Advantages of a corporate intranet

Important advantages of a corporate intranet

In today's business world, an effective intranet is essential for any company if it wants to stay ahead of the competition. An intranet is an internal communication and collaboration platform that provides employees with a secure and private environment to network, collaborate and share information. Here we outline some of the many benefits of a corporate intranet.

Improved communication and collaboration

One of the most important benefits of a corporate intranet is that it can improve communication and collaboration between employees. With a Corporate intranet companies can offer news feeds, discussion forums, document sharing, event calendars, integrations to tools used, and links to internal services. This makes it easy for employees to communicate and collaborate on projects or tasks.

How the corporate intranet connects employees

The corporate intranet connects employees by providing them with a secure environment for communication and collaboration. The intranet allows companies to control who has access to certain information. In addition, the intranet allows management to share important information with all employees at once.

The intranet is an important tool for companies because it connects employees and increases productivity. By keeping their employees up to date and connected, companies can create a more cohesive work environment. In addition, the intranet can save companies time and money by reducing the need for printed documents and face-to-face meetings.

How the corporate intranet increases productivity

Another benefit of a corporate intranet is that it increases productivity in the company in several ways. First, it enables employees to communicate and collaborate with each other more easily. Second, it provides easy access to corporate information and resources. Third, it allows workers to access needed tools and services without leaving their desks. Fourth, it saves companies time and money by reducing the need for printed materials and face-to-face meetings. Ultimately, the intranet is a valuable tool that can help companies increase productivity.

Improved security and privacy controls

Another advantage of a corporate intranet is that it improves security and privacy. Companies can control who has access to their information. This is important because it helps prevent unauthorized access to sensitive or confidential data. It also helps companies to legal data protection regulations comply.

How to find the right Internet for your business and your requirements is explained in this article: How to choose the right intranet solution for your business.

Conclusion

An intranet is important for companies to connect employees and increase productivity. By keeping their employees informed and connected, companies can create a more cohesive work environment. In addition, the intranet can save companies time and reduce operating costs.

success story

How B/S/H/ revolutionized global communication with its corporate intranet

Learn how BSH revolutionized its communication with its intranet. Read their success story and learn how your company can also benefit from implementing an intranet solution!

Intranet rollout

Intranet rollout: How to convince all employees

Launching a new intranet can be an exciting time for your business. But it can also be daunting, because it means a significant change in the way your company operates. However, there are a few key things you can do to get your company excited about the new intranet, get them on board, and make the intranet rollout as easy as possible.

Get everyone in your organization ready for the change

To ensure the success of your intranet rollout, it's important that everyone in your organization is on board and excited about the change. Here are a few reasons why:

Better acceptance and use

If everyone is aware of the new system and ready to use it, the intranet is more likely to be adopted. This can have several benefits for your company, including

  • Better collaboration: A well-adopted intranet can make it easier for employees to share information, documents and other resources. This can improve collaboration and coordination within your team.
  • Improved communication: A widely shared intranet can make it easier for team members to communicate with each other, whether through instant messaging, group chats, email or tools such as Slack or MS Teams. This can improve communication and reduce the need for face-to-face meetings.
  • Improved access to information: A widely shared intranet can make it easier for team members to access the information and resources they need to do their jobs. This can help increase productivity and efficiency.
  • Better organization of projects and tasks: A widely shared intranet can make it easier for team members to organize and manage their projects and tasks. This can help improve the overall organization of your company, which in turn leads to better results.

Less resistance to change

If employees are involved in planning and implementing the new system, resistance to change is likely to be lower. This can have several benefits for your organization, including

  • Smoother transition: If employees are prepared for the change and involved in the planning and implementation process, the transition to the new intranet is likely to go more smoothly. This minimizes disruptions and allows your team to focus on their work.
  • Improved adoption and usage: If employees are excited and invested in the success of the new intranet, they are more likely to adopt and use it. This helps ensure that the new system is widely adopted, which can lead to improved collaboration, communication and productivity within your team.

Increased acceptance and enthusiasm

Involving your key stakeholders in the planning and implementation process can increase acceptance and enthusiasm for the new system, leading to better adoption and use of the new system. In addition, when employees are involved in the planning and implementation process, they are more likely to be committed to the success of the new system. This can have several benefits for your team, such as:

  • Stronger support for the new system: If employees are involved in the success of the new intranet, they are more willing to support and help others use the system. This can ensure that everyone can work with the system quickly and easily.

