Intranet Software – How, Why and How Much?

If you ever wondered or had unanswered questions regarding Intranet software, this is the article for you. There are many Intranet solutions out there and they are very different, because the needs of its users are different as well. The real challenge is to choose the best one for you, a good fit for your organisation that can grow with you until you finally grow out of it and need a different one.

What is Intranet Software?

It is quite interesting to go to Google, type in: define:intranet, and apart from getting a direct, knowledge graph, reply - you’ll get access to various internal networks of well known universities. Provided you have the Log In data, of course. This also answers our question. Intranet is an internal network used by an organisation to facilitate communication and sharing.  Intranet software is a software that bypasses all the hard work needed to create one yourself and lets you customise it to your needs.

What are the benefits of Intranet?

• All Information In One Place

Product information, sales proposals, data, opinions, corporate documents, policies can be accessed at any time, at any place.

• No More Useless E-mails

When someone says useless e-mail, the first things that come to your mind are those promotional e-mails and newsletter subscriptions. But they are not useless (most of the time). The true useless e-mails are those you forward back and forth to your co-workers for feedback (on a single file). Irresponsibly, they might change something and send it to you under the same name, or forward it to another member of your staff for feedback...and the plot thickens, time is lost and it’s inefficient. Having an internal space to upload your files and share them solves that.
And what about those overwhelming e-mails you’re cc’d in that have little relevance to you? Try finding the one you really need among those and you’ll see how frustrating that can be. An internal chat, or a topic where you can all comment solves that, and it's less messy.

• No More Lost Files

Lost files are all those files you know you have somewhere but you have no idea where that is, and it turns out you need them ASAP. Is it in your sent e-mail, and If so, which account? Is it uploaded somewhere? Have you saved it on your USB drive or on your home computer?  If only there was a place for you to keep them...                                                         

How To Choose an Intranet Software?

• Functionality:

Sometimes, having tons of functionalities can actually make things harder for you. People like things simple, easy to understand and idiot proof, and too many functionalities can actually make user experience suffer. The best thing is to define which functionalities suit your needs and to find a software that has them all and is not cluttered with the unnecessary options.

• Integration:

Do you have third party software you need integrated such as Youtube videos, Google docs, Maps, Twitter? Make sure your software supports that and that the process is easy.

• Training:

Do you need to train your staff to use that software? If that is the case, then make sure this really pays off in the long run, because if that is not the case, it's not worth the effort.

• Cost:

Is the software affordable? Will you need upgrades and how much will it cost? Are there any maintenance fees? If you stick to older version, will there be a security risk? These are ALL important questions and you need them answered BEFORE you decide on a purchase.

• Access and Permissions:

Will you need guest access? Do you have files that you only want to share with certain members of your team? Privacy and security are important for every company and your needs on this matter must be clearly defined.

Every software is different and has both its strong points and flaws. Answering these questions and choosing carefully will make a difference between success and frustration. If you are not sure what your needs are, or have any other questions, feel free to leave your questions in the comments below or drop us a line. We'll do our best to provide the right advice.