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Slack debuts private shared channels

The new functionality aims to make Slack more useful for businesses dealing with confidential or classified content.
Written by Natalie Gagliordi, Contributor
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Slack is introducing private shared channels, and as the name suggests, the new functionality lets users keep certain conversations out of public view.

Slack is rolling out an update to its shared channels feature that aims to make it more useful for businesses dealing with confidential or classified content.

First launched in beta back in September, shared channels makes it easier to connect collaborators from two separate organizations, creating a common space for both sides to use Slack's communication platform.

Today, Slack is introducing private shared channels, and as the name suggests, the new functionality lets users keep certain conversations out of public view. Admins will have the ability to choose whether a shared channel is public or private for their respective workspace, meaning that a shared channel could be public or private on both work areas, or public on one side and private on the other.

Slack is also adding a new channels administration section to workspace menus that will simplify and consolidate how shared channels are managed. From there, admins will be able to view all of the external workspaces their workspace is connected to, create new shared channels, and view pending shared channels invitations.

Slack also unveiled a new Enterprise Grid feature for public channels. Built on top of its team communications platform, Enterprise Grid provides centralized administrative controls and security integrations in an effort to assure CIOs and other top-level executives that the platform is secure enough for a company-wide roll out.

With new default organization-wide channels, Slack is attempting to pitch its platform as an ideal place for important corporate announcements. The new feature will give organizations the ability to make channels default (meaning everyone in the company is added automatically) along with the option to make membership mandatory.

Slack has garnered a lot of traction in the enterprise with more than nine million weekly active users, more than six million daily active users, and an international customer base that's 55 percent of the total. Slack has more than $200 million in annual recurring revenue and two million paid users.

Slack said roughly one-third of its paying customers have joined the shared channels beta since launch.

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