Using Microsoft SharePoint Online for your intranet and coming up against some of its limitations? If you’re looking for a quick fix that’s external to Microsoft 365 ecosystem, be warned.
Whilst there are many ‘leading’ Software as a Service (SaaS) intranets on the market promising to deliver powerful communication platforms to unite your organisation, it’s likely that these plug and play solutions are not telling you the full story.
Compelling as some of them may look, if you’re one of the 3.8 million companies using Microsoft 365 as your digital workplace platform, they’re not all as compatible with it as you’re being led to believe.
Common SaaS intranet integration and compatibility issues with Microsoft 365
If your IT team has committed to a Microsoft 365 strategy, streamlined operations, unified tools and created a seamless employee experience in this platform, it’s likely introducing a third-party SaaS intranet will disrupt this harmony for several reasons. Let’s take a look.
1. SaaS intranets pose data storage and security risks
Data security and compliance are top priorities for Microsoft and will be for your IT team too. Yet, integrating a third-party SaaS intranet introduces several unnecessary security challenges up front.
Your data will be stored in their cloud, which means it’s detached from your Microsoft 365 environment. With your data living outside of Microsoft’s ecosystem, you’ll lose access and control over it.
This separation will complicate your data security policies and regulatory compliance, making it more challenging for you to protect your company’s sensitive information.
2. SaaS intranets have separate content management systems
Opting to use a SaaS intranet also means introducing your people to another content management system, with external data storage and backup, outside your direct control.
It’s a challenge because whenever you create a news post or other forms of content, it’s stored in the third-party SaaS’s back end rather than within SharePoint or your Microsoft 365 environment. This means you won’t have direct access or control over it.
This causes inconsistencies and a lack of synchronisation between your intranet content and the rest of your Microsoft 365 tools, disrupting workflows and reducing the efficiency of your content management processes.
3. Separate SaaS login credentials mess with user experience
If SaaS systems are unable to integrate with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), your people would have to sign in to their intranet using separate usernames and passwords. This scenario occurs due to the lack of single sign-on capabilities via your Microsoft 365 account. Switching between platforms can be a real pain. Not only does it waste time it interrupts a person’s flow (read all about the “toggle tax” in HBR), messing with the user experience.
4. SaaS intranets fragment the user journey
Introducing a third-party SaaS intranet into Microsoft 365 can significantly impact your user experience, fragmenting the user journey. When users switch between different platforms it causes frustration and can reduce overall user engagement with your intranet.
Also, if the third-party SaaS intranet does not align with the branding and navigation patterns of Microsoft 365, your people will also struggle to navigate between the two environments too.
5. Training your people to use a SaaS intranet takes additional time
There’s a learning curve introducing any new technology into your workplace. So, if your people are already accustomed to the Microsoft 365 environment, they’ll find it challenging to adapt to a new system.
With a new interface and different functionalities, you’ll need to enlist ‘early adopters’, ‘intranet champions’ and have a comprehensive training program to ensure everyone’s up to speed on how to use it.
6. Microsoft 365 updates can break your SaaS intranet
Change is the only constant in technology, so are you ready to keep up with all the security and feature updates that Microsoft 365 introduces on a weekly/monthly/quarterly basis?
Using a third-party SaaS intranet means preparing for desynchronised updates leading to compatibility issues and potential service disruptions if not kept up on top of. This can introduce unnecessary support challenges for your IT as well.
It can be complicated for them to resolve any technical issues between Microsoft support and the third-party SaaS intranet provider, leading to headaches for your IT team and frustrations for your people trying to get on with their work.
7. Migrating content from SharePoint Online to a SaaS intranet is complex
There’ll be data compatibility issues to factor in when migrating your content from SharePoint Online to a SaaS intranet. Different systems may not support the same file types, content format or metadata structures.
Ensuring data integrity during the transfer is critical to avoid loss or corruption of information. Additionally, there are potential security concerns with moving sensitive data between platforms, requiring thorough verification of the SaaS provider’s security protocols.
The process also demands significant time and resources for planning, execution and testing to ensure a smooth transition without disrupting business operations.
