Big tech has predicted the death of email for years. With many claiming that it is too old-fashioned for the modern world, and security issues becoming rampant, some feel that email is too outdated to exist.
The reality tells a different story.
Email remains a dominant force in business operations in industries that require traceability, accountability, and decentralized control for their products and services, making it a go-to platform for businesses both big and small.
Email’s Resilience in a Changing Tech Landscape
The proliferation of instant messaging apps and internal platforms has made it easier than ever to message anyone. With some featuring built-in software that includes video chat features, and others capable of utilizing artificial intelligence, email may seem like an outdated venture, especially in an era where a large percentage of email is spam and emails may not truly be safe or even private.
Despite this, businesses continue to rely heavily on email, whose decentralized nature allows for control not just over hosting and privacy compliance, but cross-platform interoperability as well. Many still rely on email lists to promote products and services, and to gain analytics about their users that go beyond their age and gender.
The Rise of Inbox-Based Project Management
Companies are redefining the boundaries of email usage, not only for communication, but also for managing projects and collaboration among teams. Many businesses, including law firms and food distributors, use email as their central space for operational workflows. The technology adapting to this shift is becoming more advanced as time goes on.
By embedding advanced features into email platforms, which include AI-assisted sorting and drafting, as well as analytics, platforms like Missive have reshaped the way businesses work with their teams.
Leveraging email apps for project management isn’t a new thing, especially in a digital age, but the technologies involved within it are. With artificial intelligence capable of summarizing a long email into important points, as well as extracting and analyzing data, email platforms can be used in ways previously thought impossible, many of them in real time.
Small Teams, Big Innovations
Small, agile teams are capable of making huge strides, especially when they listen to users and focus on the core strengths of their products. Missive, for example, has grown over the past 8 years, reaching 4,000+ users with a small team composed of only 12 people.
“It might seem counterintuitive to have project management in an email client,” says Philippe-Antoine Lehoux, co-founder of Missive, “but that’s what our users were doing—so we built around it.”
The adaptation and implementation of AI have assisted in the creation of these features, especially when teams evolve their workflows within the inbox.
Email is Here to Stay
The death of email has been greatly exaggerated. It is a tool that isn’t just surviving, but thriving. The collaborative tools that are quickly being integrated into modern technology will ensure that email will remain a flexible yet powerful space, where businesses can get things done and stay productive in the process.
