Today's Deep-Dive: Mattermost
Ep. 29

Today's Deep-Dive: Mattermost

Episode description

Mattermost stands out as a communication and collaboration platform specifically designed for high-stakes teams, like those in defense, government, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. It’s built for environments where precision, security, and adaptability are essential. Unlike typical chat tools, Mattermost goes beyond messaging by integrating features like persistent chat history, file sharing, voice calls, screen sharing, and developer-friendly options like markdown and syntax highlighting.

Mattermost’s Channels feature is central to its value, offering a secure, searchable, and comprehensive communication space that enables continuous collaboration without constant app-switching. The platform is especially appealing for technical teams, with tools that streamline workflows through automation, bot integrations, and seamless links to development tools. This feature creates a “single source of truth,” crucial for incident response or post-event analysis.

Beyond chat, Mattermost Playbooks provides structured checklists, automated workflows, and retrospective analysis to manage complex processes efficiently. Pre-built templates and customization options allow teams to adapt playbooks for specific tasks, making Mattermost ideal for refining workflows, preventing human error, and continuously improving processes.

Security is a cornerstone of Mattermost’s design, with features like self-hosting options, data encryption, granular access controls, and compliance tools for stringent privacy needs. Organizations can choose between a secure cloud with dedicated Kubernetes clusters or a self-hosted option, accommodating those with strict data control requirements. Advanced security features, such as multi-factor authentication, enterprise mobile management, and custom mobile app options, reinforce Mattermost’s commitment to high standards.

Moreover, its open-source foundation enables extensive customization and integrations with tools like GitLab and ServiceNow, supported by a large community. This flexibility, coupled with Mattermost’s rigorous security measures, robust feature set, and commitment to process improvement, positions it as a versatile and resilient platform for teams facing mission-critical challenges.

https://mattermost.com/

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0:00

All right, so you're interested in Mattermost.

0:02

Well, get this, it's not just another chat app.

0:04

We're talking about a platform that's built for teams

0:07

doing really important, like mission critical work.

0:10

Think defense, government, the folks keeping our power grids

0:14

and hospitals up and running,

0:15

those kinds of high-stakes situations.

0:17

And what's cool is we've got a mountain

0:19

of Mattermost's own materials to dig into here.

0:22

Platform overviews, details on their channels and playbooks,

0:26

deep dives on their security,

0:27

even stories from customers already using it.

0:30

It's impressive how much they put out there.

0:31

Yeah.

0:32

So for this deep dive, what's our mission?

0:35

We're gonna try to figure out

0:36

if Mattermost really lives up to this promise

0:38

to be the ultimate hub for teams

0:40

that just can't afford to mess around.

0:42

What I find fascinating is how much they really lean

0:44

into these ideas of adaptability, focus, and resilience.

0:49

In those kinds of pressure cooker environments,

0:52

you know it's not enough to just chat.

0:54

You need a platform that helps teams

0:55

make the right call quickly, effectively,

0:59

without skipping a beat.

1:00

Totally.

1:01

Okay, so let's unpack this.

1:01

First up, they've got this feature called Channels.

1:05

But hold on.

1:05

It's way more than just a place to send messages.

1:08

We're talking persistent, searchable chat history,

1:12

file sharing, voice calls, screen sharing,

1:16

all locked down tight in a super secure environment.

1:20

Makes sense.

1:21

And here's where it gets interesting,

1:22

especially for the tech folks out there.

1:24

They've got markdown formatting, syntax highlighting,

1:27

all those little code-friendly features

1:29

that developers just go crazy for.

1:31

It's smart.

1:32

That focus on persistence and searchability,

1:35

it's like they're creating a single source of truth

1:37

for everything that's happening,

1:38

which is super valuable when you're dealing

1:40

with something like a security incident

1:42

or trying to figure out what went wrong

1:44

after a system crash.

1:45

Oh, totally.

1:46

Do you think about it?

1:47

Having voice and screen sharing built right in,

1:49

that means less jumping between different apps for the team,

1:52

which keeps everyone laser focused on the task at hand,

1:55

which as you know is crucial in mission critical situations.

1:58

Right, they go as far as saying

2:00

that channels becomes the central hub

2:02

for teams doing what they call digital operations.

2:05

It's not just chat, it's where all your conversations,

2:08

processes, and activities live.

2:11

It's a big claim, but you look at what they've packed in,

2:14

unlimited teams and channels, one-on-one and group messaging,

2:18

a record of every message, full search history.

2:21

They're not kidding around.

2:22

Right, and they don't shy away from calling out

2:24

how deep the integration with developer tools goes either.

2:27

Automation, slash commands, bots, rich markdown,

2:32

code snippets, it really is kind of a developer's playground.

2:35

It shows they understand the needs of technical teams.

2:38

Imagine being able to automate a whole workflow

2:41

right from your chat,

2:41

connect to your development tools seamlessly,

2:44

use code-friendly formatting.

2:46

That's a huge productivity boost,

2:48

especially when every second counts.

