Judging by the title of this article and your desire to read it, we’ll assume you’re another Workplace from Meta user on the hunt for your next digital workplace solution. If so, hello!
As you’ll already know, the Workplace shutdown is fast approaching. By August 2025, the platform will be unusable; by June 2026, your data will vanish entirely.
In the coming months, you’ll need to find a new platform, orchestrate your migration and manage all the trials and tribulations that come with change management. (No pressure!)
Today, we’d like to help you with step one of this process: finding a Meta Workplace alternative. In this article, we’ll equip you with 23 questions that’ll help you narrow down your options.
The top Meta Workplace alternatives (and why it’s important to choose the right one)
With a quick Google search, you’ll find an ample list of Workplace alternatives – the “top” being Workvivo by Zoom, Meta’s official migration partner. Others include:
There’s no denying that it’s better to have multiple options than no options at all. But be cautious of falling head over heels for the first platform you set eyes on. Why? Because you’re at risk of buyer’s remorse.
Indeed, a quarter of businesses cancel their SaaS contract after wishing they hadn’t signed on, and a third end up switching to another vendor.
Once the honeymoon period is over, the cracks will start to show. With some “top” platforms, you may end up struggling with slow customer support, limited customisation or lacklustre product features.
So be sure to choose the right internal communication platform/digital workplace solution, rather than the most ‘popular’ one. This is where the following questions will come in handy:
23 essential questions to ask your Meta migration partner
For ease, we’ve split the questions into the following categories; platform features; security; technical considerations; partner support; and pricing and scalability.
Under each question, you’ll find additional advice and considerations to keep in mind.
Platform features
1. Does the digital workplace solution provide similar (or better) features to Meta?
Before you can ask this question, think back on your Workplace investment. Which features did your users like about the platform and would like to keep? Which features didn’t your users like/use? Are there any features that your users wish had been included on the platform, such as a learning management system or an integrated business process automation platform?
Once you have a good understanding of what you’re looking for, you can map your expectations to your list of Workplace alternatives. The goal here is to find a platform that doesn’t just match your Workplace environment, but outperforms it. After all, if you have to move anyway, you may as well dream big and choose a platform that exceeds your expectations and delivers the most ROI.
2. Can you customise your intranet applications and user experiences?
Customisation can have a considerable impact on user experience and adoption rates. This is especially important during the first weeks and months of platform onboarding.
Bearing this in mind, find a Workplace alternative that offers as much personalisation as possible. The right platform will allow you to:
3. Can non-techies use the platform?
We’re sure your IT and development teams already have their hands full. So try to ease their workloads with an intranet solution that everyone can get to grips with.
With a no-code, highly intuitive solution:
4. Can you access the platform via mobile?
Mobile applications and a responsive UI will make it easier for your employees to use your new platform on-the-go. This is especially important for remote workers and/or deskless employees who have limited access to a laptop.
5. Is the tool accessible?
From a diversity, equity and inclusion standpoint, you’ll want to ensure the platform caters for unique user needs. For instance, can it support multi-language communications for employees who don’t speak English as a first language? Can you integrate accessibility tools to help visually impaired, hard of hearing or neurodiverse employees?
6. Can the provider build custom features and automations?
Do you have a specific application or workflow you’d like to embed into the platform? In these unique cases, it’s worth choosing a partner that offers custom features or add-ons.
At Claromentis, we’ve created hundreds of custom applications for our customers. And, when a feature proves popular, we even add it to our exclusive customer marketplace.
7. Does the platform provide analytics and reports?
The right platform will provide you with built-in analytics and reporting capabilities. This will give you insights into general data, such as:
In Claromentis, you can also access application-specific reports relating to e-learning course adoption, policy acceptance, quiz participation, employee absences, expenses, and much more.
With these easily accessible reports, you can gauge user engagement, measure compliance and track employee performance.
Security
8. Does the migration partner follow stringent security standards and adhere to data regulations?
Around 97% of organisations used at least one application that experienced a security incident within the last year.
While some platforms may claim to follow stringent security practices, it’s always best to be absolutely sure. A security-forward digital workplace provider will showcase their security standards on their website and provide proof of certifications on request.
At Claromentis, we’re ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certified, as well as HIPAA compliant. And, yes, we’re more than happy to provide proof of our certifications if you need it!
9. Does the platform allow you to configure permissions and restrict access?
Did you know that one in four users in the average organisation share files as ‘anyone with a link’?
Think of your highly sensitive customer or employee information. If this data fell into the wrong hands, it could land your organisation in a world of trouble.
To avoid hefty fines and reputational damage, you need to home your communications in a highly secure platform that harnesses intuitive permission controls.
For example, in Claromentis you can assign users into unique role-based or departmental-based groups. When a content creator publishes a communication, they can choose which individuals or groups can access the content.
For added peace of mind, you can enable an additional layer of permissions within the Document Management System (DMS). Administrators can apply one of five security levels (ranging from ‘unclassified’ to ‘top secret’) to users. Those users can only access documents and folders that match their permissions.
10. Can you securely share external communications?
Over 90% of businesses share sensitive information externally, according to a recent Wing Security report.
For some industries, this is a necessity. But to ensure you share data securely – and with the correct permissions in place – you’ll need to invest in a platform that offers a watertight extranet portal. That way, you can communicate with suppliers, customers and other third parties without fear of a breach.
