Using Trusted Benchmarks to Choose the Best Intranet Platform for Your Organization

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Across industries, intranet modernization is accelerating. As organizations invest in digital workplace transformation, many recognize that outdated intranets no longer meet expectations for employee experience, communication, and productivity. According to the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Intranet Packaged Solutions (IPS):

“Intranet modernization continues to be a primary driver for IPS interest.”

Intranets have evolved from static internal websites into intelligent employee experience platforms that connect people, knowledge, and systems. Today’s enterprise intranet projects are not just about technology — they’re about driving measurable improvements in engagement, collaboration, and operational efficiency. Gartner further notes:

“Intranets continue to garner interest by Gartner clients as part of modernization efforts and, in some cases, to reduce complexity and shift IT support resources tied to internal development.”

In other words, packaged intranet platforms are replacing custom-built solutions that require constant IT maintenance. Modern intranets deliver faster implementation, lower total cost of ownership, and continuous innovation through cloud-based updates. 

Selecting the best intranet platform is a strategic decision with long-term impact. With dozens of vendors promising similar outcomes, it can be difficult to determine which truly delivers business value. That’s where the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Intranet Packaged Solutions provides unique insight.

The report evaluates intranet vendors and positions them into four categories — Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries, and Niche Players — based on their Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision.

For digital workplace and intranet decision-makers, the Magic Quadrant offers trusted, independent evaluation of the strengths, cautions, and differentiators among providers. It helps you identify which platforms align best with your strategic goals — whether your focus is employee engagement, knowledge management, or integration with Microsoft 365.

When evaluating enterprise intranet software, focus on the features that drive measurable outcomes — not just visual appeal. Gartner defines the mandatory capabilities of a modern intranet platform as:

“Improving employee engagement and facilitating corporate communications; providing access to employee and workplace services; delivering a unified resource portal; enabling knowledge services for business areas; enabling better personal and team work management; and promoting diverse intelligence assistance options.”

Here are seven key use cases highlighted by Gartner that we believe are essential to a modern intranet — and how they translate into real-world value.

Your intranet should serve as the central hub for corporate news, announcements, and campaigns — reaching employees wherever they work. Modern platforms make it easy for communicators to plan, publish, and target content across web, mobile, and integrated channels like Microsoft Teams, Viva Engage, and Slack.

Equally important is the ability to measure communication effectiveness. Advanced analytics allow you to track reach, interactions, and user journeys — filtered by user type, department, or location. This gives communication teams actionable insights to refine their approach and demonstrate impact.

Image Caption

An effective intranet encourages employees to participate, not just consume. Features like social reactions, comments, polls, and recognition programs build a sense of belonging and community. Gamification can further motivate participation and knowledge sharing.

Personalization is equally crucial — delivering relevant, role-based experiences tailored to each user’s needs. Modern intranet platforms ensure inclusive engagement across office, hybrid, and frontline scenarios, giving every employee a voice and a way to stay connected.

Image 2: A peer-to-peer praise post surfaced on the intranet homepage.

Beyond communication, intranets are becoming the front door to everyday work. Integrated service portals give employees quick access to forms, FAQs, and business systems like HR, IT, and Facilities — improving self-service and reducing support load.

For long-term success, choose a platform that easily connects to modern business systems through APIs, connectors, or webhooks. Seamless integration ensures employees can complete tasks and access information directly within their Microsoft 365 intranet environment.

Image 3: IT Support portal with FAQ and forms to submit a new issue or order new material.

A central information hub ensures employees always know where to find official documents, policies, and tools. With governed content types and lifecycle management, everything stays accurate, compliant, and easy to locate. Strong content governance ensures that the intranet remains a trusted source of truth.

Flexibility in surfacing the right content in the right context makes the solution effective from a user perspective — reducing friction and improving efficiency. 

Image 4: A personalized intranet homepage providing access to resources for daily work.

A modern intranet should make it easy to find, share, and reuse organizational knowledge. From structured repositories to AI-enabled semantic search, the goal is to connect employees to the expertise they need, when they need it.

Advanced capabilities include searching for people based on competences, languages, or certifications, and building knowledge-sharing communities that encourage collaboration. Governance of controlled content lifecycles ensures official knowledge remains current, trusted, and auditable.

Image 5: AI-powered natural language search used in the Travel Portal.

Modern intranets increasingly support personal productivity and team collaboration. Integrated dashboards, workflows, and task management tools help employees stay organized without leaving the intranet environment. Personalized notifications keep users informed without overwhelming them.

The best intranet solutions make it easy to act directly within the feed — approving tasks, reading sign-off requests, or completing forms both in-browser and via mobile.

Image 6: Structured onboarding with tasks for sign-off ensuring consistent introduction for new employees.

AI is reshaping how employees interact with intranets. As Gartner notes, “Agentic AI takes center stage,” transforming search, task automation, and content creation. Look for intranets that offer intelligent search, conversational assistants, and analytics-driven recommendations to improve usability and save time.

Semantic search connected to compliant, verified content sources can dramatically improve productivity. Integrating your intranet with AI agents such as Microsoft Copilot extends its value — connecting enterprise knowledge directly into daily workflows.

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Intranet modernization is no longer optional — it’s a strategic enabler of employee experience and productivity. Success depends on choosing a platform that combines intuitive design, strong governance, deep Microsoft 365 integration, and continuous innovation.

Before selecting your next intranet, make sure you:

✔ Define clear business outcomes as communication, engagement, service, or knowledge goals.

✔ Evaluate vendors using independent research such as the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Intranet Packaged Solutions.

✔ Prioritize platforms that support multichannel communication, personalization, AI-driven insights, and lifecycle governance.

A modern enterprise intranet is more than a communication tool — it’s the foundation for a connected, informed, and empowered workforce.

Download the full report to explore market insights, vendor strengths, and expert guidance for your next intranet project — and choose the best intranet platform for your organization with confidence.

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Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Intranet Packaged Solutions, By Mike Gotta, Priyanka Singh et al., 6 October 2025

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