I’m extremely interested in hearing from people on this.
While we aren’t a Bank, TGG uses a combination of a local wiki + Basecamp to serve as our intranet. (I believe the wiki flavor is doku wiki.) We also currently use FolderShare to for syncing files from local machines back to a centralized server.
We have been using Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 for about 6 months and have had a really good experience with it. We have a common portal for all users, shared documents, calendars, communication, etc, but we have also created portals for each department. The departmental portals are used for inter-departmental communication, scheduling vacations, departmental documents, etc. We have been really suprised how many people have been taking part in utilizing the portals.
We are about 1 month away from rolling out our new Intranet based on Microsoft Office Sharpoint Services 2007 (MOSS 2007). This site will become the primary application where all bank communications, administration, and collaberation will originate. We are also testing Live Communication Server 2007 (LCS 2007) with its integration into Sharepoint, Outlook, Video Conferencing, and our Cisco phone system. So far, what we’ve seen is pretty amazing with all the cross funtionality. Even with some of the limitations on certain features still found within MOSS 2007, the potential benefits are exciting.
We haven’t implemented an Intranet yet, but are weighing Open Source content management systems against Sharepoint. At a prior bank, we used the PostNuke (www.postnuke.com) CMS. Users could contribute articles, which were reviewed and approved prior to posting. It quickly replaced email as Management’s preferred tool for communicating with our employees.
If you have linux-apache-mysql-php skills, you might consider Joomla – www.joomla.org.
I custom developed our Intranet using basic html. It is not an interactive intranet, but that wasn’t what I was originally trying to achieve.
It is just a central place where people can open commonly used links, open and fill out electronic forms, look at policies, procedures, ect., learn about each other through their profile, and find out about recent employee news (like when someone has had a baby).
Maybe I should have started another question for this, but in what ways are you using or wanting to use your intranet?
I’m just going to throw this out there but has any of the IT folks consider a wiki in some form or fashion? More over, a ‘everyone can edit’ wiki? That might be a bit much at first but would love to hear your thoughts.
Our corp communications team is pretty much in the same place as Jon D: MOSS 2007 is just around the corner and we’re kicking the tires on LCS. They’re also piloting wikis in a few places around our bank, but it’s very early going. Some forums too, but no true blogs yet.
I’ve personally been running a “pirate” web server off the side of my desk for the last few years. I’ve been running Wordpress (for multiple blogs) and MediaWiki for a while. That wiki is available to anyone, including editing, though it’s kind of off the grid so it’s really just my immediate department (~100 people) using it. I use it to keep track of ideas for what features we should have in our electronic channels: descriptions of each feature, discussions, customer request histry, work estimates, dependencies, business cases, etc.
It’s sad, really: even though this server is free, useful and secure (I manage it myself) our corporate IT department is determined to kill it.
I’ve gone through three revisions with our Intranet. I used Dreamweaver to build it out much like our corporate website, but with each revision, the content grew, it was difficult to get content updated, and I was the only one that had the HTML knowledge. We started using Passageways for our Intranet over two years ago and we haven’t looked back. We now have content managers that can update content, upload forms and procedures, etc. If you want more info, let me know. It has been a great tool for us.
I have thought about using a wiki for our internal knowledgebase, but that thought hasn’t gone terribly far so far.
We use Intranet Connections which was here when I got here, and which I’m not terribly thrilled with. I’m pretty picky about software, though, so I’m moving slowly on anything to do with replacing it, just to make sure it’s not just me.
Plus we have a totally separate web app for IT work orders, and another one for a knowledge base. I’m leaving the work order thing alone, but I’m also evaluating the knowledge base to see if it’s worth what we’re paying for it.
I’ve got a committee looking at changes, and I think that we’ve worked out the basic goals: help employees succeed at their jobs, help them serve members, and help them connect with other employees. Pretty vague, but better than we had before!
Laurel, I have a brochure from Passageways and I’ve been curious about how it works in practice. I’d be very interested in hearing more. Two years is definitely long enough to know if it’s worthwhile!
@Elaine: Awesome that your committee has a good set of goals that you’re working from. So much better than:
"We need an intranet/sharepoint/wiki."
"Why?"
"So we can can share stuff!!!"
"Ok......."
In fact, purpose and use are such a big deal, I’m taking Paul’s suggestion from above and spinning that off into it’s own discussion. Go check it out and share your thoughts.
We are getting ready to roll out a new intranet for our company that utilizes a custom-built CMS solution from Global Reach. Included features will be a document library, several interactive modules, a calendar of events, discussion forums and a customizable dashboard.
straight HTML and word docs… just because thats how we roll :)...
We are working on finding another solution to this system so that I.T. doesn’t have to be so hands on.
Just got back from the TBA tech conference in Austin and saw a product called “Web at Work” from CSI. They are a core provider but say they sell this outside their core. He was calling it a “Portal” and those that know me know a “Portal” could mean a LOT of things to this “Baby boomer and OLD SCHOOL guy”.
Just wonder if anyone on BT is using this product and what they thought.
We use a solution by BancIntranets – it not only does our intranet, we use it as a launchpad for any web enabled application. We also purchased the BankTrain solution – so that when a new policy is written, we can have users read it and check yes/no and pull reports for training compliance. It also handles our forms and much more—
Let me know if you are interested in learning more, as I am friends with the CEO and can put you in touch.
Mark M.
I’m extremely interested in hearing from people on this.
