Communicating with colleagues, discussing contracts and projects via instant messaging apps was the norm just yesterday, but today it's increasingly being discussed as a business focus. Legislation requires data to be stored in Russia, and issues of protecting corporate information are becoming a priority.
The Russian IT market has already responded to these challenges. Mature platforms ready for corporate workloads have emerged. In this article, we'll look at the capabilities these platforms offer and what to consider when choosing.
Glossary for managers: understanding the terms
To compare instant messaging apps wisely, you need to understand their key characteristics. Here's a quick primer.
On-premise. Imagine you have a choice: storing corporate data in a rented bank safe deposit box or in your own safe in your office. On-premise is your safe. You install the program on your servers and fully control access to it, including physical access.
Local Messenger is a secure messaging application that runs within your corporate or local network and doesn't use external servers. All data—messages, files, calls—remains within your infrastructure: on your servers, under your control.
API is a kind of universal key that allows the messenger to connect to other programs in the company. For example, using the API, you can teach a bot to send a report from the CRM to the sales department chat as soon as a major deal is closed. Without this API, the messenger will remain a regular chat, unconnected to the company's actual business processes.
End-to-End Encryption (E2EE). To illustrate, imagine that each of your messages is placed in a secure envelope that can only be opened with the recipient's key. This envelope is sent by mail (via the messenger's servers), but no one can read it along the way—not even the postman. The service only sees the encryption, not your correspondence. This is E2EE—the highest level of privacy protection available today.
Administration and Audit—this is the system control panel in the hands of your IT specialist. They can configure access rights (roles) for each employee: for example, an accountant can see financial chats, but an intern cannot. The audit log meticulously records all important actions. If an incident occurs, this log will help you determine exactly what was done, when, and by whom.
The FSTEC certificate is an official document issued by the state as a quality mark in the field of cybersecurity. It confirms that the messenger has passed rigorous vulnerability testing and is suitable for use in areas with strict data protection requirements. For example, at strategic enterprises and government agencies.
Overview of Russian messengers: exploring the capabilities
Now let's look at specific products and their strengths and weaknesses.
eXpress
Key Concept: a highly secure platform for businesses, corporations, and the public sector, where compromises in security are unacceptable.
Strengths
- Complete data control. The platform is installed on the company's servers (on-premise), and its reliability is confirmed by the FSTEC certificate and GOST-compliant encryption support.
- A "single window" principle. eXpress integrates not only chats but also corporate video conferencing (VCS), telephony, email, and calendaring, eliminating the need to use several different services.
- Flexible integration. An advanced API allows you to integrate the messenger with any corporate system, from 1C and ECM to CRM and a corporate portal.
- Process automation. The ability to create various bots via the Bot API for various business tasks.
- Administration tools. Various management settings and access rights delimitation by roles.
What to pay attention to:
- eXpress is primarily a tool for internal communications. It is less suitable for managing Telegram-style channels. However, the messenger does have channels and groups, which largely replicate the familiar functionality of public solutions.
- The platform is in the enterprise segment, aimed at large companies. Other clients include small and medium-sized businesses with 500 users or more, and another audience segment consists of public users who use the cloud version of the platform. Forms for everyday communication.
If you want to evaluate the messenger, you can download the app on any device and try the free version. It includes 1:1 calls, group calls, chats, channels, statuses, and other features. This way, you can evaluate the user-friendly interface, the solution's design, and overall functionality. The differences between the plans are listed on the official website . Companies and organizations that need the corporate version can also apply for a free trial of up to three months.
VK Teams
Key Idea: A unified workspace for business from VK, uniting communications and collaboration in a single ecosystem.
Strengths
- Contains not only a messenger, but also a calendar, work tasks, and integration with company email.
- Supports different deployment technologies – cloud and on-premise.
What to pay attention to
- It is part of the comprehensive VK WorkSpace package, so it is most effective when used with the entire VK product suite.
- Some features may seem excessive for small teams.
MTS Link Chats
Key idea: a unified platform for corporate communications with chats and an emphasis on large-scale video conferencing for work and education.
Strengths
- Support for video conferencing for thousands of participants with a variety of collaboration features (e.g., whiteboards).
- Data storage in Russian data centers, which meets requirements Federal Law 152.
- Integration with corporate services, including telephony and CRM.
What to look for
- Focused primarily on business tasks and corporate scenarios.
- There is no free version for private users.
TrueConf
Key idea: A specialized solution for corporate video communications, with an emphasis on operation in closed networks and on-premise deployment.
Strengths:
- Ability to deploy the system on your own servers (on-premise).
- A range of solutions for companies of all sizes: from small teams (up to 50 people) to enterprises with millions of users.
- Support for meeting room equipment (terminals, meeting room software, complex systems).
What to pay attention to
- The cloud version of TrueConf Online is limited: a maximum of 120 participants and does not include a corporate messenger;
- For full use of corporate features, the server (on-premise) version is required.
P7 Team
Key idea: a unified corporate tool for communication and collaboration, Integrated into the R7-Office ecosystem.
Strengths
- Integration with R7-Office document editors, email, and cloud storage.
- Support for both the corporate server (on-premise) and cloud version.
- Built-in chats, video conferencing, and task management in one space.
What to pay attention to
- Most convenient for companies already using the R7-Office office suite.
- The key focus is on working within the Russian infrastructure and storing data within the country.
Compass
Key Idea: A unified, secure platform for corporate communications, available in both cloud and on-premise formats.
Strengths
- Built-in video conferencing and group chats for 1,000+ participants.
- Support for integrations and chatbots (over 100 services).
- Deployment on your own open-source servers.
- Flexible role system and access management.
What to look for
- The cloud version is convenient for quick launches and small businesses. Business.
- The boxed version is suitable for companies where security and complete data control are critical.
Instead of a conclusion: three steps to the right choice
- Identify your "red lines."Is on-premise critical to you? Do you need FSTEC certification? Is API a must? The answers to these questions will immediately eliminate half the candidates.
- Assess the scale.The collaboration tools for a team of 10 people and a corporation of 10,000 employees are radically different. Assess how well the chosen platform scales.
- Run a pilot. Theory is good, but only practice will reveal how well the chosen solution fits into your workflows. Test the messenger on a small focus group before rolling it out to the entire company.
The modern Russian IT solutions market already offers mature and competitive platforms. Now the key is to approach this choice with a cool head and a clear understanding of your own goals.