Communicate the benefits of your intranet

First and foremost, it's important to communicate the benefits of the new intranet to your organization. These include improved collaboration and communication, easier access to company resources and information, and better organization of projects and tasks. Make sure you highlight how the intranet will make your team's day-to-day work more accessible and efficient.

Offer training and support

Next, you need to make sure your team has the training and support they need to work with the new intranet. This includes introductory events, training materials and ongoing support from the IT department or other team members who have more experience with the new system.

Be patient

Be patient and understanding while your team gets used to the new intranet. Change can be difficult, and it can take time for your team to get used to the new system. Continually support and encourage your team and be open to feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Getting all stakeholders on board with your intranet rollout is all about communication, training and support. By educating everyone involved about the benefits of the new system, giving it the tools and resources it needs to succeed, and involving them in the planning and implementation process, you can ensure that your intranet rollout is a success.

Are you still looking for the right intranet solution for your company? In this article you will find an overview of the best solutions on the market: The 4 best social intranet solutions in comparison.

A group of people who exchange ideas about the various corporate intranet solutions.

How to choose the right intranet solution for your business

As an entrepreneur or manager, you know that effective communication and collaboration are critical to success. But in today's fast-paced, digital world, it can be difficult for teams to stay connected and collaborate effectively. That's where a corporate intranet comes in.

An intranet is a private network that only employees have access to. It provides a centralized location where teams can share and access information, communicate with each other, and collaborate on projects. This can help improve communication and productivity, leading to better results and tremendous success for your business.

There are so many enterprise intranet solutions on the market. How do you choose the right one for your team organization? Here are some important features to look out for:

Here are some important features you should look out for:

User friendly design and navigation

A corporate intranet should be easy to use and navigate, with a clear and intuitive interface. That way, your team members can quickly find the information and tools they need, and new users only have to learn the ropes slowly.

Support for mobile devices

With more and more employees working on the go, choosing a mobile-friendly intranet solution is essential. That way, you can ensure your team can access the intranet from any device and stay connected and productive no matter where they are.

Learn more about responsive intranet solutions here: Benefits of a responsive intranet.

Robust security and privacy controls

A corporate intranet is a valuable repository for sensitive information. That's why it's important to choose a solution that offers robust security and privacy controls. This protects your data and prevents unauthorized access, keeping your team and your business safe.

Tools for collaboration

A corporate intranet should offer a range of tools and features that support collaboration and teamwork. These include document sharing, task management, group discussions, etc. You can improve communication and productivity by giving your team the tools they need to collaborate effectively.

The rollout of your intranet solution

Once you've chosen an intranet solution that meets your team's needs, the next step is to roll it out to your team. This can be challenging, but with the right approach, you can ensure a smooth and successful rollout.

Here are some tips:

Offer training and support

Help your team members become familiar with the intranet by providing training and support. This can include in-person or online workshops, user guides, and FAQs. By providing this assistance, you can make the transition to the intranet as easy as possible.

In this article, you'll learn more about how to master adoption in your organization.

Promote acceptance in the company

To get the most out of your intranet, you need to make sure your team members use it regularly. Encourage adoption by highlighting the benefits of the intranet and incorporating it into your team's daily workflows. You could also offer incentives or rewards for using the intranet effectively.

Monitoring and customization for your users

As you roll out the intranet, monitor how your team uses it and adjust as needed. Use tools such as analytics and feedback surveys to track usage and identify problems or areas for improvement. By monitoring and adjusting your approach, you can ensure that your intranet is meeting the needs of your team and promoting the success of your business.

Looking for good corporate intranet solutions?

Check out this article here: Intranet solutions in comparison

Conclusion

In summary, a corporate intranet can be a valuable tool for improving communication and collaboration within your team. If you choose the right solution and use it effectively, it can increase teamwork and productivity and lead to tremendous success for your company.

Image of a smartphone or tablet displaying a responsive intranet surrounded by images of employees collaborating on projects, an IT administrator monitoring security, and a graphic showing improved productivity.

Advantages of a responsive intranet for your company

In today's increasingly mobile world, it's more important than ever for businesses to have a responsive intranet that they can access from any device. A responsive intranet is one that automatically adjusts its layout to the user's screen size, making it easy to use on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers.

