Team members act as a foundation for every company, the more they are connected the higher is the strength and firmness among the teams which results in positive outcomes and massive achievements. It is easy to connect within office premises with other departments regarding problem-solving, faced challenges and moving forward and upward aligned with company's vision and goals, however, times have changed now, employees prefer working smartly, where they could generate a higher output on an individual basis by working efficiently. The big shot in businesses majorly has employees worldwide, and their employees connection on any specific task, project, or organizational goals with the other team members are essential as well. 

Therefore, companies have invested in such software that assists team members to stay connected and easy to reach in case of guidance. The software also overcomes the extra costs, saves time, speeds up the process, and acts as a catalyst for generating high revenues and sales. The management can have a quick check on their subordinates and team members to gauge their progress and productivity. It also eliminates the element of 'misunderstanding' which normally results in chaos and loss of motivation, aggression, and low morale which gets detrimental for organizations and companies. There are various options and features one must utilize from the software that helps the whole company connect, and with the help of the tools the employees have their say, could connect with the top management, all the stakeholders, exchange ideas, share solutions, share documents, and get tasks completed timely. 

Companies find team communication software beneficial as it helps the team to stay on track while being connected and stay on the same page with seamless conversations. Teams working in the other part of the planet could easily share their presentations, reports for productivity with other teams. 

Similarly, employees have real-time visibility on projects and their progress which enhances the engagement level as well and it also helps in holding the employee accountable as well. The software has a vast variety of benefits that assists companies to grow and help improve the workflow which results in high positive outcomes and greater productivity.

Here at Ibmi Media, we will look into the best 5 free and open-source team communication software that empowers everyone at a company to connect with the team by achieving the best and right results.

Features of a Team Communication Software includes:

• Instant Messaging: The instant messaging feature in team communication systems helps the team members get their queries sorted and easily convey their messages to the seniors or subordinates on a real-time basis.
• Collaborating: The team collaboration software you select should allow you to share the documents and files with your team members, seniors, and colleagues working on the same project or a task. 
• Threading / Recording: The best team communication software includes the facility of threading/recording past communication, whether private or group. 
• Alerts & Notifications: This feature should allow you to customize your preferences so that you are notified of only meaningful conversations without cluttering up your feed.
• Screen Sharing: Screen sharing can help resolve the issues on an immediate basis, as a person can walk through the screen of another person even though they are physically apart. 

1. Mattermost

The powerful software: Mattermost is free and open-source software that empowers the designated teams connected no matter from where they are operating from. It assists the top management to observe the performances of their assistants and teams, along with the facility of compliance reporting. The other additional features are single sign-on and multi-factor authentication for keeping the data confidential and much secure.

The core features included in the software Version Control, Video Conferencing, Third-Party Integrations capabilities, Screen Sharing, Search & Filter, Single Sign-On capability, Surveys and Feedback, Task Management, Role-Based Permissions, Real-Time Editing, Project Management, Mobile Access feature, Multi-Language feature, Live Chat options, Meeting Management, Communication Management, Content Management, Customizable Branding, Discussions & Forums, Document Management facility, Drag & Drop options, Employee Database, File Sharing, File Transfer, Forum & Discussion Board, Access Controls and Permissions, Active Directory Integration, and the list never ends.

Get started now for Free https://mattermost.com/trial/

2. Slack

Slack is a powerful and fascinating open-source software with dozens of features that enables users to team up remotely and be connected from anywhere. The appointed teams in this software work in channels that can be managed department-wise making it easier to follow up on tasks, follow up on challenges, and complete. It facilitates the teams work efficiently and smartly by bringing all the important data to make effective decisions timely.

The advanced features included in this open-source software are Two-Factor Authentication, Video Conferencing, Video Support, Workflow Management facility, Testing, and QA Management, Third-Party Integrations capabilities, Surveys, and Feedback facility, Tagging options, Real-Time Notifications, Real-Time Synchronization, Real-Time Chat, Real-time Updates, Presentation Streaming, Prioritization facility, Meeting Management, Member Directory, Messaging feature, Milestone Tracking, Commenting and Notes ability, Communication Management, Communications Management, Compliance Management, Call Conferencing, Call Recording, Call Routing, Time & Expense Tracking

Get started now by downloading from https://slack.com/downloads/linux

3. Element

Element is different yet powerful software that aids and co-operates teams working in an efficient way around the globe and even working remotely for organizations. It comprises all the vital and applicable tools to achieve everyday tasks. This solution uses end-to-end encryption for securing the data.

The fascinating elements combined in the enhanced software are Video Conferencing, Task Tagging, Team Chat, Template Management, Templates, Screen Sharing, Secure Data Storage, Third Party Integrations, Single Sign-On, Real-Time Notifications, Team Management, Real-time Updates, Recurring Tasks, Reporting & Statistics, Analytics, Live Chat facility, Mobile Access feature, Discussions & Forums, Communication Management, Customizable Branding, and the many more.

Start now by downloading from https://element.io/get-started#linux

4. Hubstaff

Hubstaff is best for the teams working either remotely or even at office spaces or even field service teams who need to get connected with their respected teams now and then for tasks. It delivers a clear picture of all the workers, their routine, activity progress.

The features included in the software are Online Time Tracking, Overtime Calculation, Payroll Management, Performance Metrics, Prioritization, Productivity Analysis, Project Time Tracking, Project Tracking, Projections, Punch card feature, QuickBooks Integration capabilities, Remote Support, Reporting & Statistics, Reporting and Analytics, Routing, Salaried Employee Tracking, Scheduling, Screen Activity Recording, Territory Management, Third Party Integrations, Time Tracking, Time Tracking by Client, Time Tracking by Project, Time Zone Tracking, Timer, Timesheet Management, and many more down the list.

Get started now by downloading from https://support.hubstaff.com/install-and-sign-in-into-linux-desktop-client/

5. Zulip

Zulip is a 100% free and open source team communication software that is built by a community of developers located all around the world. It includes 120,000 words of developer documentation, a high-quality, customizable code base, and a highly active community, making it easy for the developers to tweak or extend the software as per the business needs. It facilitates threading messages based on topics, and that makes large group discussions extremely manageable.

Key Features includes:

• Includes extremely UI friendly real-time chatting features.
• Can integrate with desktop and mobile applications, and APIs.
• Provides visibility over availability of other team members.
• Allows threading conversations and accessing when required.
• Includes video calling facility.
• Holds capability of exporting data and converting hosted solution from on-premise anytime.
• Open communities available for help and support.
• Includes reporting features allowing to analyze the communication patterns of the team.
• It's Key Features includes:
• Includes extremely UI friendly real-time chatting features.
• Can integrate with desktop and mobile applications, and APIs.
• Provides visibility over availability of other team members.
• Allows threading conversations and accessing when required.
• Includes video calling facility.
• Holds capability of exporting data and converting hosted solution from on-premise anytime.
• Open communities available for help and support.
• Includes reporting features allowing to analyze the communication patterns of the team.

Get started now by downloading from https://zulip.com/new/

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