While we aren’t a Bank, TGG uses a combination of a local wiki + Basecamp to serve as our intranet. (I believe the wiki flavor is doku wiki.) We also currently use FolderShare to for syncing files from local machines back to a centralized server.
@Owen: What are you guys using?
Klint O.
We have been using Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 for about 6 months and have had a really good experience with it. We have a common portal for all users, shared documents, calendars, communication, etc, but we have also created portals for each department. The departmental portals are used for inter-departmental communication, scheduling vacations, departmental documents, etc. We have been really suprised how many people have been taking part in utilizing the portals.
Jon D.
We are about 1 month away from rolling out our new Intranet based on Microsoft Office Sharpoint Services 2007 (MOSS 2007). This site will become the primary application where all bank communications, administration, and collaberation will originate. We are also testing Live Communication Server 2007 (LCS 2007) with its integration into Sharepoint, Outlook, Video Conferencing, and our Cisco phone system. So far, what we’ve seen is pretty amazing with all the cross funtionality. Even with some of the limitations on certain features still found within MOSS 2007, the potential benefits are exciting.
JP
We haven’t implemented an Intranet yet, but are weighing Open Source content management systems against Sharepoint. At a prior bank, we used the PostNuke (www.postnuke.com) CMS. Users could contribute articles, which were reviewed and approved prior to posting. It quickly replaced email as Management’s preferred tool for communicating with our employees.
If you have linux-apache-mysql-php skills, you might consider Joomla – www.joomla.org.
Paul B.
I custom developed our Intranet using basic html. It is not an interactive intranet, but that wasn’t what I was originally trying to achieve.
It is just a central place where people can open commonly used links, open and fill out electronic forms, look at policies, procedures, ect., learn about each other through their profile, and find out about recent employee news (like when someone has had a baby).
Maybe I should have started another question for this, but in what ways are you using or wanting to use your intranet?
Brad G.
I’m just going to throw this out there but has any of the IT folks consider a wiki in some form or fashion? More over, a ‘everyone can edit’ wiki? That might be a bit much at first but would love to hear your thoughts.
Dan D.
Our corp communications team is pretty much in the same place as Jon D: MOSS 2007 is just around the corner and we’re kicking the tires on LCS. They’re also piloting wikis in a few places around our bank, but it’s very early going. Some forums too, but no true blogs yet.
I’ve personally been running a “pirate” web server off the side of my desk for the last few years. I’ve been running Wordpress (for multiple blogs) and MediaWiki for a while. That wiki is available to anyone, including editing, though it’s kind of off the grid so it’s really just my immediate department (~100 people) using it. I use it to keep track of ideas for what features we should have in our electronic channels: descriptions of each feature, discussions, customer request histry, work estimates, dependencies, business cases, etc.
It’s sad, really: even though this server is free, useful and secure (I manage it myself) our corporate IT department is determined to kill it.
Laurel M.
I’ve gone through three revisions with our Intranet. I used Dreamweaver to build it out much like our corporate website, but with each revision, the content grew, it was difficult to get content updated, and I was the only one that had the HTML knowledge. We started using Passageways for our Intranet over two years ago and we haven’t looked back. We now have content managers that can update content, upload forms and procedures, etc. If you want more info, let me know. It has been a great tool for us.
Elaine N.
So much Sharepoint!
I have thought about using a wiki for our internal knowledgebase, but that thought hasn’t gone terribly far so far.
We use Intranet Connections which was here when I got here, and which I’m not terribly thrilled with. I’m pretty picky about software, though, so I’m moving slowly on anything to do with replacing it, just to make sure it’s not just me.
Plus we have a totally separate web app for IT work orders, and another one for a knowledge base. I’m leaving the work order thing alone, but I’m also evaluating the knowledge base to see if it’s worth what we’re paying for it.
I’ve got a committee looking at changes, and I think that we’ve worked out the basic goals: help employees succeed at their jobs, help them serve members, and help them connect with other employees. Pretty vague, but better than we had before!
Laurel, I have a brochure from Passageways and I’ve been curious about how it works in practice. I’d be very interested in hearing more. Two years is definitely long enough to know if it’s worthwhile!
Mark M.
@Elaine: Awesome that your committee has a good set of goals that you’re working from. So much better than:
In fact, purpose and use are such a big deal, I’m taking Paul’s suggestion from above and spinning that off into it’s own discussion. Go check it out and share your thoughts.
What is the purpose of your intranet?
Mike T.
We are getting ready to roll out a new intranet for our company that utilizes a custom-built CMS solution from Global Reach. Included features will be a document library, several interactive modules, a calendar of events, discussion forums and a customizable dashboard.
JB D.
straight HTML and word docs… just because thats how we roll :)... We are working on finding another solution to this system so that I.T. doesn’t have to be so hands on.
Henry E.
Just got back from the TBA tech conference in Austin and saw a product called “Web at Work” from CSI. They are a core provider but say they sell this outside their core. He was calling it a “Portal” and those that know me know a “Portal” could mean a LOT of things to this “Baby boomer and OLD SCHOOL guy”.
Just wonder if anyone on BT is using this product and what they thought.
Jeffry P.
http://www.cutimes.com/section/technology/36860
Aiden M.
We use a solution by BancIntranets – it not only does our intranet, we use it as a launchpad for any web enabled application. We also purchased the BankTrain solution – so that when a new policy is written, we can have users read it and check yes/no and pull reports for training compliance. It also handles our forms and much more— Let me know if you are interested in learning more, as I am friends with the CEO and can put you in touch.