2:50

Absolutely, and they haven't forgotten

2:51

about collaboration features

2:52

beyond just typing back and forth.

2:54

They've got secure audio calls

2:55

you can fire up with a single click right from the channel.

2:58

Love that.

2:58

It's perfect for when things need to be escalated quickly,

3:02

or you need to troubleshoot a problem as a team

3:04

in real time, just staying connected,

3:06

minimizing any disruption.

3:07

Right, and of course, security is a massive deal here.

3:10

Mattermost hits all the right notes,

3:13

compliance with all the toughest data privacy rules,

3:16

tons of granular settings for users and admins

3:19

to keep everything locked down.

3:21

It's essential for the kind of organizations

3:23

they're targeting, you know, the Air Force,

3:25

financial institutions, healthcare providers.

3:28

These folks need to know their data

3:30

is Fort Knox level secure.

3:32

Yeah, they've got this quote from Kyle Kingsley.

3:34

He's an IT manager at Medincel.

3:35

It's a healthcare company.

3:37

And he says they use Mattermost for everything

3:40

because it's so easy to use and access,

3:42

but also because it's so secure.

3:44

It's a big endorsement coming from that world.

3:46

Definitely is, hearing that from someone in the trenches,

3:49

especially in a field like healthcare,

3:51

where security and reliability are just paramount.

3:54

That speaks volumes.

3:55

All right, let's switch gears a little bit

3:57

and talk about playbooks.

3:58

Imagine having automated tech lists

4:00

for all your critical processes.

4:02

Need to handle a security incident?

4:04

There's a playbook for that.

4:05

Rolling out new software?

4:07

Playbooks can handle it.

4:08

And wait, there's more.

4:10

They even generate these detailed reports

4:12

and timelines after every run so the team can look back,

4:16

figure out what worked, what didn't,

4:18

and keep getting better.

4:19

Pretty cool.

4:20

Right.

4:20

The beauty of playbooks is how they bring order to chaos

4:25

by baking checklists, automation, and communication

4:29

all into one platform.

4:31

Mattermost is really trying to smooth out

4:32

those complex processes, minimize human error,

4:36

which is essential when the stakes are so high.

4:38

Yeah, and they even give you some playbook templates

4:40

to start with, things like a feature life cycle,

4:42

incident resolution, and release management.

4:45

Looks like they're trying to cover a lot of bases

4:46

right out of the gate.

4:47

Smart move.

4:48

Having those pre-built templates makes it easier

4:51

for teams that are new to this kind of structured

4:53

collaboration to get up and running quickly.

4:56

And of course, being able to customize those templates

4:58

is key to making them fit into each team specific workflow.

5:01

Right, and they really hammer home

5:03

this collaborative aspect.

5:04

You can create these configurable templates,

5:07

automate triggers and actions,

5:09

even integrate with other tools.

5:11

That's impressive.

5:12

It is.

5:13

Flexibility is what makes it so powerful

5:15

because no two processes are exactly alike.

5:19

Teams need that freedom to tweak things,

5:21

make those playbooks their own.

5:23

And the integrations are really the glue

5:25

that holds everything together,

5:27

letting teams connect those playbooks

5:29

to the tools they're already using.

5:30

And this built-in retrospective thing,

5:32

it's really interesting.

5:33

You imagine after every playbook run,

5:35

you get this report and timeline

5:36

that breaks everything down,

5:38

helps the team analyze what happened,

5:40

find ways to improve.

5:41

It's like a built-in learning loop.

5:43

Brilliant feature for building that culture

5:45

of continuous learning.

5:47

By taking the time to review what happened,

5:49

teams can refine their processes

5:51

and hopefully avoid repeating the same mistakes.

5:53

Right, and they're all about data-driven improvement.

5:56

They talk about these editable incident timelines,

5:58

transcripts from the channel,

6:00

and configurable metrics that help teams

6:02

track their performance over time.

6:04

So smart, that data analysis piece.

6:06

By capturing and crunching the data

6:08

from those playbook runs,

6:10

teams can get real insights into how things are working,

6:13

spot bottlenecks, identify areas for improvement,

6:17

maybe even anticipate potential risks.

6:19

They've got a quote here from William Forrester.

6:21

He's a development and security operations manager

6:24

who says, matter most playbooks and integration options

6:28

have helped his team skyrocket their productivity

6:30

and get way more organized.

6:32

Always good to hear positive feedback

6:34

straight from the source,

6:35

especially from someone whose job

6:36

is all about keeping those processes tight and efficient.

6:39

Yeah.

6:40

All right, now let's get to the big one, security.

6:42

Matter most goes all in on this.

6:44

Self-hosting, data encryption, granular access controls,

6:48

the whole shebang.

6:49

Yeah, don't mess around.

6:50

They don't.

6:51

They've even got customers like the Air Force,

6:53

big financial institutions, even film studios,

6:56

places where security is mission critical.

6:58

There's another quote here,

6:59

this time from an IT manager at a healthcare company,

7:01

who says matter most is their go-to messaging tool,

7:05

specifically because of how usable and secure it is.

