Slack CEO Not Sold on Metaverse, Points to ‘Success’ With Simpler Tech

Slack, Huddles, Audio

Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield said he isn’t sure about how the metaverse will mesh with normal, everyday work, Seeking Alpha reported. He said Slack has seen success with simpler technology.

“It’s a little hard for me to imagine putting the goggles on all day,” he said, per the report.

Butterfield said Slack’s Huddle feature, which makes simpler voice-only interactions, is doing well with just “the minimal amount multimedia interface,” the report stated.

Butterfield said in the report there would likely be increasing integration of digital tech and the workplace as the economy evolves. He said the hybrid environment is “here to stay.”

“Going back to the office for two days a week doesn’t seem like a decrease from five anymore,” he said, according to the report. “It seems like an increase from zero.”

Butterfield said Slack’s merger with Salesforce had boosted the business, the report stated. The comopany saw its stocks rising to $311.75 in early November after a steady march of increases. The stock did see a selloff in the final weeks of November. Butterfield said much of the momentum will be evident next year.

Even with the slight slump, Salesforce has done better than the larger market since the Slack merger, with shares up around 9% as opposed to the 7% advance on the S&P 500, according to the report.

In other Salesforce news, the company extended its work with DocuSign last month to add more ways for customers to sign agreements, with the partnership easing the preparation of contracts, quotes and invoices.

Read more: Salesforce, DocuSign Pair to Digitize Contracts With AI Through Slack

The companies plan to automate the contract process with artificial intelligence (AI) and make it possible for more collaborations to happen via Slack.

The companies’ position is that firms will ultimately have to adjust to a more digital world with remote work being more of a constant.