How to choose the best intranet platform: What the analysts say

When it comes to choosing the best intranet, there’s no shortage of options (or opinions). One way to narrow the field is to look at what industry analysts are saying. Reports from Gartner®, Forrester®, IDC, and ClearBox can help you understand which platforms are leading the way in various areas. So you can see what features matter most, and how the market is evolving.

But don’t just stop at the rankings or quadrant positions. Look deeper into the commentary – that’s where you’ll find the real insight. Analysts highlight what they value most: usability, scalability, support, and how well a platform truly supports the employee experience.

Those details tell a bigger story about where modern intranets are headed. And why organizations are rethinking how people, places, and information connect.

Let’s take a look at what the analysts are saying — and what that means for choosing the best intranet for your organization.

Why intranets still matter and what’s changing

Product names change. Workplace trends evolve. But one thing stays the same: employees everywhere still struggle to find information, stay informed, and work collaboratively.

That’s why the best intranet platforms continue to matter — no matter what we call them. Whether it’s an intranet, digital workplace, employee app, or employee communications platform, the goal is the same: help people do their jobs, stay connected, and easily find the information, tools, and teammates they need.

In its 2025 Intranet and Employee Experience Platforms report, ClearBox notes that intranets shape how employees feel about work, strengthen culture, and even lift customer service. In other words, this technology is a strategic investment that supports the workday from start to finish.

Recent research from Gartner, Forrester, IDC, and ClearBox shows a consistent trend: modern intranets are no longer static destinations – they’re multichannel, AI-supported experiences that connect people, places, and information. 

At Appspace, we’ve been focused on this evolution for years. Our workplace experience platform helps organizations bring communication, workplace services, and space management together into a single experience.

What Gartner says: A foundation for connection

According to Gartner’s 2025 Magic Quadrant™ for Intranet Packaged Solutions (IPS), intranets remain one of the longest-running technology investments in the enterprise. Yet their role continues to evolve. 

The best intranets today enable:

• Multichannel communication that reaches employees wherever they work
• AI assistance that makes it easier to find and act on information
• Integration with broader workplace orchestration and self-service tools

In the same Gartner Magic Quadrant™, Gartner recognized Appspace’s customer-centric approach and multichannel employee experience. 

On the first, Gartner noted client feedback regarding responsive support and a willingness to adapt offerings, which makes Appspace a strong fit for large, complex, multinational environments. 

On the second, Gartner pointed to Appspace’s ability to reach employees wherever they are. Our platform does this by aligning messages across intranet, digital signage, meeting experiences, and other physical and digital channels.

The takeaway? The best intranet is more than a communication channel; it’s the foundation for connection, productivity, and change.

Forrester: Simplifying the workplace tech stack

In the Forrester Wave™ for Intranet Platforms (Q4 2024), Forrester recognized Appspace for its clear vision of a workplace platform that supports hybrid, remote, and in-office employees. 

In addition, the report mentioned that by reducing dependencies on Microsoft SharePoint and redesigning key capabilities for native use, Appspace has created a flexible platform that helps large companies simplify their workplace technology.

ClearBox: Powerful, mobile, and designed for every team member

ClearBox agrees, noting that Appspace has grown from a SharePoint-based intranet into a standalone platform that’s easy to integrate with other systems.

In its latest Intranet and Employee Experience Platforms report, ClearBox praised Appspace’s strong user and admin experience, mobile-ready interface, and smooth connections with digital signage, room booking, and other workplace tools.

ClearBox also highlighted innovative features like audio digests, which help make content easier to access and more engaging, especially for frontline and mobile workers.

The report says Appspace offers strong benefits for companies with distributed teams or those wanting to better connect their digital and physical workplaces.

IDC: Unified, scalable, and intuitive

IDC adds another perspective. In its MarketScape: Worldwide Employee Experience for Integrated Employee Workspaces 2025 Vendor Assessment, IDC recognized Appspace for its approachable, responsive support, strong partner network, and intuitive content management tools.

The report says customers highlighted Appspace’s ease of use, ability to scale globally, and access across mobile, desktop, and tools like Microsoft Teams and Webex.

IDC also praised Appspace for improving its product over time and for bringing branding, communication, and workplace services together in one platform.

The real takeaway: From communication channel to operating layer

As ClearBox notes, workplace platforms have evolved through countless names, from intranet to digital workplace to employee app. Yet the purpose has stayed constant: helping people get things done, stay informed, and find what they need.

The difference today is how organizations operationalize that value.

Across recent analyst reports, a clear pattern is emerging. High-performing organizations are no longer treating communication as just messages they send out. Instead, they’re treating communication as a core part of how work actually gets done – built into processes, tools, tasks, and employee workflows. Here’s how they do it:

• Move from pages to outcomes. Measure clarity, reach, and task completion (not just clicks).
• Make it multichannel by default. Deliver consistent messages across the intranet, desktop, mobile, signage, and meeting spaces.
• Use AI where employees feel it. Apply assistants and agents to summarize, route, and prioritize updates so people get what they need faster.
• Connect digital and physical. Link content to rooms, resources, and events so communication triggers action without switching apps.
• Simplify the tech stack. Reduce overlapping tools and use the intranet as a hub for orchestration and self-service.

Turning analyst insight into the best intranet experience

Organizations with hybrid, remote, and frontline teams need one place to align people, spaces, and information. 

Appspace brings intranet, workplace communications, and workplace management into a single experience. It also supports mobile and deskless audiences, and uses AI to reduce noise and surface what matters. The result? Teams get a smarter, simpler way to work – not just another site to visit.

Today, the modern intranet has evolved into an orchestrator of daily work. That’s why Appspace helps organizations turn communication into action and connection into results. To take the next step, get in touch to learn more or schedule a demo to see Appspace in action. 

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.