7:08

That's a pretty strong statement,

7:10

coming from a field where security is paramount.

7:13

What stands out to you about their approach to security?

7:16

I'm struck by the fact that they offer both self-hosted

7:18

and secure cloud options,

7:21

giving organizations the flexibility

7:23

to choose what fits their needs best

7:25

and their risk tolerance.

7:27

It's not a one-size-fits-all approach.

7:29

That's a good point.

7:30

Some organizations,

7:32

especially those in highly regulated industries,

7:34

they need to be absolutely sure

7:35

that they control their data

7:37

and might prefer to keep everything on their own servers.

7:39

Exactly.

7:40

And for those who want the convenience of the cloud,

7:42

without compromising security,

7:44

Mattermost has that secure cloud option

7:47

with these dedicated Kubernetes clusters.

7:49

So each customer gets their own isolated environment,

7:52

which is a big deal for security and peace of mind.

7:55

Right.

7:55

And they don't just talk the talk.

7:57

They really dive deep into the nuts and bolts

7:59

of their security architecture and their practices,

8:03

encryption while data is moving and when it's stored,

8:06

hardened networks, constant system monitoring,

8:09

annual penetration testing.

8:11

They've got it all covered.

8:12

They're not cutting any corners.

8:14

It's clear they take security very seriously.

8:16

And they're following industry best practices.

8:18

They even have a bug bounty program

8:20

and a responsible disclosure policy.

8:22

So they're actively looking for vulnerabilities

8:24

and want to fix them quickly.

8:26

That's great.

8:27

Data protection and information governance

8:29

are a huge deal too.

8:30

They've got features like global retention policies,

8:33

compliance exports, role-based access control

8:36

with custom permissions.

8:38

You can even block message contents

8:40

from showing up in those mobile notifications.

8:42

Those are the kinds of tools that organizations need

8:44

these days to meet those strict regulatory requirements.

8:47

And their internal security policies

8:49

gives them the control they need to manage their data

8:52

and keep sensitive information under wraps.

8:55

OK, then there's the whole identity and access control

8:57

thing, multi-factor authentication, session duration

9:01

configuration, user and group provisioning

9:04

through Active Directory and LIDAP,

9:06

SAML-based single sign-on, certificate-based

9:09

authentication, enterprise mobile management.

9:12

It's a mouthful, but it's a comprehensive set of tools.

9:15

It is.

9:15

And it's all about making sure that only the right people have

9:18

access to sensitive data.

9:20

Just another sign that matter most

9:22

really gets the security needs of their target audience.

9:25

Right.

9:26

And they're pretty proud of their advanced mobile security.

9:28

Their mobile apps work with EMM solutions.

9:31

And if you need a custom solution,

9:32

they even give you the full source code to work with.

9:35

Wow.

9:35

That's huge for organizations that

9:37

let employees use their own devices for work.

9:40

Mobile devices can be a big security risk.

9:42

So it's good to see that they're locking things down

9:44

on that front as well.

9:46

Compliance, auditing, and oversight are big, too.

9:48

Organizations can pull these compliance reports

9:51

on what users are saying and doing.

9:53

And they've got audit logging for oversight

9:55

and keeping things ethical.

9:56

Essential for organizations that need

9:58

to prove they're following the rules,

10:00

whether those are regulations or internal policies.

10:02

It gives them the tools they need to track user activity,

10:06

spot potential violations, and investigate incidents.

10:09

They really make a big deal about their secure cloud

10:12

and data isolation with those dedicated Kubernetes

10:15

clusters, managed by Mattermost with top-notch security

10:19

standards.

10:20

That's a big selling point for organizations

10:22

that want the benefits of the cloud,

10:24

but don't want to sacrifice security.

10:26

Right.

10:26

They've got some interesting stories

10:28

about customers who are using their platform in those super

10:31

security-conscious environments.

10:32

One is David Rowe.

10:33

He's manager of IT system support at LAO.

10:36

It's an animation studio.

10:37

And he says Mattermost's self-hosted solution

10:40

helps them keep their sensitive data and intellectual property

10:43

totally locked down.

10:45

Yeah, that's a common concern for companies

10:46

dealing with sensitive data, especially in industries

10:49

like entertainment, where protecting your ideas

10:51

is everything.

10:52

And then there's Dan West.

10:53

He's an IT systems administrator who

10:55

says that security and privacy were non-negotiable

10:58

for his organization.

10:59

So hosting off-site was a no-go.

11:01

Really highlights why having that self-hosted option

11:04

is so important.

11:05

Some organizations have really strict rules

11:07

about where their data can live.

11:09

Or they have specific security concerns

11:12

that make keeping things in-house the only option.

11:15

Then you've got Josh Singletary.

11:16

He's a CIO, who says that his team can finally

11:19

collaborate on sensitive security issues using

11:21

Mattermost, stuff they could never discuss in person

11:23

because of legal worries.

11:25

Wow, that's powerful.

11:26

It is.

