In this brave new world of remote work, companies now more than ever need technology systems to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration. And today’s IT leaders are meeting such a tall order by following a selective, best-of-breed approach to technology, choosing the best tools for the task at hand rather than adopting a suite of software from one vendor.
“More and more, companies are relying on best-of-breed solutions that can support a specific use case,” says Rafael Perez, a product strategist at Box. “Companies are also building custom solutions to address their own set of specific requirements. These solutions shouldn’t operate as silos but rather as part of a whole platform.”
It’s crystal clear that teams get more out of software when information is shared across tools, not tucked away in silos. As a channel-based messaging platform, Slack connects the most popular workplace apps in a single place, making it easier to access them, share information and drive team productivity. That’s why Box, Okta and Zoom agree that the best-of-breed approach to choosing software is the most effective one.
Here’s how teams can make the most of their tech stack by integrating best-of-breed applications into their digital workplaces.
Box: Customize your platform with best-of-breed software
Version control, misplaced documents, maintaining security, and the ability to work across a broad range of file types are all common concerns when collaborating in shared documents. Fortunately, the cloud-based content management platform Box can help workers keep their online files organized.
And with the new Box for Slack app, teams can re-create the kind of rapid-fire communication that happens in the office, right in the Slack workspace. Colleagues can share Box files easily in Slack while preserving file permissions, ensuring that the right people see the right content at the right time.
“Integrated experiences, like the Box for Slack app, don’t just help improve productivity; they also help minimize risk.”
Together, Box and Slack build powerful solutions that transform how teams work while supporting the most stringent security requirements.
Okta: Maximize your tech stack without compromising security
Okta is an enterprise-grade identity management service, built from the ground up in the cloud and delivered with an unwavering focus on customer success. The Okta integration for Slack provides directory services, single sign-on, provisioning, workflow, built-in reporting, and strong, risk-based authentication.
“Security is often seen as a blocker to business,” says Simon Thorpe, the senior director of competitive intelligence at Okta.
“Best-of-breed services know they are often up against an entrenched Microsoft product, so their products ultimately meet stringent compliance standards while offering a more user-friendly solution.”
Interoperability is another area where best-of-breed excels. When customers choose products from different vendors, the products’ ability to work together and across different platforms is key. Supporting single sign-on methods and provisioning protocols ensures a seamless experience as users work across different best-of-breed products.
Zoom: Swiftly scale best-of-breed app usage
Before the pandemic turned Zoom into a household name, Zoom and Slack were already teaming up to make meetings much less painful. With the Zoom integration for Slack, teams can spin up a Zoom meeting directly in Slack by typing /zoom
. This feature lets teammates view all of the meeting details, including who’s on the call, before joining—all from within Slack.
“By being native in the cloud, Zoom helps organizations focus more on serving their customers and less on the rollout, training, management and expansion of our services across their global teams.”
“We build strong relationships with our customers and use their feedback to help us drive innovation,” says Mila Ferrell, a group product manager at Zoom.
Join us on the virtual stage with Box, Okta and Zoom at Slack Frontiers 2020
We’re excited to announce that Rafael Perez, Simon Thorpe and Mila Ferrell will all be speakers at Slack Frontiers. It’s our biggest annual conference dedicated to distributed teams, new ways of working and everything digital transformation.
During the roundtable discussion “Best of breed: Finding the right fit for your organization,” the three speakers will discuss how organizations are moving away from one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, companies are combining the power of Slack—along with selected features from Microsoft, Google and others—to create the perfect mix of security, collaboration and content management.
As a global event, the same Slack Frontiers agenda schedule runs across three time zones, so you can attend sessions when it’s most convenient for you. Join virtually from October 7 to 9 for three days of inspiring keynotes, breakout sessions, peer networking and one-on-one access to Slack experts, free of charge.