function
- Integration with more than 70 systems (CRM, EDMS, email clients and others)
- Federation mode for communicating with users registered on trusted corporate servers (including those from other companies)
- Possibility to create a branded application based on eXpress
- Multi-platform
Trueconf
is a Russian video conferencing and messaging solution suitable for large and medium-sized companies. It supports video meetings with high image and sound quality, as well as chats. Truconf is known for its scalability and ability to work even with slow internet connection speeds.
Features:
- Chat room statuses
- Connect up to 36 participants to one conference in “All on screen”
- TLS security protocol and media encryption
- Support for video communication in 4K quality Possibility to develop your own video conferencing application
Amo
is not only a corporate messenger, but also a complete customer interaction system. The service allows you to communicate with employees within the company and work with clients, send files and documents, and manage sales.
Features:
- Tight integration with CRM-system AmoCRM
- Multicommunication - the ability to communicate through different channels (WhatsApp, Telegram, social networks, etc.) in one interface
- Integration with analytics tools
- Multimedia messaging support
Pachca
The corporate platform is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. The service has a clear and user-friendly interface that is suitable for teamwork. Users can flexibly configure the chat structure, distribute chats into folders, and pin important dialogues.
Features:
- Ability to work with documents in real time
- Workspace management through APIs
- Groups, channels, private chats, chat folders
- Video conferences up to 100 participants
- Integration with other business tools
- Chatbots
VK Teams
offers convenient chat, audio and video calls, and the ability to collaborate on projects. Thanks to integration with VK, the platform will be convenient for users familiar with the VKontakte interface.
Features:
- Integration with «VKontakte»ecosystem;
- Call moderation
- Set tasks in a separate tab during an online meeting or from a chat message
- Cloud storage with built-in document editor
P7-Command
is a Russian corporate messenger with video conferencing. It supports text and voice chats, video calls and document exchange. The platform can be integrated with other systems in the company.
Features:
- Support for group chats and calls
- Receiving incoming calls via PBX
- Display of all chat attachments (photo, video, audio, files) in the gallery
- Visually distinguish Groups and Channels from private chats
- Don't Disturb mode
- Ability to select a chat theme and background
Yandex Messenger
is a corporate messenger from Yandex that supports text chats, audio and video calls, and integration with other Yandex services such as mail and disc. The messenger is convenient for teamwork and organising meetings, thanks to the built-in notification and calendar system.
Features:
- Integration with Yandex services (corporate mail, calendar, cloud storage, project management system and document editor)
- Chatbots for different tasks
- Flexible notification customisation
- Saved messages and network statuses.
Frisbee
is an enterprise messenger with a focus on corporations and government organisations. The platform is positioned as a reliable solution for secure messaging and video conferencing. In addition to personal and group chats, there are audio and video calls, video conferencing for 250 people, integrations with AD systems, telephony, chatbots.
Features:
- View correspondence history for new employees
- Support for video conferencing in group chats and outside messenger
- Journaling and auditing tools
- There is a "Saved" chat room to store each user's personal information.
- Secret chats
Choosing a corporate messenger to meet business objectives
Russian Workplace Chat analogues offer reliable and secure solutions for corporate communications. Whether a company needs support for video conferencing, text chats or integration with other business tools, there are many suitable solutions on the Russian market. The choice of one or another messenger depends on business needs, but security, usability and quality support remain the key factors in making a decision.
The eXpress platform is flexible and can be customised to suit any business. You can contact our managers by phone +7 (499) 288-01-22 or in messengers to present the solution.
