NEW YORK: In a tough challenge to team collaboration tool Slack, Facebook has announced to offer a version of Workplace for free.

Workplace, Facebook's messaging service for businesses, is one of the many products used by businesses to chat and share files within their select groups.

According to a report in Fortune, the new free version announced by Facebook this week joins a previously announced paid version that premiered in 2016.

"The free standard version will offer one-to-one and group voice and video calling, streaming video, and chat for people with Apple iOS or Android devices as well as those on desktop PCs," the report noted.

The social networking giant has been trying to venture more into business sphere. Facebook, for example, recently rolled out a feature that allows posting job notices -- something that competes with Microsoft's LinkedIn.

However, it is not clear yet when the free version will be available, but Facebook has said it would be available "soon" and hoped Workplace would connect everyone including people who only use mobile devices.

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