Here are just some of the benefits that a responsive intranet can offer your company

Improved productivity

A responsive intranet enables employees to access important information and documents from anywhere, anytime. This means they can work more efficiently and get more done in less time. For example, they can quickly find the information they need to complete a task or collaborate with other team members on a project without being tied to a specific location or device.

This can also be easily implemented, for example, with an integrated search function. The advantage, as described above, is that content can also be accessed regardless of location (e.g. during customer appointments).

Furthermore, a (mobile available) intranet offers the possibility to personalize the seen content to the respective user (e.g. based on profile information).

Improved collaboration

A responsive intranet allows all employees to share documents and collaborate even when they are not on site. This can improve communication and collaboration within your team. For example, team members can share the progress of a project or provide feedback on a document via the intranet's built-in collaboration tools (e.g. links to the corporate wiki such as Confluence). This helps ensure that everyone is on the same page and projects can be completed on time.

Better usability

A responsive intranet provides a seamless user experience across all devices. For example, employees can access the intranet via a smartphone without worrying about compatibility issues or difficulties navigating the website. This makes the intranet more user-friendly and easier to use, which increases adoption and ultimately simplifies usage.

Increased security

A responsive intranet can improve the security of your company's information. By making it easy for your employees to access information from any device, you reduce the risk of sensitive data falling into the wrong hands.

For example, employees can log in to the intranet with two-factor authentication, which can prevent unauthorized access to your company's data. You can also configure the intranet to automatically log users out after a certain period of inactivity to prevent others from accessing the site if an employee leaves their device unattended.

Lower IT costs

A responsive intranet can reduce your company's IT costs. Using a single website that works on all devices eliminates the need for multiple versions of your intranet, saving you time and money. You don't have to maintain separate versions of the intranet for different devices, so your IT team can focus on other important tasks. In addition, you can use the intranet to consolidate different systems and applications, reducing the need for multiple licenses and subscriptions and saving your company money.

Learn more about corporate or social intranets here: Corporate intranet

Summary

In summary, a responsive intranet can provide your business with a number of benefits. Improving productivity, collaboration and security can help your business stay competitive in today's fast-paced digital world. In addition, a responsive intranet provides a seamless user experience across all devices and helps reduce IT costs so your company can thrive in the modern business world.

Inkometa Award

BSH Hausgeräte wins Inkometa Award for the best intranet

BSH Home Appliances has won the Inkometa Award for Best Intranet in the Social Intranet / Collaboration Intranet category. The company was awarded the accolade for its work on the intranet, initially released in 2020 alongside its technical implementation partner XALT Business Consulting GmbH.

The Inkometa Award is one of the most important Awards for Internal Communication in Germany and is supervised SCM – School for Communication and Management. There are awards in the categories Media, Strategy, Campaign, Intranet & Digital Workspace and International internal communication since 2018.

The Inkometa Award is a recognition of the hard work and the importance of a global information and collaboration platform that BSH Home Appliances has put into creating and maintaining its Intranet. This award is a testament to the company's commitment to providing its employees with the best possible working environment.

About XALT

XALT is a boutique consultancy based in Munich and Leipzig Germany with a subsidiary in the United States of America. XALT builds DevOps, IT infrastructure solutions and enables teams to collaborate efficiently. We're helping companies release digital products faster, bring teams together, and foster digital transformation.

Their customers are some of the most innovative and aspiring organizations in the world. They range from manufacturing to financial, e-commerce, and government institutions. Enterprises are currently challenged with manually releasing and testing software and making sure that everything was compliance-ready and secure. The lack of the right tools, corporate culture, and mindset made collaboration between departments and teams difficult. XALT is doing the difficult, but imperative work of building DevOps and collaboration solutions – so organizations and teams can concentrate on creating real value for their customers and users.

About BSH Home Appliances

The BSH Household Appliances GmbH is the largest manufacturer of household appliances in Europe and one of the world's leading companies in this industry. Around 40 manufacturing sites and a strong network of 80 sales, production and service companies in around 50 countries form the foundation of BSH's customer-focused business model. BSH currently employs over 60.000 people all around the world.

Via the intranet

BSH Home Appliances has worked closely with its technical partner, XALT Business Consulting GmbH, and its concept Partner, ]init[, to create and maintain the intranet. The intranet features social features such as likes, shares and comments, as well as content tailored to different teams, divisions and countries. There is also a central news hub for the entire company.

