The best 2.0 technology for your intranet

I bet you thought I was going to tell you what technology to buy (or download for free) to power your intranet 2.0? I wouldn’t know where to begin…

There are now thousands of social media technology solutions in the market; a few hundred credible solutions; dozens of strong emerging vendors of note (social media leaders). There is no answer to the question, “What are the best 2.0 technologies or technology platform?” Does a tree fall in the forest?

Intranet 2.0 solution leaders by market share (Intranet 2.0 Global Survey)

The best intranet 2.0 technology to invest in is the best technology that fits your particular requirements – business, technical, functional and cultural requirements. Choosing Microsoft SharePoint (MOSS) would be a safe bet – if you can afford it, don’t mind its technical and functional limitations, already have invested in a Microsoft technology stack, and aren’t looking for a ‘wow’ from your social media efforts. But what if you want something more functional without the massive sticker price?

For the record, last year’s Intranet 2.0 Global Survey found that there is only one clear Intranet 2.0 technology leader: Microsoft SharePoint. After MOSS, and factoring out free or open source solutions, the market is extremely fractured:

  • 47% of organizations with 2.0 tools are using Microsoft SharePoint (MOSS 2007)
  • Facebook is being used by employees (employee groups) in 20% of organizations
  • Seven have market share of more than 4% led by MediaWiki (17%) and WordPress (16%)
  • Vendors (“others”) that have less than 4% market share are present in 38% of organizations

Learn more about the 2.0 market, and who’s doing what on their intranet by reading the full results of the Intranet 2.0 Global Study.

Download Intranet 2.0 Global Survey Summary Report

Purchase Intranet 2.0 Global Survey Report

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3 thoughts on “The best 2.0 technology for your intranet”

  1. Mmm… I fail to see how Facebook & Blogger fit into “intranet technology”… These are external services and in the case of Facebook right out dangerous to use for “internal communications processes” as their privacy rules are really not adapted to corproate use for internal purposes.
    With regards to the survey – I would like to point to a different source; Forrester which puts Microsoft, IBM in the leader quadrant (http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/CRM-News/Daily-News/Collaboration-Software-Vendors-Come-Together-on-Forrester-Wave–55633.aspx).
    Using social media features or services/tools for internal collaboration and communications is so much more than adding a couple of blog/social networking features. Companies who are serious about this need to be ready to change the company culture and see exactly what kind of tools will bring business/collaboration benefits.
    Just my 2 cents.

  2. Thanks for you comments Phillipe. However, people are using Facebook as an intranet, and they're using Blogger for internal communications too. So you might not see it, but they are. Are they full blown intranets? No, but that's not the question or the aim of the survey. We want to know what tools are being used.
    I'm not sure the purpose of the Forrester link, it bears no relevance at all to this study. And, Novell, Open Link, EMC, etc. are not 2.0 / social media solutions. They are broader communications / collaboration solutions. This survey isn't about the broader “collaboration” products, its about social media on the intranet. We throw Microsoft and IBM on the list because they're so pervasive.
    Again, I understand your point about collaboration being more than social media — you're absolutely correct. But, again, that's not the focus of the survey and research. We're not researching the broader picture, we're researching social media.
    You're welcome to your 2 cents, but you need to read the survey title and introduction to the survey once more — it's not focused on the broader collaboration and internal communications function.

  3. I agree with you. The tools mentioned aren't limited to one kind of web environment or another, they can be used in an intranet fashion simply by setting the right privacy settings. Can be a very no hassel way for businesses to use the technology without a lot of resource investment.
    I wish I knew how trackbacks worked, because I don't see mine here. But anyway 🙂 I linked to your site because I appreciate the useful statistics as well your focus on the fact that no tool is a magic wand, but the success of any tool depends on how well you identify your business requirements and plan your implementation and governance before build time.
    Thanks for the good info!

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