11:26

It shows how a secure platform like Mattermost

11:29

can unlock these new ways for people

11:31

to work together, share information,

11:33

even when there are legal or security roadblocks.

11:35

Right.

11:36

Now here's where things get even more interesting.

11:38

Mattermost is open source, which means

11:41

anyone can contribute, customize, build integrations.

11:45

The possibilities are kind of endless.

11:46

They've got a massive community and tons

11:48

of pre-built integrations with tools like GitLab,

11:51

.jira, and ServiceNow.

11:53

That's huge.

11:54

That open source approach, it's a major

11:56

differentiator.

11:57

It's like having this whole army of developers constantly

12:00

improving the platform, making it better.

12:02

And it also lets organizations really tailor Mattermost

12:05

to fit their specific way of doing things.

12:07

They can plug it right into their existing tools,

12:09

make it part of their workflow seamlessly.

12:11

They've got over 750 open source integrations

12:15

built by their community, all ready to download,

12:18

customize, and deploy.

12:20

That's a lot.

12:21

It's a testament to how strong the Mattermost community is.

12:23

Having that many integrations ready to go

12:26

can save organizations a ton of time and effort

12:28

when it comes to connecting Mattermost to their other tools.

12:31

For sure.

12:32

And they're big on transparency.

12:33

Anyone can access their APIs, drivers, that open source code.

12:37

Which is a huge advantage of open source software.

12:40

Organizations can see exactly how the software works.

12:42

They can audit the code for any security holes,

12:45

even contribute to the development

12:47

of the platform themselves.

12:48

It's a real partnership.

12:49

They're super active on GitHub with over 25,000 stars

12:54

and over 30,000 total contributions.

12:56

Those are impressive numbers.

12:58

It shows that Mattermost is a popular platform

13:01

with a passionate community behind it.

13:03

Definitely.

13:03

OK.

13:04

So what have we learned so far?

13:06

Mattermost is shooting for the stars.

13:08

They're positioning themselves as the collaboration platform

13:12

for those high stakes teams that need to get things done right.

13:15

Yeah, they've got this really powerful combination

13:18

of robust communication features, automation tools,

13:21

and top notch security, all wrapped up in an open source

13:24

package.

13:25

Right.

13:25

But here's the big question.

13:27

Is Mattermost the right fit for everyone?

13:30

That's the question, isn't it?

13:32

While they're clearly targeting those mission critical teams,

13:35

the emphasis on security and remote collaboration

13:38

could definitely appeal to a much wider audience,

13:41

especially with so many teams working remotely these days.

13:44

It makes you wonder, could Mattermost's security

13:46

focus and flexible deployment options

13:48

make it a game changer for businesses

13:50

beyond those traditional high stakes fields?

13:52

It's something to think about.

13:53

As we continue our deep dive.

13:54

It is, absolutely.

13:55

It is a good question.

13:56

They seem laser focused on those mission critical folks.

14:00

But that blend of security and remote features,

14:03

it could be a game changer for a lot of businesses,

14:05

especially now that remote and hybrid work is just exploding.

14:08

It's kind of a recipe for wider appeal.

14:10

Right.

14:11

It makes you wonder if they're setting the stage for a bigger

14:13

push into the mainstream market.

14:15

OK.

14:16

So digging deeper, it's clear that they're all over industries

14:20

like defense, government, and those critical infrastructure

14:24

folks, like the backbone of everything.

14:26

Makes sense.

14:26

These sectors are swimming in sensitive data.

14:30

And they just can't afford any hiccups.

14:31

They need that level of security and reliability

14:34

that your average chat app can't handle.

14:35

Totally.

14:36

They even name specific scenarios they're built for.

14:38

Things like integrated security operations,

14:41

out-of-band incident response, self-sovereign collaboration,

14:44

command and control, real-time DevSecOps,

14:47

and purpose-built collaboration.

14:49

It's a mouthful, I know.

14:50

But it gives you an idea of the scope they're aiming for.

14:53

Each of those scenarios has this common thread.

14:56

Needing secure, rock-solid communication.

14:59

That's also super efficient, especially

15:01

when the pressure's on.

15:02

Let's break a few of them down so it really clicks.

15:04

Perfect.

15:05

OK, so integrated security operations.

15:07

What's the big idea there?

15:09

Think of it this way.

15:10

They're using Mattermost to streamline and boost

15:12

those security workflows.

15:14

Everything from detecting and responding to threats,

15:17

to managing incidents and patching things up.

15:20

It's like having a central nervous system for your security

15:22

team.

15:23

So teams can share intel on potential threats,

15:25

coordinate their response, and keep

15:28

a record of everything they do, all within Mattermost.

15:31

Exactly.

15:32

And since it's got those secure channels

15:34

and integrates with all the major security tools,

15:36

they can collaborate without compromising security.

15:39

That makes sense.

15:40

OK, now what about out-of-band incident response?

15:42

What does that even mean?

15:44

Imagine this.

15:45

A company's email goes down during a cyber attack.

15:47

Chaos.

