More than ever before, today's companies need to communicate with their customers, clients and business partners in an efficient manner. To do that, good internal communication is becoming increasingly more important. So say goodbye to the old-school ways and hello to the future with these workplace tools that will redefine the way you communicate.

Join.me

According to its website, join.me is the fastest-growing Web conferencing solution available. The best part? First-time participants don't have to download any type of software. Simply type in join.me as the Web address, then click "Join meeting" in the upper right-hand corner. Type in the code provided by the presenter, and you're good to go. Of course, if you want to use join.me on a regular basis, there are options to download the app for your desktop, mobile phone and other devices for easy access.

The presenter swap option is another highlight of join.me, giving presenters the power to hand over control to any participant during the meeting. Whoever is in control can either share his or her screen or take over the original presenter's mouse. Join.me also has one-click scheduling for arranging meetings in advance and sending invitations to participants. This way they have the link and code ready for when the meeting starts.

Even the free version of join.me allows users to share screens, transfer files, call via the Internet, and use the sharing controls like taking over the mouse from the presenter. Free video conferencing recently became available this past June, but there are more advanced features available in the pro and enterprise options for larger companies.

Jive.com

Wish your phone system and phone services were bundled into one solution? With Jive.com, that is exactly what you get. This platform is becoming a standard communication tool for many small-to-medium sized businesses and even for companies like Microsoft and Panasonic.

Jive's VoIP technology is reliable and their unique online system allows you to manage users, phone numbers and devices with ease. Forwarding a number only takes a few seconds, and updates on the system happen in real time.

Their unique online system allows you to manage users, phone numbers and devices with ease. Forwarding a number only takes a few seconds, and updates on the system in real time.

The Jive Cloud is yet another key feature Jive has implemented. Built from scratch, Jive Cloud offers "the most reliable, powerful, and economical hosted communication services on the market," as stated on the company's website. Now you can look forward to keeping your head in the clouds with all of Jive Cloud's clever and sophisticated features.

Other features include custom hold music and voice prompts, time-based routing and call analytics for businesses to see how their phone systems are being used. You can even see when call volumes are the highest and where calls originate from. There's a solution for every type of business through different pricing options, depending on the number of phone devices needed. And as if all that weren't enough, Jive also claims to be less expensive than other phone systems.

If you're looking for a reliable phone platform to take your company to the next level, look no further.

Slack

Email can now be a thing of the past. This unique messaging system is designed specifically for business teams and brings every form of communication together in one convenient location. Gone are the days of multiple browser tabs for each social platform your company uses.

You can not only integrate the tools you use on a daily basis, but also stay organized and on top of communicating with your team. Give feedback, ask questions, and do whatever you normally do by using Slack to simplify the process.

Slack has differentiated itself from others through its use of channels. You can create channels for each department, office location, project, or whatever you desire. Channels are open, allowing members of your Slack team to join the conversation any time. Private channels and direct messaging is also available.

Beyond messaging back and forth, Slack also allows you to share files by simply dragging and dropping the file into the appropriate channel. You can use Slack on your desktop at work or on your mobile phone if you're on the go. With all the time you'll be saving through more efficient communication, you may find yourself "Slacking" on the job, which isn't a bad thing for once.

There are free, standard and plus versions available and an enterprise version arriving in early 2016. Even though the free version is all most companies will need, the more your company is willing to pay, the more features you'll have. But let's be honest: staying organized and having successful communication within your business is a priceless outcome.

Whether you're part of a large or small business, these three tools will will help facilitate your communication so you can make amazing things happen.

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