The major enterprise collaboration platforms and their mobile clients

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  • While there are hundreds of options, most enterprises end up looking at this short list of platforms and capabilities for workforce collaboration.

    While there are hundreds of options, most enterprises end up looking at this short list of platforms and capabilities for workforce collaboration.

    Last week I examined the leading and/or most established players in enterprise collaboration. This gallery summarizes the major options available today while also taking a look at their mobile capabilities, which are now relatively sophisticated except for a surprising omission.

    Each enterprise collaboration platform is presented along with their mobile clients. Whenever possible, their relative popularity in terms of user ratings either in the App Store or Google Play is given, something which is a useful gauge on how easy they are to use, especially in terms of stability and frequency of update from the vendors.

    These players cover the gamut from enterprise social networks (ESNs), to some form of content or document management system with social features, and/or an intranet/portal platform. Most of the options presented here offer a range of these capabilties but almost all of them focus primarily in one area or the other.

    Finally, based on the e-mail I recieved from the original post, there's a lot of interest in taking a look at the 2nd tier of options, since innovation in collaboration seems to be continuing unabated and new entries emerge all the time. I will be assembling this list soon and posting it here. You can use my feedback form to submit any entries you'd like to see included.

    Platforms included in this gallery are Box, Citrix Podio, Cisco WebEx Social, IBM Connections, Jive Social Business Platform, Microsoft SharePoint and Yammer, Salesforce Chatter, and SAP Jam.

    You can start viewing the gallery here.

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    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Box is a secure, file-based collaboration platform in the cloud with strong security and integration with many popular applications.

    Box is a secure, file-based collaboration platform in the cloud with strong security and integration with many popular applications.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • The current version of the Box mobile app on iOS currently has 4 stars out of 5. On Android's Google Play it has 4.5 out 5.

    The current version of the Box mobile app on iOS currently has 4 stars out of 5. On Android's Google Play it has 4.5 out 5.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • The Podio platform by Citrix is one of a handful of enterprise collaboration platforms that has an app store.

    The Podio platform by Citrix is one of a handful of enterprise collaboration platforms that has an app store.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Podio has a popular mobile client on iOS (5 out of 5 stars) as well as an Android client (4 out of 5 stars)

    Podio has a popular mobile client on iOS (5 out of 5 stars) as well as an Android client (4 out of 5 stars)

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Cisco has renamed their Quad collaboration platform, dubbing it WebEx Social.

    Cisco has renamed their Quad collaboration platform, dubbing it WebEx Social.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Cisco's WebEx Social has a highly capable iOS client (5 out of 5 stars currently) that can do video calls. Surprisingly, an Android version is not available.

    Cisco's WebEx Social has a highly capable iOS client (5 out of 5 stars currently) that can do video calls. Surprisingly, an Android version is not available.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • IBM's Connections platform has evolved over the years to become a leader in many areas of enterprise collaboration.

    IBM's Connections platform has evolved over the years to become a leader in many areas of enterprise collaboration.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • IBM Connections has rich support for iOS mobile clients (4.5 out of 5 stars) and Android devices (4.5 out of 5 stars)

    IBM Connections has rich support for iOS mobile clients (4.5 out of 5 stars) and Android devices (4.5 out of 5 stars)

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Jive's social business platform has been designed from scratch as an enterprise social network.

    Jive's social business platform has been designed from scratch as an enterprise social network.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Jive has separate clients for iPhones and iPads, but both are highly rated (~4.5 out of 5). The Android version ranks 3.5 out of 5.

    Jive has separate clients for iPhones and iPads, but both are highly rated (~4.5 out of 5). The Android version ranks 3.5 out of 5.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Microsoft's document-centric SharePoint is a major player in enterprise collaboration, but isn't very social or mobile.

    Microsoft's document-centric SharePoint is a major player in enterprise collaboration, but isn't very social or mobile.

    Though well-reviewed options like Infragistic's SharePlus exist on both iOS and Android.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Though the more extensively used document management platform, SharePoint has no native mobile apps.

    Though the more extensively used document management platform, SharePoint has no native mobile apps.

    Though well-reviewed options like Infragistic's SharePlus exist on both iOS and Android.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Microsoft's Yammer platform is a private social network based on microblogging that more firms have than they realize.

    Microsoft's Yammer platform is a private social network based on microblogging that more firms have than they realize.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Yammer has mature mobile clients for both iOS (4 out of 5 stars) and Android (3 out of 5 stars)

    Yammer has mature mobile clients for both iOS (4 out of 5 stars) and Android (3 out of 5 stars)

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Salesforce's Chatter platform is a more recent entry in enterprise collaboration, but is already reaching maturity.

    Salesforce's Chatter platform is a more recent entry in enterprise collaboration, but is already reaching maturity.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • Chatter has sophisticated mobile clients on both iOS (4 out of 5 stars) and Android (3.5 out of 5 stars.)

    Chatter has sophisticated mobile clients on both iOS (4 out of 5 stars) and Android (3.5 out of 5 stars.)

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • One of the newest, but more ambitious and business-focused new entrants, SAP's Jam is looking at raising the bar in enterprise collaboration.

    One of the newest, but more ambitious and business-focused new entrants, SAP's Jam is looking at raising the bar in enterprise collaboration.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

  • SAP Jam already has mobile clients for iOS, Android, and Blackberry under their SuccessFactors brand.

    SAP Jam already has mobile clients for iOS, Android, and Blackberry under their SuccessFactors brand.

    Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

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Microsoft's Yammer platform is a private social network based on microblogging that more firms have than they realize.

Caption by: Dion Hinchcliffe

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