15:48

That's where out-of-band communication comes in.

15:51

It's a lifeline when your primary communication

15:53

channels are compromised.

15:55

Ah.

15:56

So they could use Mattermost as a backup

15:58

to keep talking and coordinating.

15:59

Exactly.

16:00

It becomes that secure back channel

16:02

for incident response teams to get organized, share updates,

16:06

and make those split-second decisions that really matter.

16:08

That's clever.

16:09

OK, this one's interesting, self-sovereign collaboration.

16:12

Sounds a bit high-level.

16:13

What's the deal there?

16:14

It's all about giving organizations complete control

16:17

over their data.

16:18

Remember how Mattermost lets you self-host.

16:21

That, plus their laser focus on data privacy,

16:24

makes it a perfect fit for companies

16:25

that need to keep their data under their own roof,

16:28

so to speak.

16:28

So governments or organizations in countries

16:31

with strict data laws could use Mattermost

16:34

to make sure their data stays where it's supposed to be.

16:36

Exactly.

16:36

They get to decide where it's stored, who can access it,

16:39

how it's used, total control.

16:41

All right.

16:42

On to command and control.

16:44

How does Mattermost fit into that world?

16:46

Think about situations where crystal clear communication

16:49

is everything, like a military operation

16:52

or a major disaster response.

16:54

Mattermost can be used to set up those secure lines

16:56

of communication between the people in charge,

17:00

the teams on the ground, and the support folks back at HQ.

17:03

So they can relay orders, get real-time updates,

17:06

coordinate resources all in one place.

17:08

Precisely.

17:09

It's that central hub that keeps everyone on the same page

17:13

and make sure everyone has the information they need

17:15

to make the right decisions.

17:16

Okay.

17:17

Now, real-time DevSecOps,

17:19

this seems to be where Mattermost really shines.

17:22

What are the big wins there?

17:23

Mattermost is built to slide

17:25

right into those DevSecOps workflows.

17:27

It's a platform for developers, security folks,

17:30

and operations teams to work together in real time.

17:33

So they can discuss code changes,

17:35

keep tabs on security vulnerabilities,

17:37

even automate deployments, all without leaving Mattermost.

17:41

Exactly, and because Mattermost has those code-friendly features

17:44

we talked about, like code snippets and markdown,

17:46

it really streamlines communication and collaboration

17:48

for those technical teams.

17:50

That makes sense.

17:51

And lastly, we have purpose-built collaboration.

17:53

What's that all about?

17:54

It's all about tailoring Mattermost

17:56

to each team's unique needs,

17:58

because it's open source and super customizable.

18:01

You can mold it to fit just about any scenario.

18:03

So you can build custom integrations,

18:05

make your own plugins,

18:07

set up Mattermost to match your exact workflows.

18:10

Exactly.

18:11

And because they offer both self-hosted and cloud options,

18:14

organizations can choose the setup

18:16

that works best for them.

18:18

It's about having your cake and eating it too.

18:20

Security and flexibility.

18:22

Wow.

18:23

It sounds like Mattermost has really put a lot of thought

18:26

into who they're targeting

18:27

and the specific problems they're solving.

18:29

Absolutely.

18:30

They've really found their niche in the collaboration market

18:32

and they built a platform with this killer set of features

18:35

that just screams security, reliability, and customization.

18:40

Okay.

18:41

Now they do talk about some key things that set them apart.

18:43

Things like adaptability, focus, and resilience.

18:47

Yeah, those are must haves

18:48

when you're talking about mission critical stuff.

18:50

Let's take a closer look at each one.

18:51

Perfect.

18:52

Okay, so let's start with adaptability.

18:54

What makes Mattermost so adaptable?

18:56

It's that open source magic.

18:58

Organizations can tweak the code to fit their specific needs.

19:02

It's kind of like building of Legos.

19:03

And they have that huge library of integrations, right?

19:06

Exactly.

19:07

Plus, their plugin framework.

19:09

It lets developers create custom integrations

19:12

to extend what Mattermost can do even further.

19:15

It's like having a toolbox full of power tools.

19:18

So you could connect Mattermost to your security tools,

19:21

your ticketing system, even your custom internal apps.

19:25

You got it.

19:25

That adaptability is essential for weaving Mattermost

19:29

into an organization's existing workflows.

19:31

It's not about ripping and replacing.

19:33

It's about making things work better together.

19:35

OK, now what about focus?

19:37

How does Mattermost help teams avoid distractions

19:40

and stay on task?

19:42

They've got some clever features built in to do just that.

19:44

Remember that persistent searchable chat history.

19:47

That means every conversation, every decision,

19:50

it's recorded and easy to find later.

19:53

No more digging through endless email chains

19:55

or trying to remember what was said weeks ago.

19:57

So if someone's new to a project or needs

19:59

to get up to speed on an incident,

20:01

they can just search and find everything they need.

20:03

Exactly.

20:04

And they use threaded conversations

20:05

within those channels, which makes it super easy

20:08

to follow specific topics.

