Hi all!
It is unlikely that among the site’s readers there will be at least a couple of dozen people who do not use Telegram daily. According to information from the network, almost every second Russian uses this platform at least once a month. Over the course of 11 years, Telegram has gone from a primitive clone of Facebook* Messenger to a huge social platform that has evolved into a “super app” – an application that combines many services, like the Chinese WeChat.
The state, in a broad sense, is also actively involved in attracting users to Telegram, thereby significantly simplifying work with the population and shortening the decision-making leverage.
However, declared as a safe platform, over the years of development Telegram received many unpleasant slaps in the face in the direction of open architecture, server location and lack of “down-to-earth” representation in Russia. Accounts are hijacked, accounts are hacked, scammers create clone channels, etc.
If in private to ensure your own security it is enough just to have two-factor verification and, for example, not link an important channel to your own public account, then for business interaction it may be fundamentally important that information at least not be stored on foreign servers.
In the current reality of hostile attention towards Russia from many states that have powerful leverage over the most “independent” platforms in the world, it is difficult not to notice how the state is subject to various types of attacks, both from outside and from within.
Therefore, a business focused on working within the country must be able to protect its information from external penetration, including through the use of national platforms that are similar in functionality, host their capacities, have the possibility of on-premise installation, developed in Russia and included in Unified register of Russian software.
So, what does the domestic application market offer us today? In fact, not so little!
First of all, I would like to draw attention to platforms that particularly highlight their security, namely Express, SIBRUS, TrueConf and RosChat, as having the ability to be installed on customer servers.
Express ‒ a cross-platform application, the only one in the “messenger” category that has FSTEC certification for level 4 of trust. The high level of protection is confirmed by three-factor verification, end-to-end encryption and a built-in crypto container. The functionality is rich, in fact, there is everything that is in Telegram, but there is one “but” – these functions become truly accessible when purchasing a corporate license. A three-month free trial is available for companies and organizations. The minimum tariff for connecting one user is 3,000 rubles per year. Here they will roll out bots for you, and add a conference add-on to Outlook, and install smart applications, and stop you from 1C.
The application’s database looks rather poor; for example, there is only one set of stickers (a very important component of team building). The limited capabilities of “green” users confuse me, I would like to say: “Give the “greens” the opportunity to feel like people, collect information, test the quality of communication and the speed of downloading large files!” Probably, such restrictions are associated with the desire to work only with interested organizations, and not to attract new users: “Everything is serious with us, don’t be distracted by trifles!” By the way, the platform cooperates with Russian Railways, essentially being their corporate messenger.
From a very extensive list of my contacts, there were only a few “blue” users who had the Corporate server badge, which means installing the platform on the organizations’ own servers. The routing animation is coolly implemented – the circles move smoothly, demonstrating that this is the only entertainment that will be waiting for you on this platform…
CYBRUS ‒ a cross-platform messenger, a member of many top 10 analog messengers, with the ability to quickly install on your own equipment in a closed network. It looks even simpler than Express, but all the required corporate functionality is available. There is the possibility of centralized role management, integration with Active Directory and in general everything like people do. Unlike Express, there is a basic “Start” tariff – free for a year for teams of up to 10 participants.
However, I was unable to download it to my iPhone – with a note that the application is not available in my country or region. Whether this was the machinations of enemies or the negligence of support, I was unable to find out. The desktop version works, but there is no own server, and it is not possible to test it. The download occurs from Google Drive, and the browser complains about an unknown, rarely downloaded application: again, either enemies, or support is running, and of all the contacts – only an email address…
TrueConf ‒ In my opinion, the best analogue of Zoom or Teams, with hybrid video conferencing capabilities, that is, both cloud and server hosting. The server version has a wider range of capabilities than the cloud version. But neither requires the use of special equipment and can run on computers and other devices with a compatible operating system. There is the possibility of free use of up to 40 participants per selector or up to 6 per frame. Yes, this is not a corporate messenger in the literal sense of the word, but the platform has a developed chat with the ability to unite participants into groups.
During searching for an analogue of Discord I considered this platform as an option, but had to abandon it for the reasons described in the second part of the article. Nevertheless, I evaluate the entire test experience as positive both in terms of convenience and in terms of the quality of the broadcast image. Another thing is that VKS with chat is, of course, not Telegram and certainly not Discord. But for corporate tasks it’s just right. The platform is compatible with every conceivable OS, including popular domestic ones, live support and flexible adaptation to customer requests. This is a real treat to the eye!
“RosChat” ‒ a dark horse from a serious organization that built communications for the residence of the President of the Russian Federation, for the Baikonur and Plesetsk cosmodromes and for various nuclear power plants, from Belarus to India. They don’t mention the prices, but they sound expensive. The corporate messenger also has the option of on-premise installation, which, on the one hand, can ensure maximum confidentiality and security of the system, and on the other hand, shifts responsibility for the security of the system to the customer. However, this applies to most systems deployed at client facilities.
Due to the solid related experience of the developer company, integration with corporate PBXs has been implemented, which allows you to use the application in conjunction with a cellular network, which in some regions can be an absolute advantage. In general, the proposal is clearly not for small or even medium-sized businesses, but it is good to see that there are such large-scale projects. The pleasant thing is that they have their own news channels, but how they feel against the backdrop of the Telegram block is unclear…
Bonus for the most patient
In this review, I deliberately avoided well-known and popular analogues such as Yandex.Messenger, VK Teams or TamTam, concentrating on those that were unfamiliar primarily to myself. Those that are accessible to use by mere mortals – I tested them, about those that are not available – I read about them. But I absolutely couldn’t pass by “Pachka”.
Pachca is a cross-platform (how could it be otherwise) messenger that does not say anything about security beyond what is required. But it has lightning-fast support, all the signs of an adult platform for corporate interaction, but skillfully flirting with young businesses. Several times, purely by chance, I received positive reviews about ease of use, pleasant design and wide functionality. I’ve never used it myself, but regular users nod happily when compared to Discord. This is a purely working tool that flexibly adapts to the branches of the company’s structure, has an open API, integrates with Albato (for example, when filling out a form in a VK group and/or contacting the Telegram bot, the user receives a message with details), and in general, it’s just pure cuteness. In the list of boring protected services, “Puchka” glows like a Christmas tree.
Which is good news, since this is our Christmas tree!
How wrote one information security specialist: “Since application security became only an appearance, it began to sell very well due to the lack of its content and, as a result, the real costs of providing it.”
Safety is important, but everything should look not like SIBRUS, but like “Puchka” or at least Express.
It’s nice that they already exist and there is plenty to choose from, especially if you don’t like Yandex.
P.S.
Funny thing, while preparing for this article, I tried to remember in what year I registered on Telegram. I remembered that I reluctantly began to get used to the “cart” with the beginning of the pandemic, that is, around the spring of 2020. At my core, I am quite conservative, and the first attempts to get acquainted with the application were not easy. Whether it’s the usual WhatsApp with chats on all occasions or a group of fishermen on Viber – it’s funny to write about this now, having an eternally open “cart” on the second monitor. WhatsApp, by the way, also remains, but is used either as a means of communication with those who are not on Telegram, or almost exclusively for work matters, but Viber has not stood the test of time…
So, in the application there is no information about the date of registration, but Google is to the rescue, and it turns out there is botthe entire functionality of which is to check the date of account registration – 09/08/2016. Apparently, I wanted to keep up with the times, but after registering, I immediately lost interest…
*Meta Platforms, which includes the social networks Facebook, Instagram and Threads, is recognized as an extremist organization and banned in the Russian Federation.
Source: mobile-review.com