Technical implementation

XALT Business Consulting was responsible for the technical implementation of the intranet. The team at XALT has improved the technical specifications of the intranet over the past year, ensuring that it is always available and running smoothly, even under heavy traffic conditions.

The BSH Intranet leverages the power of Atlassian's Confluence and the Linchpin Intranet Suite. It is deployed on the AWS Cloud and uses autoscaling, automatic backups, automatic rollbacks and built-in security features. These technical implementations allow BSH to keep the Intranet running at all times with minimal downtime (99.95% uptime), even when 60,000 users are accessing it. Learn more about the intranet here: https://www.xalt.de/en/success-stories/success-story-intranet-with-linchpin/

Inkometa

Shortlist for Inkometa Award - Category: Intranet

We are happy to announce that the BSH Intranet is on the INKOMETA shortlist for the best intranet in the category "Intranet & Digital Workplace".

The BSH Intranet is a social intranet that was developed together with their solution and consulting partners XALT and ]init[.

About the INKOMETA Award

INKOMETA, the award for successful internal communications, honors competition entries in five categories: Strategy, Media, Intranet & Digital Workplace, Campaigns, and International Internal Communication. 

Learn more here: INKOMETA

About the Intranet

In September 2020, BSH launched its new intranet based on Atlassian Confluence and Linchpin as its new intranet and shut down its Microsoft Sharepoint platform.

The social intranet makes it easy to communicate with colleagues and allows employees to easily find the information they need. It also provides easy access to all kinds of resources the employees need.

Some of the main features of the BSH Intranet are:

Social communication and engagement

The social intranet makes it easy to connect and engage with colleagues. Using the intranet, employees can connect not only with their team but even with colleagues across different departments and subsidiaries within BSH.

The social intranet enables employees and managers to engage in digital dialog. It is a social network for all BSH employees. Social functions such as liking, sharing, and commenting on posts are integrated here.

A News Hub

All important news about products, events, or other topics relevant to employees is displayed on the main landing page for everyone to read at any time. The solution makes it easy to publish news that is important for the entire BSH staff or even for specific countries or subsidiaries.

A centralized hub for all employees

The new intranet provides all vital information, links, and resources BSH employees need right at the plan of their hands.

Learn more about the BSH Intranet project in our Success Story: Success Story - Linchpin Intranet

About BSH

The BSH Household Appliances GmbH is the largest manufacturer of household appliances in Europe and one of the world's leading companies in this industry. Around 40 manufacturing sites and a strong network of 80 sales, production, and service companies in around 50 countries form the foundation of BSH's customer-focused business model.

Social Intranet Corporate Intranet Solution Comparison

The 4 best social intranet solutions in comparison

In the past, only large companies had an intranet. Nowadays, in the era of hybrid and remote work models, more and more small and medium-sized companies are using such tools to communicate with their employees worldwide and at any time. In this article, we will show you what an intranet is, what types of intranets there are and what are the 4 best corporate or social intranet software solutions on the market. And most importantly, what benefits you can get from an Intranet for your company.

What is an intranet?

Corporate intranets are private, internal networks within the company. With such software solutions, you can communicate and collaborate - tailored to the needs of individual departments, teams, or the entire company. In times when open communication and flat hierarchies are becoming the norm, the intranet (inter-software) is becoming increasingly important. In the past, an intranet was primarily used for announcing information from management positions. In other words, there is a difference between traditional intranet software and social intranet software.

The focus is on social

Modern intranet solutions therefore focus on social functions and include elements of social media platforms. In addition to classic top-down communication, all employees can communicate with each other on the social intranet, publish contributions and comments, network and share files. In this sense, a corporate social intranet is basically like LinkedIn or Facebook.

The basic idea behind an intranet is that employees always have direct contact with your company, thus establishing a deeper sense of belonging.

One of the most important aspects is communication and the provision of important information. Of course, every employee should also be made aware of the intranet during onboarding, create a profile, and network within the company.

Requirements and purpose

What the intranet is ultimately used for depends on what your company's requirements are. Simply put, should it only be used to communicate important information or to strengthen a sense of belonging?

In any case, an intranet has not only positive internal effects, but also external ones. Consistent branding and targeted communication convey a common set of values and thus strengthen the entire corporate image, both internally and externally.

How to find the perfect intranet solution for your company and what you should look out for, you will learn here in this Article.

