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The Pros and Cons of Business Communication Apps - How RealTyme Differs
Deciding on a communications platform to use for your business, government, or enterprise, isn’t simple. Going for the most popular or cost-effective option may not provide valid protection for your data and could mean compromising on the best features to have for collaboration.
Making the wrong choice when using consumer-built applications over more trusted, secure communication apps and platforms may leave your data vulnerable and may not provide everything your business needs to work efficiently. It can be a difficult choice, especially with a flooded market of communication platforms to choose from, so how can you make the right one?
At RealTyme, we've designed our platform to be the best option for everything our teams need to securely collaborate and communicate. By consistently offering secure features such as full data sovereignty, secure E2EE messaging, video, and voice calls, as well as secure file sharing and no metadata collection, we offer a superior alternative to other available competitors.
Below you can find out more about how we compare to the best communication apps and platforms, and why it’s important to consider the pros and cons of each before making a choice.
Knowing the limitations of consumer-built communication apps and Enterprise grade tools in the workplace is important when comparing solutions to meet your compliance and security requirements. There are some selection criteria's that are more relevant than others to consider, ensuring you do not compromise on security and data privacy compliance. Here are the criteria's we think you should look for when comparing solutions:
Default end-to-end encryption ndE2EE – having E2EE is a necessity in the modern digital world, but not all Enterprise communication solutions will have this as standard or by default. It will ensure a layer of protection so that only the intended party receives the information or data and only they can decrypt it. Realtyme uses standard WebRTC for audio and video calling with encrypted operation mechanisms for authenticated key and media encryption as it minimises the ability for metadata to be intercepted. Other forms of E2EE may not provide both, so choose those that protect the data whilst being transferred over a network as well as at rest too.
Privacy first - no data is stored, analysed or shared – your personal data should be private; however, some consumer apps may decrypt your content to derive big data patterns to monetize this information. The purpose of this is to provide key data about users for advertising, improving an app's own services, or even selling the information to others. Enterprise grade collaboration software get access to employees' behaviour and use this information inappropriately. Being aware of which apps and platforms do and do not collect and share your data is crucial for user privacy. Typically, consumer-built apps or ‘free’ due to the company making money from your data instead. This is why, whilst it may be more expensive, best to choose a subscription-based model that protects your user's privacy. Administration controls – being able to verify users, devices and systems that are connected to your platform should be a standard feature available to IT or security operation teams to be in control. Centrally manage users, establish circles directories, set security and data retention policies on edge devices remove and wipe users when necessary.Also, integrate enterprise directories and synchronize contacts securely and efficiently.
Decentralized solution for optimal data sovereignty – Depending on your data ownership and residency requirements to assess solutions that are providing complete and independent systems. It will allow you to have full control over your data, privacy and software. We provide multiple deployment options that grant complete control over the system for higher privacy, data residency, software and operational ownership. Recent code audit and analysis – Along with it being open sourced, you should be able to find out if the app or platform has had a recent audit and analysis or not. RealTyme conducts both internal and external testing and auditing and we also encourage our users to verify the results we provide. We can even analyse third-party code too if you require this.
Being wary of choosing a platform based on popularity is best, as many of the below are consumer built and were not built with privacy by design. Here is a comparison of some of the secure features that are worth considering.
*Information Sourced from: Secure Messaging Apps Comparison
As you can see, not all the most popular or ‘best’ communication apps are equal, with some sharing your metadata and not providing an open-source app and server. Even Signal, widely regarded as one of the best secure messaging apps requires a phone number to register. Many also do not have E2EE by default, meaning users have to find the setting to turn it on. One of the biggest concerns is businesses using the above platforms for secure communication despite not having privacy by design or all the features a modern business needs to collaborate.
You’re in control with RealTyme's platform, which provides your business with an all-inclusive solution covering all essentials and more. We work alongside governments, business leaders and enterprises to ensure all communication and collaboration is private using state-of-the-art cryptography and many additional features. Using RealTyme provides:
You can discover fully how our platform was built with privacy by design, ensuring the most secure processes to protect your data, and client confidentiality, all whilst providing effortless collaboration for busy workplaces. You can request an invite today to find out how we can help implement the RealTyme platform in your organisation.
Talk to sales today and we’ll be happy to address the challenges you face.
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