How we compared corporate social networks. Part 1
Good afternoon!
We position ourselves as a platform-independent company and our focus is not so much on introducing IT tools, but on attracting users to work in a new environment, developing new skills, and changing user habits. Therefore, we help our customers choose the most suitable platform for them.
How is it customary to compare classic IT systems? A huge list of functionality is taken and a table is drawn. If one of the compared systems implements this functionality - put a tick or a filled circle, if it implements with reservations - put a half filled circle, if it does not, put a pass or an empty circle. But the fact is that a corporate social network is not an ordinary IT system, it was made to introduce new methods of teamwork and as a result solve business problems not only from top to bottom, but also from bottom to top. And this means that you need to make such an interface so that users like it. As a result, it is necessary 1) to evaluate the functionality of the system and 2) to evaluate the convenience of end users. Let's talk about these components in more detail.
When a customer is interested in introducing corporate social systems and does not have any specific preferences for a particular product, it is important to understand the business purpose of using the network first. Does the customer need an integrated portal with an integrated social network, or does the portal already exist and need to add a social component to it, or does integration of a corporate social network with a document management system or corporate telephony be required. Etc. Let us first dwell on the comparison of this particular component.
But here is what came to light. It would seem that before you invent a bicycle, look on the Internet, maybe it has already been invented. Offhand analysis of platforms for social communications has been carried out for several years by such giants as Gartner, Ovum or Forrester. But the local Russian market is too small for them and local brands are not present in the analysis. And they are, and they have interesting developments for the Russian corporate culture.
Well, platform comparisons are made not only by Gartner or Forrester, there are other, not so eminent consultants. However, the reports that we found were divided into two categories: in the first one or another platform is clearly moving forward (here is an example and an example), in the second we found too many inaccuracies to trust these results (here is an example and an example ). In addition, each report introduces its own coordinate system and combining comparative tables is very problematic.
As a result, we came to the conclusion that a comparative analysis should be carried out independently. What did we begin to compare? In this articlewe described how to compare the functionality of corporate social networks - these are basic functions, social processes and the social layer. Since the corporate social network itself is a software platform, issues of managing and administering the system within a large company become important. Well, no one canceled the general questions from the category of “cloud or box?” and "how much?" As a result, we focused on five groups of indicators:
· General (delivery method, price, localization)
· Basic functionality
· Social processes
· Social layer and integration
· Management and administration
We also agreed for ourselves that the total number of parameters should not be too large so as not to blur the focus, but not too small so as not to lose the essence. As a result, we have formed about thirty parameters.
Now about the choice of platforms for comparison. We chose five platforms - these are Jive, IBM Connections, Yammer, Bitrix24 and DaOffice. Why exactly them? Firstly, in our subjective opinion, this five represents the top five sales leaders on the Russian market. Secondly, the first three are included in the group of leaders according to estimates of consulting agencies. Thirdly, added strong Russian players - Bitrix24 and DaOffice. I apologize in advance to admirers of SAP Jam, Atlassian Confluence (I think they are the closest candidates for inclusion in the list) and other manufacturers - I will be glad if you help to supplement the analysis below with data on these systems. If any of you see inaccuracies in the sheet, write to us.
Comparison table for corporate social networks:
Here is an example of using a table. A large corporate customer already has a portal on SharePoint and is considering adding a social function to the portal, that is, it is politically incorrect to build a parallel portal, you need to add a “clean” corporate social network. But security is against a cloud installation. And I do not want to overpay. By the totality of the parameters, we see that in this situation the most suitable solution is DaOffice. Number two is Yammer, if there are arguments for the security service.
One more example. The company is represented in Europe, Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, has a large number of partners and decides to streamline communications in the partner network. So far, partners have been communicating scattered, via email, phone, ICQ and Skype. The company has a Cisco telephony system. The most logical solution is to build a single portal for broader marketing penetration and organize feedback through a corporate social network. Because it requires a social intranet, multilingual interfaces, and integration with Cisco, the Jive platform is most preferred. Number two can go either IBM Connections or Yammer with a future sight on a bunch with SharePoint.