20:09

Without getting lost in the noise,

20:11

it's about keeping things organized and relevant.

20:13

Right.

20:13

And we can't forget about those playbooks.

20:15

It's like having a set of guardrails

20:17

to keep things on track.

20:18

Right.

20:19

Playbooks eliminate that guesswork

20:21

and ensure that everyone's following the same steps,

20:24

which minimizes errors and miscommunication, especially

20:28

important when you're dealing with these high-stakes

20:30

situations.

20:31

They also have voice and video calling built right in,

20:34

so teams can just jump on a call and hash things out

20:37

without switching to a different app.

20:39

It's all about keeping those teams connected

20:41

and in the flow.

20:42

Fewer distractions, the better.

20:44

OK.

20:44

So we've covered adaptability and focus.

20:47

What about resilience?

20:49

How does Mattermost make sure that it

20:50

can handle those mission-critical moments when

20:53

everything's on the line?

20:54

Resilience is all about making sure that platform stays up

20:57

and running, even when things go wrong.

21:00

Imagine a power outage or network meltdown.

21:03

Mattermost needs to keep chugging along.

21:05

So if a server goes down, everything

21:07

needs to keep working.

21:08

Exactly.

21:09

And Mattermost has a few tricks up its sleeve.

21:11

First, there's the self-hosted option.

21:14

So organizations can run Mattermost on their own servers

21:18

and have complete control over the infrastructure.

21:21

So they're not relying on some third-party cloud provider that

21:24

might have its own problems.

21:26

That makes sense.

21:26

What else?

21:27

They also support high-availability deployments.

21:29

That's where you have multiple servers working together.

21:32

So if one goes down, another one can seamlessly pick up the slack.

21:35

It's like having a backup generator

21:37

for your communication platform.

21:39

So it's all about redundancy and failover.

21:41

You got it.

21:42

And they use data encryption for both data in transit and data at rest.

21:48

So even if there is a security breach, that sensitive information

21:52

is still protected.

21:53

Sounds like they've thought of every possible scenario

21:55

to make sure the platform is as resilient as possible.

21:58

They really have.

21:59

And for organizations that can't afford any downtime,

22:02

those features are worth their weight in gold.

22:04

All right, so Mattermost is also really big

22:06

on supporting that open source community, right?

22:08

They have this huge and active group of contributors.

22:11

And they seem to really encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing.

22:16

That's the beauty of open source.

22:17

It's like having this global brain trust working

22:20

to make the platform better.

22:22

They say they have over 4,000 contributors

22:25

and over 30,000 community contributions.

22:28

Incredible.

22:29

They've got over 25,000 stars on GitHub.

22:31

That's a sure sign that developers are paying attention

22:34

and liking what they see.

22:35

They're also really big on open standards

22:38

and playing nice with other tools.

22:39

That's critical for making sure that Mattermost fits

22:42

into a company's existing tech stack.

22:44

Nobody wants to be stuck with a platform

22:46

that lives in its own little silo.

22:47

They mention Support4, Microsoft Teams, Lassian Products,

22:53

and GitLab.

22:54

Those are some heavy hitters.

22:55

Having those pre-built integrations

22:57

can save organizations a ton of time and headaches.

23:00

It sounds like they're serious about being a real alternative

23:03

to those bigger players in the market.

23:05

Absolutely.

23:06

For organizations looking for a secure, customizable platform

23:10

that's built by the community for the community,

23:13

Mattermost is a serious contender.

23:15

And let's not forget about those flexible deployment options.

23:17

They offer both on-premise and cloud deployments right.

23:20

That's right.

23:21

They're giving organizations the choice

23:22

to deploy however they like, whether that's

23:25

on their own servers or in the cloud.

23:27

It's all about flexibility and meeting

23:30

those specific security and compliance needs.

23:32

They even mentioned support for deploying to air-gapped networks,

23:37

private clouds, and public clouds.

23:39

That's impressive.

23:40

Air-gapped networks are completely

23:42

isolated from the internet.

23:43

So that shows that they're really serious about catering

23:46

to even the most security-conscious organizations

23:48

out there.

23:49

And they offer cloud-neutral and self-host options as well.

23:52

So companies can choose their favorite cloud provider

23:54

or keep everything under their own control.

23:56

It's all about options.

23:58

Yeah, it seems like they're really trying

23:59

to appeal to everyone, from small businesses

24:02

to large enterprises, from those with Fort Knox-level security

24:05

needs to those with more relaxed requirements.

24:08

Exactly.

24:09

That flexibility is one of their biggest strengths.

24:12

It makes them a viable option for this huge range

24:15

of organizations and use cases.

24:17

OK.

24:18

Now let's talk about their AI capabilities.

24:20

They mentioned AI-accelerated workflows

24:22

with complete data control.

24:24

This is where things get really interesting.

24:26

They recently introduced Mattermost Copilot,

24:30

which is their AI assistant.

24:31

That lives right inside the platform.

24:33

OK.

24:34

So what can Copilot do?

24:36

Think of it as your super-powered sidekick.