11. How secure is the vendor’s hosting environment?
If you’re looking for a SaaS deployment – rather than on-premises – you’ll need to know which cloud hosting provider the vendor works with. Cloud leaders like Google, Azure and AWS implement rigorous security controls to protect your data, including physical security, data encryption and state of the art threat detection.
From here, ask the vendor how they plan on hosting your environment. Will it be single-tenancy or multi-tenancy? While there are pros and cons to both, it’s important to note that single-tenancy can increase the security of your data and enable faster disaster recovery.
12. Does the provider implement any additional security controls?
Your digital workplace provider must protect their infrastructure as carefully as you protect yours. This is a non-negotiable.
So be sure to choose a vendor that implements:
They should also provide you with the necessary security features – application-side – to ensure your data stays secure. This includes:
Technical considerations
13. Does your vendor offer different deployment options?
A cloud-first approach isn’t right for every business. If you’re in a heavily regulated industry, such as finance or healthcare, an on-premises installation can often be the best option.
Of course, not every Workplace alternative will offer this, so be sure to check early on in your research stage. At Claromentis, we offer cloud-based and on-premises deployments at no extra cost – unlike most digital workplace solutions.
14. Can the platform integrate with your existing user directories and workplace tools?
A Single Sign On (SSO) integration will make the migration process – and any other future user onboarding – much easier for your employees.
Further integrations with your existing workplace tools, such as Microsoft OneDrive and Skype, will also benefit your user adoption rates.
15. Is there a repository of technical documentation to help you with the onboarding process?
You don’t want to be left scratching your head during the onboarding process. In order to get to grips with the platform and its features – without hopping on endless support calls – you need clear, extensive technical documentation. This can simplify the transition and reduce some of the stress.
Partner support and reputation
16. What reviews and ratings do they have on trustworthy websites?
For a completely unbiased point of view of your vendors, refer to reviews and ratings on trusted software review sites such as SourceForce and G2. Here, you can quickly view each platform’s pros and cons – and even compare your top picks side-by-side. You can give it a try here.
17. Do they have any reputable industry awards or G2 badges?
Industry awards and badges, such as those awarded by G2, can provide additional reassurance. These companies rigorously analyse user reviews and company performance to find the best tools on the market, so you know they can be trusted.
If you’d like to learn more about how Claromentis earned our latest G2 High Performer and Best Support badges, click here.
18. Will your provider help you with the data migration? If so, how quickly can they do it?
Once you choose your Workplace alternative, you’ll need to work closely with your platform provider to orchestrate your data migration. This process should be as efficient as possible to limit any downtime.
At Claromentis, we offer two migration options: user-only and a full migration. This gives you the option of carrying over your existing Workplace data or starting afresh. Regardless of your needs, we aim to migrate you within 6-8 weeks.
19. Will they offer hands-on support and training beyond the onboarding process?
You can expect to encounter sticking points, requests and questions from your users during and after the onboarding process. This is perfectly natural. After all, it takes time to adjust to a new platform.
To ease this transition, opt for a vendor that offers dedicated customer support, extensive knowledge base documents, bespoke consultancy and e-learning courses. With their help, you can troubleshoot issues, find innovative solutions and help your users get to grips with your new platform quickly.
Pricing and scalability
20. Does the solution offer similar pricing plans (in comparison to Workplace)?
Unless you have the budget for a pricier platform, you’ll want to make sure your new vendor offers similar prices to Workplace – if not cheaper.
That being said, remember that cost isn’t everything. After all, a highly priced solution may seem more upmarket at first but in actuality perform poorly compared to more reasonably priced competitors. That’s why it’s important to vet every platform thoroughly to determine whether you think it’s worth your investment.
21. Is the pricing structure suitable for your company size? Is it easy to scale your plan/users?
In a similar vein, you’ll want to ensure the vendor offers appropriate size-based pricing plans with no hidden fees. If you’re a SMB, you don’t want to pay enterprise prices for features you may not even use.
Equally, think about your long term needs. Do you plan to hire more employees in the future? If so, you’ll want to ensure the platform offers a straightforward pricing point for scaling your users.
22. Does it cost more to adopt additional features?
Many platforms will offer you flashy new features at an additional price. Depending on your business size and budget allocation, these add-on costs may be unsustainable.
At Claromentis, we give you all four of our platforms at no additional cost. This includes:
You can access these platforms in one centralised solution, and even ‘hide’ features you don’t intend to use in your application menu.
23. Do they offer discounts?
As we’ve already said: you shouldn’t place huge importance on price. Quality, compatibility and security are far more important criteria. That being said, a discount never hurt anyone!
At Claromentis, we provide a generous discount on our digital workplace solution for every non-profit, including those for key workers, food banks and local communities. It’s our way of giving back to organisations that often have limited resources.
Take Claromentis for a test run
Finding a new digital workplace solution is no easy task. Beyond navigating the forced eviction, you’ll also need to guide your employees through a new, unfamiliar platform – a platform that you’ll rely on for the majority of your internal communications, processes and document management.
This is why it’s important to use this time wisely and get to know your platform options inside-out.
By asking the right questions (and receiving the right answers), you’ll find a solution that offers the functionality, security and familiarity you’re looking for.
On that note, if you’d like to see how Claromentis measures up to the competition, try out our instant browser-based playground. Or, if you’re looking for a more personalised walkthrough, book a no obligation demo here.
