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Skype Replacement for Small Business? (programming.dev)

submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by RocketSocket@programming.dev to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

25 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/26910708

My small company (less than 30 employees) has been using Skype for internal group meetings and messaging. Since it's closing, we're looking for alternatives.

I think few people in the company are privacy minded (one of the higher ups had to get scolded to stop using some random AI to listen to all his meetings and write summaries), so we need something with a low barrier to entry.

We have basically no IT department, so self hosting would be a challenge. We do self host a redmine server via docker, and we have to connect to it via VPN when we're off-site (we have several full time remote employees).

Our feature requirements are: Group and individual messaging Screen sharing Meetings up to 2 hours Inexpensive Meetings with up to 10 participants Windows (some people use Skype from their phones also, but not a requirement) Minimal friction to setup and use Minimal bugs (mature)

Some of the ideas floated: Teams Discord Google Meet Signal Telegram Jami

I really don't think we could pull off Matrix, but am I wrong? Which of these ideas bothers you the least? Is there something else I'm overlooking?

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[–] K4mpfie@feddit.org 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I'm in the same predicament here. What industry are you in? You might want to look into your regulatory requirements.

My current top pick is Nextcloud Talk.

Element Matrix doesn't support small business if you are not selfhosting
Mattermost has no Group Callings
Nextcloud Talk has all the features Skype had and additionally everything else that Nextcloud has to offer.
Teams is a nightmare, ask any sys admin. And looking at how MS plans to add Ads to the free version fo office they likely will do the same for Teams
Discord is a privacy Nightmare
Google Meet is... well makes you once again dependent on a US Company
Signal really just has a shit desktop application. Due to their security focus only very few messages can load from your phone
Telegram is not a secure service
Jami I actually need to check out 🤔

[–] jherazob@beehaw.org 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Jami seems to be designed as a drop-in Skype replacement, even with account management for corporations, we are in a similar boat and that was the top alternative that rose up in checks but we're still far from decided

[–] K4mpfie@feddit.org 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I will definitely check them out. Seeing how I'm in the Medical Device Manufacturer field choosing any software is an absolute hassle. With Nextcloud I can push a lot of the validation on Nextcloud since they have already published a lot to verify their claims. If Jami can hold up I will definitely choose it. Sadly time is running out quickly. I want to avoid even starting to use Teams. If we don't switch before the 5th of May I doubt we'll switch at all.

[–] jherazob@beehaw.org 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Oh yeah, same thing, by that day we should be already running whatever else we choose, or we will likely go to Teams 😬

[–] K4mpfie@feddit.org 2 points 2 days ago

I did take a look at Jami now. It doesn't really win me over. If I choose them it looks like I will have to completely validate everything myself. Given I will likely need a host server to make sure I don't run into any issues with their p2p network and their fairly small community forum, I don't see myself choosing them. Nextcloud really shapes up to be the best alternative

[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Due to their security focus only very few messages can load from your phone

Source? I've never heard of nor experienced this. In my experience as a longtime Signal user, it's Signal Desktop that sometimes misses messages while phones never do (unless you botch a transfer).

[–] K4mpfie@feddit.org 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I used the client of Linux for some time. It always told me it can only sync the messages from the previous 3(?) days from my phone. I need a longer chat history and I can't afford to always have to check my phone when U want a proper chat history

[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Weird, I had no idea that there was such a sharp restriction on the Linux platform! Well, what about using scrcpy to access your phone on the computer?

[–] K4mpfie@feddit.org 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I guess I'm more of a KDE Connect kind of guy 😅

[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I could not get that thing to transfer files... but I also see it's had multiple updates this month, so maybe it's resolved my issues...

[–] K4mpfie@feddit.org 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah it's always an up and down funnily if you simply choose a version that works you will never have to update. It will just continue to work. My Home PC runs a Version from 2021 and can still communicate with my updated Android Version without any issues. In the meantime the Gnome Extension has not been working for 2 Months

[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Huh, then I wonder if I may need to go older. Ironic. Well, I'm just using Bluetooth for now lol... I know, not the best...

[–] K4mpfie@feddit.org 1 points 1 day ago

I mainly just used it because it forwarded my Notifications from my Phone. That was useful while gaming or at work