Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is shutting down its enterprise communication platform, Workplace. Originally designed to facilitate communication within businesses and organizations, Workplace will be phased out by 2026. According to TechCrunch, Meta plans to announce the closure officially later today.
Workplace will continue to operate normally until August 31, 2025. After that, it will switch to a read-only mode until May 31, 2026, when it will be completely decommissioned. Meta recommends Zoom’s Workvivo as an alternative for Workplace users. Workvivo, another enterprise communication platform, was acquired by Zoom in 2023.
The exact number of employees affected by this closure is still unknown. An insider mentioned that Meta is focusing on developing AI and metaverse technologies, which are seen as the future of work. Over the next two years, Workplace customers will be given options to transition to Zoom’s Workvivo product, Meta’s preferred migration partner.
Workplace, launched about ten years ago, aimed to diversify Facebook’s revenue streams but struggled to compete with Slack and Microsoft Teams. Despite initial success and significant customers, Workplace’s growth slowed, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. Meta’s strategic shift towards AI and the metaverse signifies the end of non-core projects like Workplace.
Initially called Facebook @ Work, Workplace was developed by a London-based team led by Lars Rasmussen, a co-creator of Google Maps. The product aimed to bring productivity tools to business communication. Despite some success and key integrations, Workplace could not maintain momentum against strong competitors.
Here’s Meta’s memo to Workplace customers:
Dear Workplace admin,
We’ve made the difficult decision to close Workplace from Meta in 2026.
We understand this will disrupt the businesses, organizations, and partners that rely on Workplace daily. Our priority is to ensure a smooth transition.
Timelines
- You can continue using Workplace as usual until August 31, 2025.
- From September 1, 2025, until May 31, 2026, Workplace will be free of charge and only accessible for reading and downloading existing data. After this period, access will be terminated, and your Workplace instance will be deleted.
Download your information
- Users can download their data directly from their Workplace settings using the Download Your Information tool.
- Information can also be exported using the Workplace API.
While you may already have a technology partner, Workvivo by Zoom is Meta’s only preferred migration partner. We will work with Zoom to provide tools and services for a smooth transition from Workplace to Zoom’s Workvivo product.
