How to choose an intranet
The new 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Intranet Packaged Solutions is out. If you're reviewing your intranet, planning an upgrade or exploring what's next for your digital workplace, it's a useful opportunity to take stock of the market.
But before you start comparing platforms or booking vendor demonstrations, I'd encourage you to ask a different question: what do your people actually need from your digital workplace?
The platform that works brilliantly for one organisation may be entirely wrong for another. Your workforce, culture, digital maturity, existing technology and capacity for change all influence what you need.
That's why choosing an intranet should start with understanding people and their needs, not a vendor shortlist.
The Gartner Magic Quadrant: a starting point
Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Intranet Packaged Solutions assesses vendors against two criteria: Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision. It provides a useful overview of the market, helping organisations understand the competitive landscape and identify platforms for further evaluation.
It's tempting to look at the Leaders quadrant, draw up a shortlist and start booking demonstrations. But a vendor's position in the Magic Quadrant doesn't automatically make its platform the right choice for your organisation.
Nor does an impressive demonstration tell you whether the technology will solve your problems.
That's where discovery comes in.
A people-centred digital workplace reflects how employees actually work, rather than how the organisation is structured or how its technology happens to be organised.
That means understanding employee journeys, the information people need at each stage and the barriers that get in their way.
Speak to us about a people-centred review of your digital workplace
We can help you identify where there may be opportunities to improve the digital employee experience and what to consider before committing to new technology and even help you build your business case. .
