The document discusses selecting an enterprise collaboration platform. It provides an overview of key considerations such as defining specific use cases, gathering requirements, evaluating integration needs, and conducting vendor demonstrations and RFPs. Microsoft SharePoint is identified as the market leader due to its comprehensive features and wide adoption, though careful planning is needed for complex implementations. OpenText and EMC also offer robust platforms but are better suited for more specialized use cases.

1. Select the Right Collaboration Platform Info-Tech Research Group

4. Collaboration Roadmap Info-Tech Research Group Strategize Understand the Hype Assess Opportunities Compare Identify Leading Vendors and Compare Capabilities Select Determine Requirements Get Vendor Input (RFPs) Conduct Demonstrations

5. Consider the team as a design point for support, rather than just the individual Info-Tech Research Group Working Style Communication Although many transactional jobs have remained the same, the way other functions work has evolved. As a result, the technology to support those individuals must also evolve to include functionalities beyond what is found in traditional e-mail. Info-Tech Insight:

6. E-mail is a painful approach to enabling team collaboration Info-Tech Research Group It is difficult for team members to find relevant files and expertise Using e-mail to enable team collaboration is inefficient and ineffective because: It does not enable library services like check-in, check-out and versioning which allow better control and sharing E-mail creates silos of information only available to one user as opposed to collaboration solutions which help retain knowledge and make it available to all. - IT Manager, Manufacturing “ ” We need to put information in a central place where it can be accessed for generations. - Team Lead, Government “ ” With the forest of e-mail being received it is difficult to determine what is useful and in what context the e-mail is being sent. Important e-mails are sometimes missed because of the sheer volume. Attachments being sent are revised multiple times without revision histories. - CIO, Business Services “ ” E-mail remains an accepted corporate communication method. Wikis, blogs, etc., add additional capabilities and opportunities to drive efficiency and innovation. - IT Director, Commercial Banking “ ” Project materials are not easily archived and reusable at the end of the project It does not promote sharing of information across groups

12. Define specific use cases or risk spending money on a tool that users ignore Info-Tech Research Group Define where the tool will provide value and what goals the organization wants to achieve with it. Determine how collaboration will occur via the teams and communities within the organization. The platform comes last. The tool needs to enable the business, not drive it. 1 2 3 The benefit of SharePoint is that it can do so many things, and the downside of SharePoint is that it can do so many things. Trying to figure out how we could use it was a challenge. - Director of Application Architecture, Financial Services “ ”

14. Collaboration Roadmap Info-Tech Research Group Strategize Understand the Hype Assess Opportunities Compare Identify Leading Vendors and Compare Capabilities Select Determine Requirements Get Vendor Input (RFPs) Conduct Demonstrations

17. Microsoft and Open Text lead the collaboration vendor landscape, thanks to their excellent feature sets and high accessibility Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Collaboration Features Content Features Affordability Architecture Company Strength Overall Rating Microsoft ** *** ** *** *** Champion Open Text *** ** *** ** ** Champion EMC ** *** * * ** Contender IBM ** ** * ** *** Contender Socialtext ** * ** ** * Contender Drupal ** *** *** ** * Vanguard Jive *** ** * ** * Vanguard Champion Have significant presence in the market and invest regularly in R&D to be trend setters. Offer excellent value-for-performance in features, high quality support, competitive pricing – or a combination of these. Contender Provide a comprehensive product suite, support their product with regular updates and may or may not compete on price. Competitors have the potential to become future industry leaders. Vanguard Service niche segments of the market, or are rising stars in the industry. They have identified certain core strengths, or product innovations, that act as their competitive advantage. For specific details about the evaluation, specific product insights, and strengths and weaknesses of each vendor, refer to the Info-Tech research note, “ Vendor Landscape: Collaboration Platforms ” . Info-Tech Research:

25. Vendors are never “one-size-fits-all” - use these scenarios to pinpoint the right collaboration solution Info-Tech Research Group If you are… Then consider… Most interested in collaboration features Jive Most interested in content management features EMC Interested in both content management and collaboration features Microsoft, OpenText Interested in engaging the external customer community Drupal, Jive Looking to pilot a free version first Drupal, WSS Looking for collaboration features that can be added onto your existing SharePoint content repository Jive, OpenText, Socialtext, Drupal Looking for a SharePoint alternative with the same all-in-one functionality IBM, Open Text In need of much guidance and support from the vendor in how to use the tool Microsoft, IBM Heavily invested in Office, Outlook, and other Microsoft products Microsoft Most concerned with usability and a strong user-experience OpenText, SocialText

27. Collaboration Roadmap Info-Tech Research Group Strategize Understand the Hype Assess Opportunities Compare Identify Leading Vendors and Compare Capabilities Select Determine Requirements Get Vendor Input (RFPs) Conduct Demonstrations

28. Due to the vast array of functionalities available, it is crucial to get your collaboration requirements right first Info-Tech Research Group We are still waiting for that one benefit. I believe the team that led the rollout missed an effective planning step that should have included our user community to explain the intent and gather feedback. - IT Director, Business Services “ ” Gather user and business requirements to ensure that you are only paying for the functionalities that you need. Evaluate integration requirements to ensure a seamless experience for your users. Conduct product demos to unveil which functionalities are reliant on others, evaluate look and feel and how the tool will integrate with your environment. Create a written collaboration strategy to evaluate project success at a later date. 1 2 3 4

34. Need Additional Support? Info-Tech goes beyond research: Speak directly to an analyst and/or engage on-site consulting services to help your team achieve results. Email our Advisory Team to find out how we have helped other clients and get your Collaboration initiative started today! Trigger Point: Understanding Social Media & Collaboration Understanding the Impact of Social Media on Internal and External Collaboration Reviewing Existing Collaboration Business Processes Our Advisory & Consulting Services Establishment of a common understanding of the impact of social media on internal and external collaboration across the organization Review of the existing business processes; identification of areas that can benefit from investment in internal and external collaboration tools Trigger Point: Developing a Strategy for Social Media & Collaboration Reviewing Existing Collaboration Technologies Defining Functional and Technology Requirements Our Advisory & Consulting Services Assessment of the existing information architecture, with emphasis on collaboration technologies Definition of functional (business/end user) and technology requirements Trigger Point: Comparing Collaboration Vendor Offerings Reviewing the Vendor Landscape for Collaboration Tools Developing the Business Case, Selecting and Procuring the Collaboration Solution Our Advisory & Consulting Services Preliminary vendor short-listing of targeted solutions based on established functional and technology requirements Business case development, Request for Proposal (RFP) development and vendor response evaluation

36. Associated Research & Tools Info-Tech Research Group Strategize “ Enterprise Collaboration Revisited: The Web 2.0 Factor ” “ Collaboration Opportunity Assessment Tool ” Compare “ Vendor Landscape: Collaboration Platforms ” Select “ Collaboration Solution RFP Template ” “ Collaboration RFP Scoring Tool ” “ Collaboration Demo Script Template ”