Slack rolls out new tools, certification program for administrators

Slack is rolling out another set of tools that aim to improve the experience for administrators. The workplace collaboration player said the new tools will help Slack admins better understand and optimize Slack engagement, and more efficiently manage how their organization uses Slack.

The company is also launching a new certification program, and a scholarship award for qualified candidates, to help admins hone their skills as demand for their role grows.

Slack admins are responsible for onboarding users and ensuring that Slack runs smoothly for their organizations. With the new tools, Slack said admins will have the ability to gather more insights on the reach impact and engagement of key messages, such as company-wide announcements. The new tools will also bring more efficient onboarding and the ability to automatically authenticate calendar apps like Google or Outlook across an organization.

For the engagement insights, Slack said it's releasing a new set of analytics APIs for Grid plans that integrate Slack engagement data with business reporting tools. These APIs allow admins to bring Slack usage data into their existing dashboards, making it easier to analyze Slack engagement based on key performance indicators.

On the authentication side, Slack said admins can now automatically authorize calendar apps across the company, rather than requiring each employee to authenticate their accounts individually. 

Additionally, Slack is introducing improvements that aim to help admins complete manual administrative tasks more quickly. This includes new centralized channel management for Grid plans, which gives admins one main dashboard to view and manage channels across an organization. 

As for the certification program, Slack said it's trying to address the rising demand for Slack administrators as enterprises like Oracle, IBM and Verizon carve out dedicated roles specifically for Slack admins.

"Being a Slack admin is more than rolling out a new tool," says Christina Kosmowski, the VP of customer success and services at Slack. "It means fearlessly undertaking the process of changing how an organization works. We're inspired by our admins and committed to their success—not only in their current organization, but also in their careers."

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