These functions and features are a must-have of a corporate and social intranet

Social intranets offer a wide range of functions, features, and customization options. And they can be tailored to your company's specific needs. Before you decide which provider to go with, make sure you've determined exactly what you want your intranet to be able to do and what you don't want it to be able to do. Below you will find a list of common features of corporate intranet solutions.

  • Single sign-on with Google (or similar) to other tools used.
  • Accounts and personal profile for all employees.
  • Encrypted permissions and access management (a plus for your IT & Compliance department).
  • Chat function and Integrations to Slack, Microsoft Teams and co.
  • The division into business units and departments. Even Spaces for individual teams are configurable.
  • Newsfeed with all relevant information of the C-Suite or Executive level.
  • Newsfeed from and for all employees.
  • Social media features like a comment function, like and share button.
  • Provision of important information for and by teams: For the sustainable provision, of know-how/knowledge (More about this in our Webinar) via a Knowledge database in the form of wikis and blogs.
  • Sharing documents and other files.
  • Access to an employee database that allows anyone to find the right expert or contact person.
  • Access for external employees and customers in the form of an extranet (closed area on the intranet).
  • Interfaces to other, external tools such as Slack, HubSpot (CRM), or Google Workspace (+ many others). This makes your intranet the digital hub of your company.
  • Time tracking for projects or employees.
  • Responsive version or mobile app.

SaaS, on-premise or in the cloud?

You're spoilt for choice; that's how it is when you're looking for intranet solutions. But that's not all, the requirements of your company determine which type of infrastructure is suitable for you.

You can choose between SaaS (Software as a Service), on-premise (on your own server - in-house), or in the cloud at AWS and Azure.

The last two are more complex in terms of configuration, administration, and maintenance. Often, the costs here can even be higher than for modern intranet SaaS solutions. Here, you have to reckon with costs in terms of hosting, server infrastructure, and personnel. The big advantage: Your data stays with you in the company and does not end up on unknown servers. DSGVO and data protection and compliance regulations are more easily achieved here. But even here there are exceptions (Confluence Intranet with Linchpin).

If you choose SaaS solutions, on the other hand, the provider usually takes care of everything. However, you should first make sure that the security regulations are adhered to. Not all providers are DSGVO-compliant here.

The 4 best social and corporate intranet software solutions on the market

Remember, there are many intranet software solutions on the market. In the end, your company's requirements determine which solution is the right one. So it's important to know what your company's goals are. In our corporate intranet comparison, you will find a detailed list of social and corporate intranet solutions.

Confluence Intranet from Linchpin and Atlassian

Social Intranet BSH with Confluence and Linchpin
Social & Corporate Intranet at B/S/H

Confluence is actually more of a collaboration and wiki platform than an intranet. But with the Linchpin app, the software becomes a true all-rounder. This bundle is already used by a large number of customers worldwide. It doesn't matter if your company has "only" 100 or 50,000 employees and is distributed worldwide.

Linchpin and Confluence have the advantage of being modularly tailored to a wide variety of requirements and cover pretty much all of the functions and features mentioned above.

In addition, this type of solution is available for both the data center and cloud solutions. This means you always have full control over your company data and meet current compliance and security regulations.

The intranet solution can also be easily adapted to your brand and therefore offers the option of communicating your company's identity continuously. Through a sophisticated authorization and access management, individual intranet areas can be made accessible only to certain user groups.

Furthermore, the solution includes an app for all common mobile operating systems such as iOS or Android.

A big plus point with Confluence is the Atlassian Marketplacewhere you can find countless integrations, extensions, and apps that extend your system with important functions. The Atlassian Community also helps you with all your questions.

Costs

The costs for Confluence and Linchpin depend on the number of active users. Only the basic version with 10 users is free in the cloud version (hosted by Atlassian via AWS). Linchpin is currently only available for data centers. A cloud version is in the works.

Confluence is divided into the Cloud and Data Center variants. Where the cloud is already available for teams of 10 - 30,000 users, Confluence Data Center is suitable for companies with 500 or more employees. The costs here for Confluence amount to 27,000 USD. This does not include the necessary server infrastructure. The cloud, on the other hand, is free for 10 users and increases depending on the user tier. For 500 employees, the costs are between 20,000 USD and 36,000 USD.

In addition to the actual system costs, you also have to pay for Linchpin.

You can find more details about the costs here: Confluence and Linchpin.

