Announcing the Launch of the New Yammer

This fall, we’re launching an application platform at TechCrunch Disrupt – an exciting new addition to our Enterprise Social Networking (ESN) solution! This represents a critical step in Yammer’s evolution, and we wanted to give you a sneak peak at what’s in store. 

The Yammer platform is designed to operate as your company’s communications hub. Because of its flexibility, you’ll be able to integrate existing, third-party enterprise applications and interact with them directly in the Yammer feed. This allows customers to enhance their Yammer experience based on the tools they deem critical to their business. Customers will also be able to easily create and integrate new apps. 

We’re also launching several free, easy-to-use applications of our own. The first set of Yammer apps includes:

• Polls – Tap the wisdom of crowds by quickly and easily creating a poll and asking co-workers to identify the best option.
• Events –Invite members to company or group events and track responses. Attendees can download the event into their calendar.
• Links – Share standard URLs with co-workers in a form that previews the linked information.

Other applications including Questions and Ideas will follow. These applications are simple but powerful and make your Yammer feed more actionable.

Some customers have already started using the applications in private beta. “The new Yammer applications and platform clearly demonstrate its commitment to developing Yammer as the enterprise communication tool. The new features and improved interface are more intuitive, which aids with increased take-up,” said Gareth Burkill-Howarth, Head of Global Projects at Kinetic Worldwide. 

In addition to the platform launch, we’re also redesigning the Yammer interface to support the platform and new types of content that come with it. Conversations are still at the center of Yammer, but now messages will be organized in four main feeds: My feed, Direct Messages, Company feed, and @ Mentions. Extending our current functionality to include the full range of conversation types, we will offer chat and direct messaging to individuals and groups. The Activity feed will enable users to pull in automated updates from existing enterprise applications, streamlining business communication and processes accessible via one platform.

At Yammer, we believe that human capital is the most valuable asset in any organization, but organizational structure often stands in the way of engagement, performance and productivity. Our product is intended to help facilitate knowledge capture and exchange, so that companies can harness the true power of the workforce. The platform combined with the new look and feel of Yammer makes it easier for employees to communicate and collaborate with one another, ultimately changing the way people work.

It was just two years ago when we took the stage at TechCrunch 50 and launched Yammer to the world. We’ve come a long way since then, and we’re looking forward to retracing our roots at the upcoming TechCrunch Disrupt event where our founder and CEO, David Sacks, will unveil the platform and the new user interface. We can’t wait to show you the new Yammer! The event will be live streamed, so you’ll get to see all of the action as it unfolds. Stay tuned on our blog for information about TechCrunch Disrupt and the new features as they become available!

See the official Press Release here.