Further, in part 2 we will write about how to choose the right platform, and in part 3 we will write how to evaluate the convenience of end users and share our impressions about the amenities and disadvantages of a particular platform. To be continued ...
Vladimir Ivanitsa
viva@supereon.ru
We position ourselves as a platform-independent company and our focus is not so much on introducing IT tools, but on attracting users to work in a new environment, developing new skills, and changing user habits. Therefore, we help our customers choose the most suitable platform for them.
How is it customary to compare classic IT systems? A huge list of functionality is taken and a table is drawn. If one of the compared systems implements this functionality - put a tick or a filled circle, if it implements with reservations - put a half filled circle, if it does not, put a pass or an empty circle. But the fact is that a corporate social network is not an ordinary IT system, it was made to introduce new methods of teamwork and as a result solve business problems not only from top to bottom, but also from bottom to top. And this means that you need to make such an interface so that users like it. As a result, it is necessary 1) to evaluate the functionality of the system and 2) to evaluate the convenience of end users. Let's talk about these components in more detail.
Benchmarking Platform Functionality
When a customer is interested in introducing corporate social systems and does not have any specific preferences for a particular product, it is important to understand the business purpose of using the network first. Does the customer need an integrated portal with an integrated social network, or does the portal already exist and need to add a social component to it, or does integration of a corporate social network with a document management system or corporate telephony be required. Etc. Let us first dwell on the comparison of this particular component.
But here is what came to light. It would seem that before you invent a bicycle, look on the Internet, maybe it has already been invented. Offhand analysis of platforms for social communications has been carried out for several years by such giants as Gartner, Ovum or Forrester. But the local Russian market is too small for them and local brands are not present in the analysis. And they are, and they have interesting developments for the Russian corporate culture.
Well, platform comparisons are made not only by Gartner or Forrester, there are other, not so eminent consultants. However, the reports that we found were divided into two categories: in the first one or another platform is clearly moving forward (here is an example and an example), in the second we found too many inaccuracies to trust these results (here is an example and an example ). In addition, each report introduces its own coordinate system and combining comparative tables is very problematic.
As a result, we came to the conclusion that a comparative analysis should be carried out independently. What did we begin to compare? In this articlewe described how to compare the functionality of corporate social networks - these are basic functions, social processes and the social layer. Since the corporate social network itself is a software platform, issues of managing and administering the system within a large company become important. Well, no one canceled the general questions from the category of “cloud or box?” and "how much?" As a result, we focused on five groups of indicators:
· General (delivery method, price, localization)
· Basic functionality
· Social processes
· Social layer and integration
· Management and administration
We also agreed for ourselves that the total number of parameters should not be too large so as not to blur the focus, but not too small so as not to lose the essence. As a result, we have formed about thirty parameters.
Now about the choice of platforms for comparison. We chose five platforms - these are Jive, IBM Connections, Yammer, Bitrix24 and DaOffice. Why exactly them? Firstly, in our subjective opinion, this five represents the top five sales leaders on the Russian market. Secondly, the first three are included in the group of leaders according to estimates of consulting agencies. Thirdly, added strong Russian players - Bitrix24 and DaOffice. I apologize in advance to admirers of SAP Jam, Atlassian Confluence (I think they are the closest candidates for inclusion in the list) and other manufacturers - I will be glad if you help to supplement the analysis below with data on these systems. If any of you see inaccuracies in the sheet, write to us.
