From Intranet 1.0 to Intranet 2.0

Let’s face it, Intranet 1.0 kind of…. well, it sucked. As I wander the halls of clients and talk with employees in focus groups and workshops, I’ve yet to hear, “Wow, remember that first intranet we had… that rocked. Good times.”

Yeah, Intranet 1.0 really sucked.

Intranet 2.0 is the promise of something so much more – an evolutionary jump so significant that when compared to the original, the new hardly bears any resemblance to it. In short, it describes the next generation of intranet characterized by more advanced and engaging collaboration processes and tools best represented by social media tools.

The original intranet, intranet 1.0, typically began as welcome page, designed by some techie using Front Page or native HTML. The first version of this intranet was nothing more than a welcome page, perhaps a name and a phone number, and a simple welcome message. Hidden on a server under said techie’s desk, the welcome page slowly expanded into a bulletin board, with lists, appended PDFs, and often a newsletter cobbled together by corporate communications.

Intranet 1.0 grew and evolved rapidly, more so at some organizations than others, but in some respects, faster than corporate websites who had a few years’ head start with the advent of the ‘super information highway’:

  • Version 1.0: Welcome page (a welcome message and a phone number)
  • Version 1.1: Bulletin board (simple communications)
  • Version 1.2: Corporate newsletter (structured news & limited document management)
  • Version 1.3: Help Desk (simple transactions like the employee directory)
  • Version 1.4: Corporate Store (more complex transactions such as e-HR and self-service)
  • Version 1.5: The Portal (authorization, authentication, application & database integration)

Though not every intranet has followed such a clear evolutionary path, Intranet 2.0 is a great leap. We’ll discuss this evolutionary leap, and how best to tackle it, in a very unique, online, interactive event on February 8th, Real Engagement Event – Intranet 2.0.

THIS IS NOT A WEBINAR. Real Engagement is the only event series that is 100% about the audience. Submit your questions for experts, vote for the questions you want to see answered and weigh in on the topics that interest you most. It’s all about you.

Reserve your spot now and make sure you’re with us on February 8 for what promises to be a great conversation.