Table of Contents
- 1. What is Intranet Software?
- 2. The benefits of Intranet Software
- 3. Typical features of Intranet Software
- 4. The cost of Intranet Software
- 5. Considerations when purchasing Intranet Software
- 6. Relevant Intranet Software trends
What is intranet software?
Intranet Software allows companies to build a private communication network that can be accessed only by internal stakeholders. The software helps businesses set up an internal portal that can be used to share and access files, business updates, and other information.
Content management, activity/news feeds, employee database management, and online forums are some of the features offered by this type of software.
The benefits of Intranet Software
- Organization-wide information sharing: Intranet software provides a centralized platform for sharing and receiving business-related information. Employers can use this platform to share insights and updates, seek new ideas for upcoming projects, and receive feedback on existing processes. The platform ensures everyone in the organization is connected and results in enhanced engagement.
- Corporate goals promotion: The internal platform built using intranet software can be used to promote an organization's corporate culture, ethics, and plans. Leadership can post company strategies and goals and communicate them to their employees. This helps employees stay informed about their organization’s strategic direction, what directives need to be followed, and how to align their tasks with the overall business goals.
- Improved productivity: Employees can use the private internal network to communicate and collaborate with their coworkers. Members from different departments working together on a project can easily share project files and related information to ensure timely turnaround.
- Collaboration across locations and time zones: Intranet software provides a centralized communication platform for the entire organization. Even employees working at different sites have access to the same information, which ensures everyone is up to speed and on the same page. It also facilitates effective collaboration between employees working at different locations and time zones.
Typical features of Intranet Software
- Knowledge base management: Store information and support articles in a centralized knowledge repository.
- Private network: Protect company data from unauthorized access by using private networks such as wide area networks (WANs) and local area networks (LANs).
- Calendar management: Manage and share multiple calendars to stay up to date with upcoming meetings and events.
- Content management: Create, manage, and publish information to be distributed to internal stakeholders.
- Employee database: Record and manage contact details and job role information of employees.
- Policy management: Frame guidelines to draft policies for different business scenarios.
The cost of Intranet Software
Most products in the market are priced on a per user, per month basis and can be divided into three pricing tiers based on their starting price.
Price ranges*:
*The pricing included in this list is for the entry-level/lowest-priced offering found on vendor websites on September 24, 2019. These ranges correspond to the 25th, 75th, and 100th percentiles of pricing information gathered from vendor websites of sample products.
The above list summarizes pricing for the base plans of most products. An enterprise or premium product, which is priced higher, may include additional features such as third-party integrations, mobile applications, advanced analytics, and collaboration tools.
Considerations when purchasing Intranet Software
- Integration with other applications: The intranet solution you wish to purchase should integrate well with your existing business applications including contact management and HR systems. This will allow your employees to access various business applications using the intranet network.
- Intuitive user interface: Good user experience should be an important consideration when selecting intranet software for your organization. Your preferred software should offer an intuitive intranet platform that doesn’t need extensive employee training. It’s recommended to look for a solution that offers design elements that can be customized as per your organization’s branding assets (e.g., company logos, colors, and graphics).
- Mobile access: Your selected intranet software should be easily accessible on mobile devices. Mobile-ready intranet software will allow internal stakeholders to access required information irrespective of their location. Mobile accessibility is also crucial for employees working remotely. It helps share files and updates, network with coworkers, and access important information from anywhere.
Relevant Intranet Software Trends
- Social tools to be used extensively on the intranet: The integration of social media tools, such as blogs, tags, social feeds, groups, and community forums, will create a social intranet that improves collaboration and communication between employees and employers. Some market vendors already offer intranet software with integrated social tools. In the near future, more vendors are expected to follow this trend.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) to bring automation to the intranet: AI technology is expected to soon find its application in intranet networks. Intranet software equipped with AI chatbots and virtual voice assistants can send automated responses to repetitive employee queries using resources from the intranet. AI can also be used to decipher employees’ usage patterns and analyze their conversations on the intranet to make recommendations on topics that are of interest to them.