Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced the shutdown of Workplace, its business tool that integrated social and productivity functions. This decision was confirmed through messages sent to customers and later verified by Meta.

Over the past few years, Meta has been streamlining its operations by reducing staff and trimming its product offerings to focus on investments in the metaverse and artificial intelligence (AI).

Micah Collins, Meta’s senior director of product management, informed customers about the impending closure of Workplace. Users will be able to access Workplace until September 2025 for downloading and retrieving data, after which the service will cease operations entirely by 2026.

Originally known as Facebook at Work, Workplace was launched in its current iteration in 2016. By 2021, the platform had accumulated 7 million paid subscribers.

Insider sources revealed that Workplace had been deprioritized within Meta for some time, leading to its eventual discontinuation. Meta emphasized its commitment to advancing AI and metaverse technologies, stating that these innovations will revolutionize the future of work.

Meta also announced that over the next two years, Workplace customers will have the option to transition to Zoom’s Workvivo product, identified as Meta’s exclusive migration partner.

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is scheduled to embark on a diplomatic visit to Saudi Arabia and Israel amid escalating tensions surrounding the Israeli military operation in Rafah. The White House aims to dissuade Israel from launching a significant military campaign in the southern Gaza city, which could breach President Biden’s established limits on weapons support to Israel.

Furthermore, the first major wildfires of the Canadian season have impacted the air quality in northern regions of the United States. A wildfire near Fort Nelson in British Columbia has raised concerns about deteriorating air quality in the area.