24:38

It can summarize conversations, draft replies,

24:41

even help with tasks.

24:42

So if you're in a marathon meeting

24:44

and you need a quick recap, you could just

24:46

ask Copilot to give you the highlights.

24:48

Exactly.

24:49

Or if you're working on a project and hit a creative wall,

24:51

you could ask Copilot for some brainstorming help.

24:53

That sounds super useful.

24:55

But what about the data control part?

24:56

How did they handle privacy with all this AI stuff going on?

25:00

Mattermost makes a really big deal about this.

25:02

They want organizations to know that they're still

25:05

in the driver's seat when it comes to their data.

25:08

The AI processing can be done locally on their own servers,

25:12

so that data never leaves their control.

25:14

That's a big deal for those organizations

25:16

that are super cautious about data privacy.

25:18

Absolutely.

25:19

It lets them get those AI benefits

25:22

without sacrificing security.

25:24

And they support multiple large language models, too.

25:27

That's right.

25:28

Organizations can choose the language model.

25:30

That works best for them and their data.

25:33

It's not a one size fits all situation.

25:36

So they're not locked into using just one AI model.

25:39

Nope.

25:40

They can experiment and find the one

25:41

that fits their needs perfectly.

25:43

It sounds like they're taking AI seriously,

25:45

but also being really careful about the privacy and security

25:47

implications.

25:48

Exactly.

25:49

Striking that balance between innovation and responsibility.

25:52

OK, now, Mattermost has tons of these customer stories

25:55

on their website.

25:56

Be great to hear how real companies

25:58

are using the platform.

25:59

Absolutely.

26:00

Hearing from those people in the trenches

26:03

can really give us a better sense of how

26:05

Mattermost is making a difference in the real world.

26:07

All right, so let's start with the US Air Force.

26:09

They seem to be a big fan of Mattermost.

26:11

They are.

26:12

Mattermost is being used at several Air Force bases.

26:14

And they're seeing some pretty impressive results.

26:17

Like, they say they've improved their mission information

26:19

availability by 4x.

26:21

That's huge.

26:22

It is.

26:23

It shows that Mattermost is helping them

26:25

get the right information to the right people

26:28

at the right time, which is critical in a fast-paced,

26:32

high-stakes environment, like the Air Force.

26:35

And they're also talking about how

26:37

Mattermost has improved their safety and mission velocity.

26:40

In their line of work.

26:41

That's not just a nice to have.

26:42

It's mission critical.

26:43

They even have a quote from Major Justin Poole.

26:46

He's the Phoenix Spark Innovation Cell Director

26:49

at Tramis Air Force Base.

26:51

I'm too saying.

26:51

He says, using Mattermost offers a huge benefit

26:55

in mission velocity and safety.

26:57

We found that it also gave us a lot more time

27:00

to fix cargo and fuel problems before the crew even

27:03

shows up at the airplane.

27:04

Wow.

27:05

That's a powerful statement.

27:06

Shows how Mattermost is making a tangible difference

27:08

in their operations.

27:10

They're catching problems earlier,

27:11

resolving them faster, which has a direct impact on safety

27:15

and mission success.

27:16

OK, well, let's move on to another customer, Fujitsu.

27:19

They're a global tech company, and they're

27:21

using Mattermost, too.

27:22

What are they using it for?

27:23

Yeah, they're using it to improve communication

27:25

and collaboration within their engineering teams.

27:28

That's a sweet spot for Mattermost.

27:30

It's a great way to connect those technical teams,

27:33

create a central hub for sharing knowledge and expertise.

27:36

They say it's helped them cut down on email and speed up

27:40

communication.

27:41

That's a common benefit.

27:42

By centralizing everything in Mattermost,

27:45

you can reduce your reliance on email,

27:47

which could be a real productivity killer.

27:49

And they're also talking about how

27:51

Mattermost has helped them improve knowledge retention

27:55

and reduce the impact of employee turnover.

27:57

Yeah, that's a big one, especially in today's world,

28:00

where people are changing jobs more frequently.

28:03

By capturing that knowledge and expertise within Mattermost,

28:06

organizations can make sure that critical information doesn't

28:09

walk out the door when someone leaves.

28:11

Last customer story, RTE, they're a French electricity

28:15

transmission system operator, and they're using Mattermost.

28:19

Interesting.

28:20

Another example of Mattermost being used in a high stakes,

28:24

mission critical environment.

28:25

What are they using it for?

28:26

They're using it for communication and collaboration.

28:29

During incident response.

28:30

Makes sense.

28:31

In their world, if something goes wrong,

28:34

it can have huge consequences.

28:36

Having a really rock solid communication platform

28:39

is crucial.

28:40

Exactly.

28:41

And they're seeing some great results.

28:43

They're talking about how Mattermost has helped them speed

28:46

up and streamline their incident response process.

28:49

Yeah, that's the name of the game, an incident response.

28:51

Every second counts.

28:53

So having a tool that can help teams coordinate and resolve

28:56

issues quickly is essential.

