Intranet Corner

Current products on the market

Here are some of the recent Intranet-in-a-box applications that have been reviewed in a number of publications.

Work2Gether

Work2Gether by KM Technologies offers a bundled solution that provides medium-sized organizations the ability to establish an intranet amongst 1 000 users. Furnished with very efficient document management and knowledge sharing tools, users of this application will find it easy to complete their project tasks utilizing the following elements:

Public element - Allows users to publish and share information with team members that have access to the application. Ideal for posting changes in contact information, general memos, or anything that is relevant to the entire team.

Departmental element - Dedicated to certain team members, this element provides the user with the ability to creating his/her own space that he/she can organize in any way he/she wants. The majority of the company's information should be stored in this part of the application where a specified number of individuals has access to the latest documents.

Extranet element - For teams who wish to share information outside the organization, the extranet element is an ideal tool to utilizing.

Along with the three element mentioned above, users can taken advantage of the email notification, discussion groups, memo editor, and search tool features to disseminate and manage information effectively and efficiently within their companies.

A version of Work2Gether can be downloaded at KMTechnologies web site where you can obtain free use of the product for five team members. The purchase price for the Work2Gether package is contingent on the number of individuals that will be using the application.

QuickPlace

QuickPlace by Lotus Development Corporation is a secure virtual meeting place where teams can collaborate on group projects around the globe. The ability to share and manage content are the major strengths of QuickPlace. Users can control the amount of information that is exchanged amongst team members. Members can monitor when and what documents has been modified at a specific date and time. For team members who wish to add any content, authoring can be done with QuickPlace, MS Office or other applications. QuickPlace is available for free if individuals would like to utilize it on a trial basis. For individuals who are seeking for something on a long-term basis, QuickPlace offers several licensing terms based on a per user basis.

ERoom

Ideal for project teams within companies, ERoom provides users the capability to communicate and share information with ease. Provided with templates, team members can create tasks lists to set the agenda for planned projects. Document management, sharing files, requires a simple "drag and drop" filing process into an established virtual room. Any tasks noted on ERoom can be added to your "To Do" list on your desktop. To obtain ERoom, an investment of $100 per project per month for groups of up to 10 people is needed. For groups comprised of up to four members, access is free.

iMagicalDesk

Targeted to Macintosh users, iMagicalDesk is a straightforward application that provides the basics of an Intranet-in-a-box product. Built with the necessary tool to get your work done, this application has disappointed individuals who have overestimated some features, which were mentioned in promotional materials for the product. iMagicalDesk is free; however, upgrades will cost $5 to $10 each depending on the features that are available.

Other products available :Visto, Joint Planning, Quickteam, Instant Intranet Builder

For a full list of products, visit Intranet Design Magazine

Conclusion

"Sounds like an Intranet , looks like an Intranet , is it an Intranet ?"

Good question. Although many of the Intranet-in-a-box applications mimic true Intranet solutions, they all have restrictions, which may create roadblocks in completing your project. To limit these roadblocks, consider selecting an Intranet-in-a-box solution that:

• Manages your documents the way you wish to manipulate them
• Provides maximum security
• Compatible with other applications found on your desktop