Success Story - Social Intranet B/S/H/

Learn how B/S/H/ uses a Confluence intranet to provide over 60,000 employees with the latest information every day, strengthen your brand worldwide, and create a sense of connection.

Staffbase

Source: Staffbase

With Staffbase you can bring all your employees together - anywhere, anytime, and on any device. With their cloud solution, your intranet can be accessed from smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. The advantage: a consistent user experience across all devices!

The design of the app and intranet is fully customizable. So you can easily set up multiple sections and distribute them to different audiences - or work locations - within your organization.

Costs

Staffbase, the German company that develops an online intranet solution called "Staffbase", is already working with well-known companies such as Aldi Süd, Viessmann and DHL. The company offers an individual service for each of its partners. This means that each company is provided with a special offer that is tailored to its individual needs and requirements. Staffbase also offers supporting services such as training and consulting to help companies improve their internal communication flows.

Microsoft SharePoint

Social Intranet SharePoint
Source: Microsoft SharePoint

Everyone has probably come into contact with SharePoint. The software helps companies share information and collaborate seamlessly on the go. It enables teams not only to exchange information but also to share files and other documents and to get the latest information about the company via top-down communication.

SharePoint also offers the option to create separate areas for each team and customize them according to your needs. With the help of apps and extensions, you can also expand the range of functions. As one of the first corporate intranet solutions ever, there is also a strong community that helps you get the most out of the solution.

Costs

If your company already uses Office 365 in the Business or Enterprise variant, you can use SharePoint free of charge. For all other interested parties, the lowest rate starts at EUR 4.20 for Plan 1 or EUR 8.40 for Plan 2 per user. As a complete package with Office 365, you will pay 22.60 EUR per user.

Jive

Social Intranet Corporate Intranet Jive
Source: Jive

Jive's social intranet software is designed to increase the productivity of your employees with the help of a knowledge base and real-time communication. The software works both as a desktop version and as an app. You also have an integrated collaborative CRM and can create and send newsletters internally. So that you don't have to constantly switch between different programs, Jive integrates numerous applications.

The best thing about Jive, however, is its ease of use. The software makes it easy for your employees to collaborate by, among other things, allowing them to create their own internal blogs where they can write about their current projects or exchange ideas with their colleagues. You can also share information on a central platform and keep track of all important data in real-time.

This way, your employees always have access to all relevant information to make decisions faster, solve problems more efficiently and thus increase the productivity of your company.

Costs

Similar to Staffbase, you have to send a request to Jive to get a quote.

Learn more here: Jive.

Conclusion

One factor you need to consider with almost all social or corporate intranet solutions is the necessary configuration. Depending on the infrastructure you end up using, maintenance and technical support are also not to be neglected. External support is necessary in most cases. As an intranet solution partner, we take care of the configuration and maintenance of your Confluence intranet. Get to know us.

Confluence Intranet: Linchpin vs. Refined

Linchpin vs Refined: Confluence Intranet solutions compared

Confluence is an excellent basis for your corporate intranet. But only together with Linchpin or Refined you get your interface and functions that make Confluence a central hub for communication, the provision of important information and the extended arm of your company. But you're probably asking yourself the questions, which app should I use for my intranet? Linchpin vs Refined. Which solution is better?

In the following we have examined the Linchpin and Refined in more detail and recorded the most important differences in a clear table.

Linchpin vs Refined

LinchpinRefined
Target groupPeople looking for an intranet solution with social media features.For people who want to use Confluence as an intranet.
Product Use CaseCreate a social intranet that matches your company's look and feel and creates a familiar work environment.Add structure, themes, layouts, and navigation to Confluence to create intranet, documentation, and collaboration pages for projects.
SummaryWith Linchpin, you can customize your Confluence to your brand and add social features like team events and microblogging. There are also modules to support different use cases like content personalization or extranet features.An out-of-the-box solution that is very easy to use and covers most requirements in terms of design. Among the most important features is a navigation system that organizes the entire space into categories. With the theme and website designs you can create a structure for your content and intranet layout.
Advantages and limitationsEasy to install and use. Theming with Logo and individual colors for buttons, header icons, etc. Extensive intranet features with microblogging, personalized content, localization, custom navigation, advanced profiles and more.Quick to set up and you can get great results with minimal effort. There are limitations as far as customizing the design, the navigation and news-streams. Social functions like events, org charts, extensive profiles and microblog are missing.
success storyBSH Linchpin Success StoryEEX Refined Success Story

Read more about what an intranet should be able to do and how to find the best solution for your company in this article: How to find the right intranet for your company.

