Signal
- Control ends at the individual account: users, groups and permissions are managed by the individuals themselves. There is no provision for centralised control or for reliably revoking access upon leaving the organisation.
- Hard to trace, not audit-proof: messages are stored locally on end devices. There is no provision for centralised archiving, audit logs or standardised exports.
- No mandatory mission critical features: Encryption is provided – but without alerts with acknowledgement, broadcasts, push-to-talk or a centralised situational overview.
- Responsibilities are tied to individuals: Contacts must be updated manually during shift changes, on-call rotations or staff changes. This leads to outdated distribution lists and information gaps.
- No personalised hosting available: Signal is operated centrally. A model tailored to your requirements, such as a private cloud or on-premises solution, is not provided.
Teamwire
- You retain full control over all access: centrally manage users, roles, permissions and devices – LDAP/AD and MDM/UEM simplify onboarding and prevent orphaned accounts during offboarding.
- Evidence is immediately available: audit-proof archiving, audit logs and exports make it easier to meet documentation and evidence requirements under the GDPR, NIS-2 and DORA.
- Ready to act immediately, even in an emergency: Alerts with acknowledgement, broadcasts, live locations and a track board provide a reliable overview of the situation.
- Always reach the person currently responsible: communication is linked to roles and responsibilities and remains reliably in place during shift changes, on-call rotations or staff changes.
- Full data sovereignty without a rigid model: operate Teamwire in line with your security and compliance requirements – German public cloud, private cloud or entirely on-premises.
Why Teamwire makes your life easier:
Stay in control of your communications – even when joining, changing roles or leaving.
Instead of unmonitored personal accounts on work phones: centralised, audit-proof management.
Instant messaging
Direct messages and group chats facilitate seamless team coordination, eliminating time wasted on unnecessary communication.
Distribution lists and broadcasting
Create lists and send messages company-wide thanks to the distribution lists and broadcasting function.
Live locations, polls & much more
Real-time planning tools facilitate coordination within the team. Share locations or calendar appointments or send polls.
Status messages
You can highlight messages (alerts, announcements, notes) with different colours, making them recognisable at first glance.
Push-to-Talk
Communicate at the touch of a button, just like on a walkie-talkie. Ideal for mobile teams, shift work and whenever typing isn’t an option.
Authorities and public safety
Alerts, roles, live locations and situation overview: features for operational coordination that a private messaging app doesn’t have.
Healthcare
Share and exchange patient data quickly and without breaching compliance requirements. Includes audit-proof archiving.
Government & Public Sector
Ensure swift communication and crisis management using a single tool, rather than having to coordinate numerous personal accounts.
Critical Infrastructure
With an independent fallback channel, you can remain operational even in the event of an IT failure or cyberattack, and make use of special emergency functions.
| Signal | Teamwire | |
| EU data sovereignty / no influence of US law (US CLOUD Act) |  |  |
| Centralised user management & administration (LDAP/AD) | | |
| Full control over the user lifecycle (from onboarding to offboarding) | | |
| Role-based communication | | |
| Audit-proof archiving, audit logs & export | | |
| Encrypted app container & centralised policies (BYOD) | | |
| No metadata processing (contacts, location, devices) | | |
| Data sovereignty: hosting in Germany, private cloud or on-premise | | |
| API & system integrations for third-party systems | | |
| Special emergency & crisis communication including acknowledgement (e.g. alerts, push-to-talk, live location, augmented reality) | | |
| Live locations, track board & situation coordination | | |
| Industry-specific certifications (ISO 27001, BSI C5, NIS-2, DORA, etc.) | | |
| Personal, English- and German-speaking support | | |
| Multi-tenant capability (multi-tenant architecture) | | |
Signal is secure and complies with data protection regulations – so why isn’t that enough for companies and organisations?
Signal reliably protects individual users’ privacy with end-to-end encryption. However, businesses also need greater control over their communications:
- centralised management of users, roles and permissions
- audit-proof archiving and audit logs
- traceability for GDPR, NIS-2 and DORA
- management of user onboarding, role changes and offboarding
- operation in Germany, in a private cloud or on-premises
Security for the individual is the starting point – governance for the organisation makes all the difference.
Does Teamwire really replace Signal, or is it significantly more complex?
Teamwire is just as intuitive as Signal: chats, groups, voice messages, calls and media – everything as you’d expect. The difference lies beneath the surface, in the features designed for professional use. It feels familiar to staff, whilst IT can finally manage it effectively.
Signal can be distributed via MDM – isn’t that enough?
MDM manages devices – Teamwire manages your communications. Whilst you can roll out Signal via MDM, you cannot centrally manage groups, roles or communication policies, archive anything in an audit-proof manner, or provide operational functions. Teamwire combines both: device management via MDM/UEM and centralised communication management in a single platform.
Can Teamwire be used securely on private smartphones (BYOD)?
Yes. Work-related data is stored in an encrypted app container – separate from private photos, contacts and apps – and can be centrally locked if necessary. Unlike with a private messaging app, work and private communications do not get mixed up. This means BYOD without compliance issues. Perfect for non-desk staff, field staff, care workers, law enforcement and local government departments.
Does Teamwire offer a professional role and administration model?
Yes. Teamwire offers centralised user management, group control, roles and permissions, multi-tenancy and audit logs. What makes it special is that, with role-based communication, you address functions rather than individuals – the on-call team, the ward management, the IT emergency team. Communication remains consistent, even if the person behind the role changes. A private messaging app like Signal cannot replicate this.
What can Teamwire do that Signal can’t?
Teamwire is a fully-fledged communication platform for organisations – not just a secure messaging service. In addition to everything you’re familiar with from Signal:
- centralised administration, including LDAP/AD and MDM/UEM
- role-based communication
- audit-compliant archiving and audit logs
- alerts, broadcasts and push-to-talk
- live locations, track board and situation coordination
- hosting in Germany, private cloud or on-premises
- open APIs for third-party systems
This ensures your organisation remains operational and compliant – both in day-to-day operations and in an emergency.