Choosing to create an intranet for your company is one of the best decisions you could make. Another important decision is the intranet hosting.

With such vast options for intranet service providers, it can be a little tricky to pick the right one for your organization.

In this post, we consider the best options available for intranet hosting and take a look at the pros and cons of each to help you make an informed decision about the intranet software platform. 

Intranet Hosting – A Complete Guide

A hosted intranet provides easy access to information anytime and anywhere. It helps you improve productivity and collaboration by making the information accessible to vendors, customers and employees. It combines the power of online collaboration facilities and the security of servers to boost productivity and save money.

Intranet hosting is one of the most critical decisions for your organization depending on the requirements and availability of resources. You can choose from an on-premises server or cloud-based platform to host your intranet website.

An internal network is a viable option for companies that already have a dedicated server and an IT team with technical know-how. There is also a possibility of creating an office intranet tailored to the needs of your organization. 

Hosting Intranet Website – Getting Started

Selecting the best intranet solution that offers maximum return with minimum disruption is desirable for any company looking to host an intranet website, whether starting from scratch or updating an existing system.

A new intranet website streamlines the business practices and helps with innovation and idea generation. It also allows adding a social element to foster a positive work experience that improves productivity.

To get started with intranet website hosting, you should consider whether the software is flexible enough to let your business grow. A hosting solution with flexibility is scalable easily without any technological updates.

Once you find the right software that understands your needs and designs an appealing and functional intranet, it is important to ensure it can offer continuous support and expertise.

The software should provide an on-going performance review and analysis to help users benefit the most from the site and make continuous efforts to keep it fresh and dynamic.

A lot of providers offer one-size-fits-all solutions that may not suit your company's unique requirements. Look for intranet solutions that design a customized platform for your organization independent of other apps. It should also allow integrating third-party applications your employees may be using. 

Hosted Intranet Solutions – What You Should Know?

Every intranet needs a server to run, just like your company's website. You can either use a server connected to your network or use a cloud-based hosting service that hosts your intranet for a monthly charge. Choosing to use a company network server is a critical decision that depends on the size of the organization. While bigger companies have their own server, smaller firms may need to spend on getting one.

To set up your intranet, you should first install an on-premise intranet software on the server that lets you add content and pages. You can choose from multiple options available taking into account the adaptability, functionality and ease of use you want.

While this solution is feasible for organizations with proper resources, it has a lot of considerations. Firstly, you take responsibility for all the management, maintenance and security as well as updates and backups. You also need to arrange for the space the intranet servers can take.

Another option is to custom-build the intranet solution from scratch. This is applicable to larger organizations with strong IT resources. It suits businesses that want to create an intranet focused on special needs or exercise control over functionality and updates instead of leaving it to providers. This option, however, takes a lot of time and resources. 

Best Intranet Platforms – UPDATED 2021

Here are some of the top options for solutions you can choose from for your intranet hosting.

AgilityPortal Intranet Software

An innovative cloud-based software that offers several tools and options to streamline workflow, AgilityPortal gives you the ability to collaborate with a few members or entire teams. It combines email, social media and other apps for efficient operations and smoother functioning.

Microsoft SharePoint

SharePoint is a powerful solution that enables organizations to share and manage content, apps and information for easy access, collaboration and teamwork.

It gives dynamic sites for project teams and departments so that it is convenient to share news, data, files and resources. It allows collaboration across devices and provides a search facility for easy information discovery. 

Cloud Based Intranet Software

A cloud-based intranet software is hosted by a third-party provider for a fixed monthly charge. There are several options for a cloud-based online hosting service. With this option, you just must log on and create your pages.

You can use readily available features and templates and customize them to meet your organization requirements and structure. It is easy to install the intranet with a series of steps and a simple procedure that even novices can follow.

The biggest benefit of using cloud-based service is that you need not install any software or maintain a server. The hosting provider takes responsibility for the security, maintenance, backup, updates and technical problems. High-quality hosted solutions provide ongoing help and support to intranet administrators.

What more, these services charge a fixed monthly fee, making it highly cost-effective with certainty that is important to start-ups and small businesses.

A cloud-based intranet software is accessible to the staff anywhere and anytime on a computer, smartphone or tablet, helping businesses break the traditional 9-to-5 model. These intranet solutions offer an advantage to organizations looking for flexible working. It can be easily customized to match the changing needs of the business.