Theme and Features

Theme and design features

FeatureLinchpinRefined
Design / Themes for Confluence
Different designs per Confluence space
Personalization of designs* (to some extent)
Inherit design elements from global designs to space and adapt automatically.
Easy to update (even with major UI changes)

*Basically, the design of Confluence Confluence can be customized with both intranet providers. However, Linchpin offers more functions, e.g. a more extensive customization of the header or the fonts. This can be seen in the demo-instances.

Further intranet features

FeatureLinchpinRefined
The ability to like posts, entries, etc.
The ability to comment on posts, entries, etc.
Simple design features, so teams can manage their own spaces without a web designer.
Personalization of menus(global menu can be created and structured, but no further customization possible)
Social functions besides the normal Confluence (microblogging, events / RSVP function, profiles, organigrams) (via Apps on the Marketplace)
App Center for a personalized set of legacy systems (no SSO of legacy apps) (via Apps on the Marketplace)
Terms of Use for Compliance with Laws. (via Apps on the Marketplace)
Touchscreen and native mobile app.

Summary and recommendation: Linchpin vs Refined

LinchpinRefined
Why we love itTransform Confluence into a modular, fully personalized social intranet platform.Customize Confluence design partially (which is sufficient in most cases), very quick & easy setup.
Theming & Personalization⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 
User-friendliness⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 
Social Intranet Features⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 
Implementation effortMediumLow
Pricing€€€

Refined

If you're looking for a simple and relatively inexpensive upgrade to Confluence's design and navigation, you should go with Refined.

Linchpin

If you want to use Confluence as the basis for a full-fledged social intranet, Linchpin is probably the right solution for you.

Here you can find more information and Success Stories from former projects to intranet with Confluence, Refined and Linchpin.

Do you need support with the implementation of an intranet in your company? Feel free to send us a message or call us directly.

Advanced Image Gallery Data Center readyiness

Advanced Image Gallery is Confluence Data Center ready

If you've been looking for a solution to spice up your knowledge base and intranet articles in Confluence Data Center with impressive image galleries and sliders, you can stop looking now. The Advanced Image Gallery app is Data Center ready!

Our developers have been working mighty hard and even introduced some cool new features with the latest update. Thank you Maxi, Kati and everyone who helped make this happen.

The Advanced Image Gallery helps you create attractive and good-looking Confluence pages for your internal and external communication. Because nobody wants dull looking posts, right?

  • Edit images directly in Confluence - crop, zoom, rotate and more
  • Use Instagram-like filters
  • High-end performance on all running Confluence Data Center versions

Did you know that it also works with your favorite Confluence apps, ensuring a high level of stability and performance? If you use Linchpin or Refined as your intranet solution or scroll view port for your knowledge base and help center, you can integrate it directly and use it on all your pages that need additional information.

Because as you know, images help you communicate on a whole different level. Your customers or users don't just want good content and instructions, they also want to see exactly how something works.

For your internal content, our gallery will even help you spice up company news and other types of content. Just like we did at our last team event.

Are you ready to use Confluence and the Advanced Image Gallery to create creative posts that help you get your message across even better?
Learn more about the app here and get it free for a whole year!

Click here for the Image Gallery.

Company wiki with Confluence

Why a company wiki makes sense for your company

Every day, we face new challenges in our jobs, have to learn new skills and tools, and gather necessary information about projects or clients, or ask our colleagues for help. In addition, we use books and the Internet to educate ourselves on important topics. As a result, there is a veritable flood of information, which makes it difficult for us to keep track of everything. This is where a company wiki or company wiki comes in handy.

What is special about a company wiki like Confluence?

With a company wiki based on Confluence, a company can store all important information about meetings, projects, processes or general knowledge directly on a platform and make it accessible to all employees. Surely you know Wikipedia, probably the world's most famous wiki. And now you can store the concentrated knowledge of your company in one place and create a knowledge database. 

Confluence as intranet and basis for communication

Additionally, Confluence can not only be seen as a simple company wiki, but offers the possibility to create your very own Intranet build. Where previously complicated and individual solutions were necessary, today any company of any size can share information internally in the simplest way. With Confluence, any company can easily integrate a system that not only shares information, but also allows teams to collaborate directly on one platform. Already 'out of the box', Confluence offers countless useful tools as a knowledgebase. If these are not sufficient, it can be extended with plugins from the Atlassian Marketplace can be easily extended.