Comparison table for corporate social networks:
Manufacturer | Jive software | Ibm connections | Yammer | Bitrix24 | Daoffice |
Platform | |||||
Description | Social intranet. Jive-n - internal network, editions of Essentials, Essentials +, Enterprise. Jive-x - external network, editions of Forums, Essentials, Essentials + | Social Intranet | Corporate social network (social intranet within Office 365). Editions Basic, Enterprise | Social intranet. Editorial Office Project, Team, Company, Corporate Portal, Holding | Corporate social network. Editorial Team, Business, Enterprise |
Shipping method | Boxed and cloud versions. The box functional is higher than the cloud. Datacenters in the USA and Europe | Boxed and cloud versions. The difference in functions is insignificant. Datacenters in the USA, Europe and Asia | Cloud version only, data center in Europe | Boxed and cloud versions. Data center in Europe, planned to move to Russia | Boxed and cloud versions, data center in Russia |
The cost of the cloud version (excluding special conditions) | From 144USD per year per user, external users without restriction, the number of accesses to the site is charged | From 128USD per year for a full range of services. Free Guest Accounts | 36USD per year per user, external users without restrictions | 120t rub per year without limiting the number of users, external users without limiting | 1260 rubles per user per year + 354 rubles per external user per year |
The cost of the boxed version (excluding special conditions) | Subscription Licensing. See the cost of the cloud version. | Perpetual licenses by the number of internal users, or by server capacity | Not | 199t rub + 1400 rub per user, external users unlimited or 499t rub unlimited use. | Licensed by subscription. 1068 rubles per user per year + 270 rubles per external user per year. You can purchase a perpetual license - the cost is equal to two years of subscription. |
Test version | 30-day trial from the cloud | 60-day trial from the cloud | Free version without time limits. The possibilities of customization, moderation, administration, integration are limited. | Free version of 30 days from the cloud or out of the box. Minimum cloud edition up to 12 users - for free. | Free version from the cloud without time limits. The possibilities of customization, moderation, administration, integration are limited. |
Individual design | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, in the boxed version | Yes |
Localization (Russian language) | Yes, the language is set by the user. | Yes, the language is set automatically based on your browser settings | Yes, the language is set by the user. | Yes | Yes |
Multilingualism | Multilingual interface. Spellchecker for a limited number of languages | Multilingual interface | Multilingual interface. Multilingual online message translator. | Interface Russian, English, Ukrainian, Spanish, German | Russian interface only |
Main functionality | |||||
Basic functions (news feed, text messages, pictures, videos, discussions, subscriptions, announcements, notifications, tags) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Groups (open, closed, moderation) | Yes, plus secret and / or with the addition of external users | Yes + the ability to connect external users to the group | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Forums | Yes | Yes | Not | Not | Not |
Blogs, Wikis, Co-Editing, Official Versions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Work with files (central repository, sending and storing files, versioning) | Yes | Yes | Yes, 5GB per person | Yes, unlimited storage | Yes, unlimited storage |
Private correspondence | Yes, but as a rule, for personal correspondence you need to add an interlocutor to your network and receive confirmation - insisted by a moderator | Yes, through IBM Sametime. But for personal correspondence, you need to add the interlocutor to your network and get confirmation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Inbox (read / unread / send / reply) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Presence Status / Chat / Group Chat | Yes | Yes, through IBM Sametime | Yes | Yes | Yes, the status of presence through the widget "now online" |
User profiles | Yes | Yes | Yes, one profile for all networks | Yes, for an external network, the profile has a minimum of fields | Yes, different profiles for different networks |
Unified search (files, people, profiles, content, mailbox) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, taking into account the morphology of the Russian language | Yes, taking into account the morphology of the Russian language |
External users | You can create private or secret groups and include external users in them | Yes, you can enable an unlimited number of external users | By creating a separate network for internal and external users. User can switch between networks | Yes, the minimum functionality of the external network is personal chats, group chats, private messages, notifications. | By creating a separate network for internal and external users. User can switch between networks |
