Free team chat apps and messengers both provide people with an opportunity to exchange quick messages when needed. They’re both easy to use and that is especially relevant in business as they work to enhance and facilitate the communication process between people. However, this is where their similarities end. The truth is, chats and messengers have different end-goals and different functions, with the latter presenting a more complex and effective system.

Chats

Chats ensure communication between two or more people in the real-time and are usually presented by private chats and chat rooms. They’re a great option for social networks and businesses where the managers want to give the company’s clients an opportunity to contact the support for clarification or placing an order.

Chats tend to have a semi-anonymous nature as they mainly connect users who don’t know each other or use nicknames. It’s possible to exchange files of a limited size, such as photos or documents — however, the downside is, it might not be secure. There is no option of branching out, so only one channel of conversation is possible at a time.

Chats also require active Internet connection, so if there’s any system malfunctioning, chatting might be impossible and the security of business correspondence might be breached. That’s why messengers are considered a more secure option.

LAN Messengers

Messengers, especially those working within a local area network known as LAN, are represented by the set of the following advantages.

•           They don’t require active Internet connection;
•           They ensure message encryption;
•           Various forms of messaging are available;
•           Offline messaging is possible.

In business, unlike chats that are used for correspondence with clients, messengers are for those who are situated within one local network and who know each other and need to solve work-related issues. Chatting is just one function of messengers as many more useful options are available. They’re similar to those offered by chats yet are more developed. For example, it is possible to exchange larger files and to branch out conversations, choosing different topics and separating the groups of users.

LAN messengers in particular don’t require Internet connection, so the correspondence remains secure regardless of any possible issues. All messages are encrypted by the program as soon as they’re sent, which enhances their safety. Real-time conversations are not obligatory and offline messaging is possible, meaning that there is no chance to miss crucial information as the user will see it as soon as they log in.

Overall, chats are used for communication with clients because they ensure a quick and efficient way of letting people clarify the basic issues. Messengers, on the other hand, are more complicated and tend to be used by offices to establish a secure communication channel between the colleagues. LAN messengers are especially effective as they provide numerous advantages.