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Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is closing a significant chapter in its enterprise communication and productivity story. After a ten-year run, Meta has decided to shutter Workplace, a version of Facebook designed for communication among business teams and wider organizations.
Although an official announcement is yet to come, TechCrunch has learned that the platform will remain operational until September 1, 2025, after which it will be read-only until May 31, 2026, when it will be completely decommissioned.
According to a memo to Workplace customers, Meta is recommending Workvivo, an enterprise communication platform acquired by Zoom in 2023, as a migration-ready alternative.
Meta stated, "We are discontinuing Workplace from Meta so we can focus on building AI and metaverse technologies that we believe will fundamentally reshape the way we work. Over the next two years, we will provide our Workplace customers the option to transition to Zoom’s Workvivo product, Meta’s only preferred migration partner."
The closure of Workplace marks the end of Meta's ambitious plans to establish a presence in enterprise communication and productivity. Initially launched as Facebook @ Work, Workplace aimed to provide business users with a communication platform similar to Facebook's internal system. Despite picking up significant customers over time, Workplace faced tough competition from platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams.
With Meta's shift in priorities towards AI and metaverse technologies, the closure of Workplace was not entirely unexpected. As Meta moves forward, focusing on its core projects, it's evident that non-core projects like Workplace are being discontinued.
The decision to discontinue Workplace reflects Meta's changing priorities and strategic focus. As the company moves forward, it's evident that its primary focus is on AI and metaverse technologies, with non-core projects being discontinued.