Social processes | |||||
Calendars | Yes | Yes | As part of Office 365 | Yes | Creating events and integrating them with your email client. |
Project and task management | Yes, plus task management through Producteev | Via the activities module included | As part of Office 365 | Yes, absentee schedule, time tracking, delegation | Event Management |
Organization chart | Yes | Chain of command | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Polls and Voting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Idea management | Creation and processing of ideas, voting, reputation (as amended by Essentials +) | Creation and processing of ideas, voting | Surveys and polls, managing ideas through the Ideascale app | Yes | Creation and processing of ideas, voting, reputation of the idea |
Motivation | Gamification, missions, badges. Points for active use of the system. | Not | Acknowledgments | Yes | Reputation, badges, expert statuses on topics, thanks |
Involvement of new users | When registering, a usage policy is signed. Engagement letter templates. Points for activity. Tasks-games to study functionality. | When registering, a usage policy is signed. Tasks-games to study functionality. | When registering, a usage policy is signed. | Engagement letter templates. Links to training materials. | When registering, a usage policy is signed. By default, a user can immediately subscribe to certain groups and define other rules. |
Social layer and integration | |||||
Active Directory Sync | Yes, multiple domains | Yes, multiple domains | Yes, multiple domains | Yes, several domains in the Holding version | Yes, multiple domains |
Integration | SharePoint (Enterprise edition), MS Office (Essentials + edition), Outlook (Essentials + edition), GoogleDrive, Google Docs (Jive-x Essentials + edition) | Lotus Notes, Sametime, Exchange, SocialMail, MS Office, MS Outlook, SharePoint | SharePoint, Office 365, Saleforce, Dynamic CRM, Exchange (roadmap) | Office 365, Google Docs, SharePoint | SharePoint and other portals |
Integration with third-party applications | Openocial | REST API, OpenSocial | OpenGraph, REST API, Yammer embed | Open API | Socialgraph |
Mobile platforms | iOS, Android, Blackberry, iPads, Winphone | iOS, Android, Blackberry, iPads, Winphone | iOS, Android, Winphone | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
Additional applications | App store | Affiliate ecosystem, apps integrate through APIs and widgets | App store | CRM, process designer, application store | Created via script |
Voice and video communication | Integration with Cisco Webex or Lync Available as App | through IBM Sametime | Office 365 Lync Integration | Yes, plus telephony | Not |
Control | |||||
Usage Policies | Usage policy, communication flow management | through synchronization with LDAP | Yes | Access rules | Usage policy, communication flow management |
Keyword Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes |
user management | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Password policy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes |
Analytics | Statistics panel + data export | Via Cognos reports for IBM Connections (included in the boxed version) | Statistics panel + data export | Statistics panel | Statistics panel + data export |
Security | eDiscovery | eDiscovery through third-party software | eDiscovery, two-factor authorization | Two-factor authorization | Two-factor authorization. Data center on the territory of the Russian Federation, certificates and licenses for processing PD and information protection. |
Here is an example of using a table. A large corporate customer already has a portal on SharePoint and is considering adding a social function to the portal, that is, it is politically incorrect to build a parallel portal, you need to add a “clean” corporate social network. But security is against a cloud installation. And I do not want to overpay. By the totality of the parameters, we see that in this situation the most suitable solution is DaOffice. Number two is Yammer, if there are arguments for the security service.
One more example. The company is represented in Europe, Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, has a large number of partners and decides to streamline communications in the partner network. So far, partners have been communicating scattered, via email, phone, ICQ and Skype. The company has a Cisco telephony system. The most logical solution is to build a single portal for broader marketing penetration and organize feedback through a corporate social network. Because it requires a social intranet, multilingual interfaces, and integration with Cisco, the Jive platform is most preferred. Number two can go either IBM Connections or Yammer with a future sight on a bunch with SharePoint.
Further, in part 2 we will write about how to choose the right platform, and in part 3 we will write how to evaluate the convenience of end users and share our impressions about the amenities and disadvantages of a particular platform. To be continued ...
Vladimir Ivanitsa
viva@supereon.ru