Tips for Choosing a SharePoint Alternative

Which collaboration software is the best SharePoint alternative for your company?

Okay, you've already decided you're not going to use SharePoint - it's too expensive, deployment is too complex, using it requires technical know-how that a lot of your employees, customers and vendors just don't have, and you might even have to buy (and integrate - please, no, not again) additional applications to have the full features and functionality you're looking for. Exhausting. But choosing a SharePoint alternative can also be a daunting task. Here's a brief synopsis of the some of the most important questions you should be asking.

Cost

-Is the initial investment something you're comfortable with?

-What additional costs will be involved in the short and long term?

-Will you have to pay for training or tech support?

-Will you need to purchase other software applications to enjoy efficient and effective functionality?

-Do you pay for updates or full upgrades to the newest version? How much?

-Do you have to pay for licenses you're not using? How much does it cost for more? What exactly happens when you re-scale - up or down?

Integration and Configuration

-Do you already have technicians in place with both the time and expertise to integrate, configure and do the admin setups required to get your SharePoint alternative operational? Are those technicians going to have to abandon other important projects to get this done? How long is it going to take to really get things up and running?

When you consider the increase in productivity, reduced expenses and higher profit margins possible with collaboration software, you have to look at how much you're losing through slow deployment and utilization of your SharePoint alternative, not just how much you're spending.

-How time-consuming or complex will it be to do the same with upgrades?

Training

-How much training is needed for the average - not highly skilled technologically - user? How long will it take them to actually be able to use it? Is that training available free of charge from the provider?

-What happens when you bring a new employee onboard? How do they get trained? Does your company have the resources to provide that training?

Support

-It is fast? Efficient? Does the provider's company have a good reputation in the area of tech support?

Security

-Does your SharePoint alternative enable you to work with customers, vendors, consultants, and so on without firewall problems - and still maintain state of the art data security for all concerned?

Ease of Use

-How fast can you put up a workspace for a project, customer, vendor, consultant or employee? How much customization is possible? Is the time spent on customization prohibitive?

-Can your contacts learn how to use it easily and quickly?

-Is it compatible with Mac and Linux? There are more and more companies (and departments) using Mac or Linux operating systems, and the market share for these operating systems is expected to increase - will your SharePoint alternative choice prepare you for that?

It goes without saying that any SharePoint alternative you consider also has to have the features and functionality you require. But once that's sorted out, make sure you check into the questions above. The right collaboration software can save time and money and transform your company into an efficient, effective production machine. But choosing the wrong application could turn into one big, long-lasting and expensive headache. Do your research well.