Meta, then still Facebook, launched Workplace in 2016. This was its entry into the enterprise tools market, a business communication and productivity app to rival Slack or Microsoft Teams.

Now, according to the publication TechCrunchThe company announced that this vehicle was closed. He will do it slowly, but it will be history in two years.

end of an era. Meta, which has been trying to position itself in the workplace for almost a decade, has given up on a tool that cannot compete against Slack or Teams, despite managing to gain seven million paid subscribers in 2021.

Now the Meta finishes facing its future with Artificial Intelligence and the Metaverse. A shift in priorities for a company that aims to lead major emerging technological innovations. Meta AI is more than promising and the Metaverse is a long-distance race.

Effects. Existing Workplace customers will be able to continue using the service until September 2025. Since this service will become a read-only service, they must have migrated to another platform by then. It will close permanently in May 2026.

Meta even offered an exclusive alternative to those using its tool: Workvivo, a similar platform that Zoom has owned since 2023.

Opinion. Meta specializes in personal communication and entertainment. Areas that have moved somewhat away from the focus of the enterprise market, which often relies on more specialized actors (Slack) or much more consolidation in those environments (Microsoft).

Intense competition and the challenges of differentiating in a saturated market where others can bundle their tools with others (like Office or PowerBI) likely factored into Meta’s decision.

This is the statement Workplace sent to its users and was first published on: TechCrunch:

Dear Workplace Manager,

Today we are informing you that we have made the difficult decision to close Meta at Workplace in 2026.

We recognize that this decision will be detrimental to the businesses, organizations, and partners who rely on Workplace every day. Our priority is to make the transition as smooth as possible.

deadlines

Our current plans allow you to continue using Workplace as usual until August 31, 2025. Our account management and customer service teams will continue to be available to answer your questions or concerns during this time. Additionally, Meta will offer a 50% discount on Workplace starting September 1, 2024.

From September 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026, Workplace will be free and accessible only to read and download existing data. After this date, access will be terminated and your Workplace instance will be deleted.

Download your data

To download your data, you can enable the Download Your Information tool so your users can download their data directly from their Workplace settings. If you want to export information from your Workplace, you can use the Workplace API.

While we recognize you may already have a technology partner, Workvivo by Zoom is Meta’s only preferred migration partner, and we will work with Zoom to provide additional tools and services to better transition customers from Workplace to Workvivo.

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Featured image | Meta, Mockuuups Studio, Xataka