Webinar - Knowledge Management with Confluence your personal company wiki

Providing, organizing and making knowledge usable

Knowledge management with Confluence

What are the benefits of a corporate / enterprise wiki like Confluence?

Documentation of company information in a central location with structure

Store all important information (e.g. strategies, processes, onboarding, team, projects, etc.) in one place and make it available to your team. For example, each department can create an individual space and develop and create a successful structure for documentation. 

In marketing, an individual subpage can be created for each communication area such as product marketing or social media marketing in order to maintain an overview in daily work. 

Integrated search function

With integrated search functions, every employee can quickly find what they are looking for. Even if your company wiki is as large as an entire library, Confluence will quickly provide you with the right information. Additionally, you can tag your pages with important keywords and labels to further fine-tune and simplify the search.

Collaboration and cooperation in the company wiki

Easy collaboration with a company wiki

Simplify collaboration across your teams. Through the integrated comment function, you can directly respond to a section of a page. In addition, Confluence offers the possibility to work together in real time or to brainstorm new ideas. Even if your employees are in a home office or scattered all over the world.

Furthermore, collaboration is centralized through a company wiki. Content can be developed together on one platform and then shared. Countless tools such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint with complicated authorizations are now a thing of the past.

→ Learn more about how you can use Confluence as a knowledge base and wiki here.

Put an end to countless mails, CCs or BCCs

Right now, you're probably getting countless emails and notifications every day and your inbox is almost bursting. With Confluence, this problem has been solved once and for all. Instead of emailing entire conversations and documents, it's now perfectly sufficient to tag relevant collaborators with a simple @-mention. Your inbox contains hardly any internal mails and you keep the overview.

Avoid meetings

There is an update on a Project! Meeting. A customer wants a change? Meeting! Project update? A meeting of course!

Who still has time for their tasks? Why not just write directly in the wiki and document updates directly in the relevant areas in the company wiki or Confluence, instead of always arranging a meeting?

Updating Confluence pages

Add missing information without having to create and upload new documents. Update your wiki pages and make them directly available. This way, every employee is always up to date and can react to new decisions or use information for himself.

Restore old versions

Did you or your team accidentally delete or change something? With the built-in versioning feature, you can easily restore the last version or deleted content or undo changes. 

Document sharing and central folder structures

It can often happen that additional documents are necessary for processes or for documentation. In such a case, important documents can be uploaded, shared and added to individual wiki pages directly with simple drag-and-drop. 

It doesn't matter what file type or format (e.g. PDF, PowerPoint, images or videos) your document is in. Just think how much time you waste looking for the right documents and then not finding them.

Authorization management with Confluence in the company wiki

Protect sensitive data through integrated authorization management

Confluence offers you the possibility to protect sensitive areas and data via permission management. For example, you can set that certain pages can only be opened or edited by certain people. This is especially useful if information is critical to the company and should only be viewed by management positions or department heads, for example. 

Integration of tools and external software

Confluence as a wiki for the accumulation of knowledge has the advantage that you can significantly expand the range of functions with the help of integrations and plugins. For example, if you use Slack or Microsoft Teams for communication in your company, you can connect these tools directly to Confluence. 

The Slack integration with Confluence gives you the advantage of receiving notifications about changes or adjustments to pages you "follow" directly in the app. With the Microsoft Teams integration, you can also create new Confluence pages directly from the app.

Besides integrations to simplify communication, there are extensions to services like Google Drive and Project management tools like Jira or Asana.

→ Here you will learn how to organise, structure and make knowledge usable.

Optimal use of company wiki

You probably think the functions are quite nice and offer great added value. And the team has to use it first and the company wiki has to be filled. And of course we agree with you completely.

Therefore, it is essential to first create the necessary structures and to convince your employees of the new way of working. Transparency, honesty and trust are some of the most important factors here, so that a move to a knowledge database also succeeds. In addition, all decision-makers, such as management and executives, should of course use such a tool openly and communicate this. This makes it easier for all other employees to deal with it consistently and to use a strong tool like Confluence with joy. 

Webinar - Knowledge Management with Confluence your personal company wiki

Providing, organizing and making knowledge usable

Knowledge management with Confluence