28:58

And they're also saying it's improved their situational

29:00

awareness during incidents.

29:02

That's about having that shared understanding

29:04

of what's happening, which is so important for making

29:07

good decisions under pressure.

29:09

OK, so these customer stories really

29:11

show how Mattermost is making a difference

29:13

across all these different industries and use cases.

29:15

We do.

29:16

It's clear that Mattermost is living up to its promise

29:19

of being a collaboration platform for those who can't

29:21

afford to compromise on security,

29:24

reliability, or performance.

29:26

It seems like they've really carved out

29:27

a niche for themselves in the market.

29:29

They have.

29:30

And with their open source approach

29:32

and their focus on community, they're

29:34

poised for even greater things in the future.

29:37

Now they're not just sticking to those traditional mission

29:39

critical sectors.

29:40

They're starting to gain traction in other industries,

29:42

too.

29:42

That's right.

29:43

They're a combination of remote collaboration features,

29:46

security, and data privacy.

29:49

It's attracting a broader range of organizations.

29:52

It's like they've hit on a formula.

29:53

That really resonates with a lot of companies in today's world.

29:56

It'll be interesting to see how they continue to evolve

29:58

and grow in the future.

29:59

Absolutely.

30:00

They're a company to watch.

30:01

OK, before we move on, there's one thing I wanted to touch on.

30:03

We've talked a lot about how Mattermost is designed

30:06

for these high stakes teams.

30:08

But could their focus on security, privacy,

30:12

and self-hosting also make them a good option

30:15

for individuals and teams who are just worried about big tech

30:18

companies having too much control over their data?

30:21

That's an excellent point.

30:22

As more and more of our lives move online,

30:25

the need for secure and private communication tools

30:29

is becoming even more important.

30:30

And Mattermost's commitment to open source, self-hosting,

30:36

and data privacy could make them a really compelling

30:39

alternative to those platforms offered by the tech giants.

30:43

It's definitely something to think about.

30:45

The choice of communication platform.

30:47

It's no longer just about convenience or features.

30:50

It's also a statement about our values

30:53

and how much we value our privacy

30:55

and control over our data.

30:56

Well said.

30:57

I think that's a perfect segue into the last part

30:59

of our deep dive.

30:59

OK, so we spent a lot of time talking about what Mattermost is.

31:02

But I'm curious, what's their vision for the future?

31:05

Where do they see themselves fitting

31:06

into this whole bigger picture of how teams work,

31:09

especially as this remote work thing keeps evolving?

31:12

The great question, from what I've gathered,

31:14

they really see a future where work is more flexible,

31:17

more distributed, and definitely more secure.

31:19

They're kind of betting on this idea

31:21

that teams will need tools that let them collaborate

31:23

effectively from anywhere without compromising

31:26

on security or data privacy.

31:27

So it's like they're building a digital workspace

31:30

for the future of work, one where physical location becomes

31:34

less relevant.

31:35

And teams can just come together seamlessly,

31:37

regardless of where they are.

31:38

Exactly.

31:39

And they seem to be positioning themselves

31:42

as the go-to platform for those organizations that really

31:45

prioritize security, privacy, and control over their data.

31:51

In a world where data breaches and privacy concerns

31:53

are becoming so common, that's a pretty strong selling point.

31:57

It's almost like they're taking a stand

31:59

against the big tech companies, offering this more ethical

32:02

and transparent alternative.

32:04

Yeah, there's an element of that for sure,

32:05

their open source approach and their commitment

32:08

to data privacy.

32:09

It's a clear departure from the data mining practices

32:12

of some of those larger companies.

32:14

It's refreshing to see a company that's putting principles

32:16

ahead of profits.

32:17

Absolutely, and I think that resonates

32:19

with a lot of people, especially as people

32:21

are becoming more aware of how their data is being used

32:25

and who has access to it.

32:26

So we've thrown a lot of information at you today,

32:28

but I think it's safe to say that Mattermost

32:31

is a platform that's worth keeping an eye on.

32:33

Definitely.

32:34

Whether you're part of a mission critical team,

32:36

a remote first organization, or just someone

32:39

who values privacy and security, Mattermost

32:42

definitely has something to offer.

32:44

They're innovating.

32:44

They're challenging the status quo,

32:46

and they're building a community around a shared set of values.

32:50

It's exciting to see, and I'm really interested to see

32:53

what they do next.

32:54

So if you're intrigued by what you've heard today,

32:56

I definitely encourage you to check out Mattermost's website.

32:59

They've got tons of great resources on there,

33:01

documentation, customer stories, even a free trial

33:04

so you can try it out for yourself.

33:06

And who knows?

33:07

Maybe Mattermost could be that missing piece

33:09

you've been searching for to really level up

33:11

your team's communication, collaboration, and security.

33:15

Thanks for joining us on this deep dive

33:18

into the world of Mattermost.

33:20

Until next time, keep exploring, keep learning,

33:24

and keep diving deep.

33:25

and most importantly, in your control.

33:25

and most importantly, in your control.