AI and automation are reshaping the workplace. The new features unveiled at Dreamforce 2024 highlight how Slack and Salesforce are helping organizations work smarter, not harder. With these capabilities, teams can accelerate their performance and deliver better outcomes.
Slack Introduces New iOS App Widgets to Enhance Engagement and Collaboration Slack has launched four new widgets for its iOS app, aimed at boosting worker engagement and facilitating collaboration. The new additions include the “Catch Up” widget, two versions of the “Status” widget, and the “Slack Launcher” widget. These tools are designed to keep employees connected and productive, regardless of their location. While the first three widgets are available for the home screen, the “Slack Launcher” widget is specifically designed for iOS lock screens, allowing users to quickly access their workflows and projects. In an announcement on X, Slack stated: “Three new Slack iOS widgets are here to make your workday a whole lot easier. Add the Catch Up widget, Status widget, and Slack Launcher widget to your device and stay in the know on the go.” These updates align with Slack’s broader goal of evolving into a comprehensive collaboration and communication platform, offering some of the most advanced features in the market. To use these new features, Slack users should update their app to the latest version. After updating, they can add the new widgets by pressing and holding their Home or Lock Screen to select and place the widgets. Detailed Overview of the Widgets Recent Developments from Slack In April, Salesforce announced the availability of Slack AI for all paying customers. Previously limited to customers on Slack Enterprise plans and available only in US and UK English, Slack AI now supports businesses of all sizes. This tool leverages conversational data to help users work more efficiently and intelligently. Updates to Slack AI include a morning digest summary, personalized search answers, advanced conversation summaries, and expanded language support. Additionally, Salesforce introduced Slack Lists, a project and task management tool integrated into the Slack platform. This feature helps teams manage projects, inbound requests, and top priorities within Slack, streamlining workflows and reducing the need to switch between different apps. Earlier this month, Slack announced plans to delete data that is over a year old for free users. Previously, free users could access data up to 90 days old, with older data being hidden but retrievable upon upgrading to a paid account. Now, Slack may delete messages and shared files older than a year, in line with its service agreement and compliance regulations. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Slack’s CEO Denise Dresser announced that AI will soon be integrated into every aspect of the platform, enabling users to manage tasks and launch new projects without leaving the application. This announcement highlights a significant shift towards enhancing productivity and collaboration within Slack using advanced AI capabilities. Slack Integrating AI Into Platform. During a media session following her keynote at Salesforce’s World Tour event in Boston, Dresser outlined her vision for AI in Slack. Having taken on her role six months ago after years with Salesforce, she emphasized the integration of Slack with Salesforce’s Einstein Copilot. Acquired by Salesforce in late 2020, Slack aims to provide a unified experience for users by leveraging AI to manage both structured and unstructured data. The goal is to help users quickly find key conversations and turn them into actionable tasks and projects. Dresser noted the challenges in navigating chat histories and identifying important moments, which AI integration aims to address. Slack Integrating AI Into Platform “AI can significantly drive productivity,” Dresser said. “With Slack AI Search, Slack becomes your organization’s long-term memory. It allows users to easily find what they need through generative summaries, which was a major breakthrough for us.” Dresser highlighted the rapid adoption of AI and its integration into Slack’s functionality, leading to an evolution in skills such as prompt engineering and natural language processing. These advancements enable tasks like software creation without traditional coding methods. She pointed out the rapid growth in AI adoption, comparing it to the adoption rates of ChatGPT, mobile phones, and Facebook. Dresser believes this trend will continue as people experience productivity improvements with AI. AI will be embedded in various Slack features, including Canvas, Workflow, and Huddle, providing seamless assistance within the application. Users may not even realize they are interacting with AI, as it will naturally enhance Slack’s functionality. For instance, instead of manually searching through messages, AI will highlight the most important summaries. Dresser also mentioned the newly launched Slack Lists feature, which automatically captures and surfaces key parts of channel conversations. She stressed the importance of reducing the need to switch between different applications, which can drain time and productivity. “We have millions of people working in Slack; why leave Slack?” she said. “We wanted to integrate capabilities for tasks, lists, and projects directly into Slack, starting right within conversations.” In the future, Slack will also suggest relevant chat channels for project purposes, providing users with powerful insights and capabilities. Dresser noted that while only about a third of employees currently use AI-powered platforms, those who do report an average 81% increase in productivity by eliminating mundane tasks. As AI continues to be embedded into Slack and Salesforce tools, Dresser acknowledged the challenge of maintaining the platform’s beloved feel and integrity. “We’ve already integrated Slack, Sales Elevate, and Salesforce. Copilot’s integration will be excellent,” she said. “We have focused on preserving the unique Slack experience, even while enhancing it with new architectural integrations. Our goal is to ensure that Slack remains efficient and productive while staying true to its core identity.” Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
