Spike (application)
 | |
| Developer(s) | ChatFlow Ltd.[1] |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 2013[2] |
| Platform | Microsoft Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android, web |
| Available in | 10 languages |
List of languages English; Catalan, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian | |
| Type | Conversational email |
| Website | spikenow.com |
Spike is a multi-platform application designed to function both as an email client and a business messaging and collaboration tool, available on Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android and the web. It has a chat-like, conversational view for emails, along with additional integrated features. Depending on the selected plan, it can be used solely as an email application or as a full suite of business communication tools.[3]
History
[edit]Founded in 2013[2] by Erez Pilosof and Dvir Ben-Aroya,[4] Spike is a software application that puts existing e-mails into a multimedia messaging, chat-like interface enhanced with video and voice calls. The application was initially named Hop.[5]
In 2019, the developers completed a $5 million funding round including investment from Wix.com and NFX Capital.[2]
In 2020, Spike raised $8m in a Series A funding round led by Insight Partners with the participation from previous rounds' investors.[6][7][8][9]
In 2021 Spike announced a collaboration with Meta to launch on the Oculus Store and would become one of the first productivity apps to launch in Meta's new virtual world, known as the Metaverse.[10]
In June 2023, the company introduced its corporate offering — Teamspace, a corporate communication platform for teams with features such as company-wide channels for broad conversations, private groups for specific topics or projects, direct one-on-one conversations, video meetings, file collaboration, AI-powered email messaging, and custom email domain.[11] It supports file management, search capabilities, and project management. Built on open-protocol technology, Spike Teamspace enables users to send and receive messages from all email providers. Regardless of whether the other party is using Spike.[12]
Company operations
[edit]Spike is developed and operated by SpikeNow LTD.[13] Dvir Ben Aroya serves as Spike’s CEO and Erez Pilosof is the CTO.[14][15] The company is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.[16]
Mode of use
[edit]The app enables users to organize email into three types of "conversations,"a traditional inbox/sent format, by subject, or by people. Spike users can also make audio and video calls to each other, and other features include a calendar, contact list, and Groups.
Spike is available for Microsoft Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android, and as a web version,[4] and works with Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, iCloud, Yahoo! Mail and IMAP email providers.[17]
Controversies
[edit]In 2023, Spike encountered significant criticism following the discovery of a major data security vulnerability within its platform. Independent security researchers identified that Spike's encryption protocols were insufficient, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive user emails and business communications. This breach raised serious concerns among corporate clients who depended on Spike for secure and confidential interactions, leading several high-profile organizations to suspend their use of the service temporarily. The incident prompted investigations by data protection authorities and resulted in heightened scrutiny of Spike's security practices.[18]
Later in 2024, Spike became embroiled in a privacy scandal when it was revealed that the company had been utilizing advanced AI algorithms to analyze users' email content for targeted advertising without obtaining explicit consent. An internal audit uncovered that this practice violated several data protection regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).[19]
Features
[edit]The platform features an AI-driven assistant, Magic AI, for customized email creation, document summarization, research, content generation, advanced note-taking, project management, and real-time translation. Since 2023, Spike offers custom email domain management. It supports team collaboration through Channels, uniting members globally with access to historical messages, and combines email with real-time messaging via Conversational Email.[20] The Shared Inbox allows team collaboration on emails, while Groups support private conversations and invitations. It also features integrated video meetings, real-time collaboration on documents and notes, and email hosting with custom domains. Super Search enables retrieval of various content, and the Priority Inbox organizes emails by priority. Collaborative Tasks offer real-time updates and tracking. The platform allows voice message sending from mobile devices and integrates multiple calendar platforms into a unified schedule. File Management optimizes attachment handling, and the Unified Inbox consolidates emails from multiple accounts. Spike ensures data security with AES-256 encryption and private keys.[21][22]
References
[edit]- ^ "Chatflow Ltd". Bloomberg. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ a b c Adi Pick (28 March 2019). "Email App Startup Spike Raises $5 Million". Calcalist. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ Spiro, James (2021-07-30). "Inside Spike's 'bombastic' vision to reinvent email". CTECH - www.calcalistech.com. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b Amitai Ziv (21 August 2019). "The Israeli Startup That Puts Some Zip Into Stodgy Old Email". Haaretz. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ JR Raphael (12 November 2018). "Beyond Gmail: The new race to reinvent your inbox". Fast Company. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Email-based collaboration platform co Spike raises $8m". Globes. 2020-11-06. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Orbach, Meir (2020-06-11). "Insight Partners leads $8 million investment in Israeli emailing platform Spike". CTECH - www.calcalistech.com. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Matney, Lucas (2020-06-12). "Spike raises $8 million to make your email look like a chat app". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Coulter, Martin. "This pitch deck convinced Zoom CEO Eric Yuan to back Slack challenger Spike in an $8 million funding round". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ "Israeli startup Spike partners with newly rebranded Meta, launches VR email app". The Times of Israel. 29 October 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Spike wants to be your base for docs, meetings & email". Tool Finder. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Blum, Brian (2023-09-21). "Is this the solution for all those confusing communication apps?". ISRAEL21c. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ "Spikenau Ltd. / SPIKENOW LTD - 514883818". en.checkid.co.il. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Adebayo, Kolawole Samuel (2022-07-29). "How Spike increases productivity with its conversational email platform". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Spiro, James (2021-10-31). "Israel's Spike joins Facebook's new 'Metaverse'". CTECH. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Coulter, Martin. "This pitch deck convinced Zoom CEO Eric Yuan to back Slack challenger Spike in an $8 million funding round". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Jason Cipriani. "Google Inbox is dead. But you can use Spark and Spike apps instead". CNet. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "CrowdStrike 2024 Global Threat Report". go.crowdstrike.com. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
- ^ Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024. IBM. 2024. pp. 55–58.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Blum, Brian (2023-09-21). "Is this the solution for all those confusing communication apps?". ISRAEL21c. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Spiro, James (2021-07-30). "Inside Spike's 'bombastic' vision to reinvent email". CTECH - www.calcalistech.com. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Yeap, Shalinn (2020-08-26). "Spike: An Email App Built for Productivity". TechAcute. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
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