What To Consider When Using Confluence As An Intranet?

JD Noe

Out of the box, Confluence doesn't really look like an intranet. I'm hoping the community can assist me in identifying what I need to consider when using Confluence as an intranet. Also looking for add-on recommendation for themes and other intranet features like employee directory, department/team calendars, etc . . .

Thanks, 

Bill Napper

I'm currently researching this exact subject, and the first hurdle I'm running into is user licensing/management.

Users are NOT cut and dry when it comes to using Confluence as an intranet. For example, some users will be full typical Confluence users, some will be intranet "department site managers/content creator" users, and many will simply be "read-only" users. I'm not finding that Atlassian or the add-on marketplace is accommodating an affordable "read-only" user.  In other words, so far I'm seeing they expect you to pay the same price for "read-only" users as you do for full feature users. This isn't a model that works and, in my opinion, will stand in the way for Confluence achieving its full potential as an intranet. There may be some "creative work-arounds", but I doubt either side will be happy with the techniques.

In regards to Confluence Intranet related add-ons, don't forget to check version compatibility. There aren't that many intranet add-on options and when you factor in that the add-on must work with your current Confluence version it really narrows the field. As of the time of this post, Brikit Theme Press appears to be the most serious contender. 

I'm still in research mode and hope to find a way to make this work. Please continue to share your Confluence Intranet research and I'll do the same.