Facebook replacing RBS' company emails

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is substituting the conventional office email system for Facebook at Work.

The social media titan has kept Facebook at Work quiet, only implementing it in workplaces that have the intention of using it day-to-day. RBS, who has made it available to 100,000 members of staff, are the biggest company to use it so far.

The software takes the nuts and bolts of Facebook – messaging, the news feed, groups, etc. – and applies them to the world of work. The only major difference is that colleagues are ‘followed’ not ‘friended.’

Speaking to Business Insider, Kevin Hanley, Head of Design at RBS, explains why Facebook at Work is the future of workplace electronic communication: "I think Facebook lets us communicate, discuss and solve problems that other solutions, such as email, simply can’t. We love the fact that Facebook at Work gives you the ability to opt-in to forums and groups you want to be part of, rather than being on the receiving end of, email distribution lists that you want to opt out of.”