The ECA market consists of vendors offering a discrete application, well-defined module, or cohesive set of capabilities that enables people in “communicator” roles to plan, create, coordinate, and distribute internal communications across the workforce or to specific audiences. ECAs include analytics that measure interactions and effectiveness of communications across content, channels, devices, campaigns and feedback loops to assess business and employee value.
Gartner defines an intranet packaged solution (IPS) as a general-purpose, unified, multichannel software product available via public or private cloud deployment. It delivers a versatile range of business-to-employee digital experiences, including internal communications, community and social interaction, knowledge bases, self-service functions, and access to training and business applications. IPS products utilize web and mobile channels to support these experiences, while also offering native support for other channels such as email, AI assistants, digital signage, in-app plugins and messaging apps. The web channel may consist of a single site or a collection of IPS-created sites, encompassing various site types such as portals, “front doors” or hubs. An IPS is typically sponsored by HR and internal communication leaders as part of digital workplace initiatives. An IPS aims to provide consistent digital experiences that help employees perform their best work, connect to the organization’s culture, align with the organization’s strategy, and advance their skills and expertise. It facilitates the creation, deployment, management and evolution of multichannel communications, serving as a common resource for information and knowledge sharing across the organization. Deploying an IPS enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of intranet projects.
The market for social software in the workplace includes software products that support people working together in teams, communities or networks. These products can be tailored to support a variety of collaborative activities. Buyers are looking for virtual environments that can engage participants to create, organize and share information, and encourage them to find, connect and interact with each other. Business use of these products ranges from project coordination within small teams or homogeneous groups, to information exchange between employees across an entire organization.