8. Moving data from Microsoft 365 to a SaaS intranet can lead to licence multiplexing, resulting in legal action
If you’ve never heard of ‘licence multiplexing’, it’s a term you need to be familiar with. Licence multiplexing happens when you are trying to bypass Microsoft’s licence agreements by providing access to content available on, let’s say, SharePoint to non-Microsoft 365-licenced users. This happens when you still want to create news posts in SharePoint but also want them available in your new SaaS intranet too. So, when you move data originally created in SharePoint to your SaaS intranet for unlicenced users to consume you are ‘multiplexing’, which if caught by Microsoft means you may be landed with a hefty fine.
Why Fresh Intranet is the best intranet solution for Microsoft 365
Given the myriad of challenges associated with integrating a third-party SaaS intranet into your Microsoft 365 environment, choosing an intranet built specifically for SharePoint and Microsoft 365 is the best option.
If you want to enhance your internal communications and overall employee experience in SharePoint, choose Fresh Intranet.
Designed to augment SharePoint, Fresh lives inside your Microsoft 365 digital ecosystem, providing a series of features that enhance SharePoint’s functionality, turning it into an experience that feels more like an extension of your website, with all the relevant internal comms tools you need.
Why your IT and comms team will love Fresh Intranet
Seamlessly integrates into Microsoft 365
Fresh Intranet integrates flawlessly with Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online, using single sign-on (SSO) with Microsoft Entra ID. This ensures a unified user experience and reduces the friction associated with multiple login credentials. By operating within your Microsoft 365 environment, Fresh eliminates compatibility issues and provides a cohesive digital workplace.
It’s secure and compliant, giving you peace of mind
Following Microsoft’s best practices, Fresh reduces the risk of security vulnerabilities, providing a secure and compliant environment for your internal communications. Fresh is compliant with ISO security and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, ensuring it meets high standards of security and accessibility.
You have complete control over your data and security
Fresh Intranet stores data within your Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure environments, ensuring that you maintain control over your data’s security and compliance. This alignment simplifies meeting regulatory requirements and enhances overall data protection, providing peace of mind for your IT and compliance teams.
Regular and ongoing maintenance aligned with Microsoft 365
Fresh Intranet aligns its update cycles with Microsoft 365, reducing compatibility issues and ensuring a smooth operational experience. Support coordination is also streamlined, with a single point of contact for resolving issues, minimising downtime and disruptions.
A future-proof, sustainable solution
With Fresh Intranet, you avoid the risks associated with vendor lock-in and migration challenges. Its design ensures that your intranet can evolve alongside your Microsoft 365 strategy, incorporating the latest AI technology, providing a sustainable and scalable solution.
Offers a consistent user experience across Microsoft 365
With Fresh Intranet, you get a consistent branding and navigation experience that aligns with Microsoft 365 and your branding guidelines. This consistency enhances user adoption and engagement, making it easier for employees to navigate and utilise the intranet effectively.
It’s good for internal comms and document management
Fresh Intranet is not just beneficial for communication but also excels in document management. It facilitates the distribution of policies and crucial documents to employees, ensuring everyone has access to the latest information in a centralised location.
Enhances the employee experience in Microsoft 365
Fresh extends and supports SharePoint by making content, documents and policies easily accessible. It allows you to create hubs of related content with advanced, AI-driven search features and intuitive navigation. Fresh also offers features like people search, Viva Engage integrations and employee recognition, fostering a connected and engaged workforce.
Roadmap is aligned with Microsoft 365
As Fresh’s roadmap is aligned with Microsoft 365, it will always be compatible with future updates and features. And unlike some SaaS products, which are primarily investment vehicles, Fresh has not been designed to sell. It’s fully owned by Microsoft partner the Advania Group and made for our growing Microsoft 365 client base.
So, to sum up, integrating a third-party SaaS intranet with Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online can at first seem tempting, yet this approach comes with significant risks. However, by choosing an intranet solution built specifically for SharePoint and Microsoft 365, you can avoid these pitfalls.
With Fresh Intranet you can achieve your communication and document management goals without compromising on security, usability, or long-term viability all with the familiar Microsoft 365 environment. This approach ensures better control, compliance and user adoption while reducing the complexities associated with third-party SaaS integrations.
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