The intranet market is changing considerably. Whereas organizations used to often opt for a stand-alone intranet product separate from their Microsoft 365 environment, we now see a clear shift toward intranets running on SharePoint. And that’s striking, because for years SharePoint was precisely not the preferred choice for an intranet. It was complex, limited in features and often not very user-friendly.
But that has changed in recent years. Microsoft has made great strides, and developers of intranet solutions are increasingly able to harness the power of SharePoint. At the same time, we see that organizations are looking more and more critically at what an intranet should really offer: ease of use, integration with existing tools, scalability and future-proofing.
One of the notable players in that new wave is Fresh Intranet. So time to dive deeper into it. Together with independent intranet consultant Christiaan Lustig and Fresh product director David Bowman, we spoke at I4-YOU about the market, technological developments and Fresh’s role in this landscape.
According to Christiaan, the space for SharePoint as an intranet platform has grown significantly over the past five years. Where before there were hardly any serious alternatives within the Microsoft ecosystem, you now see that products like Fresh actually add value. David explains that Fresh is built entirely within the SharePoint framework. Everything Microsoft offers is not copied or overwritten, but cleverly supplemented.
This makes Fresh not a competitor of Microsoft, but an extension of what Microsoft 365 already has in place. Especially for organizations already working with Microsoft, this is a big advantage: you stay within the same environment, but with much more grip, overview and ease of use.
Christiaan reviewed Fresh critically and sees many strengths, but also room for further refinement. For example, he notes that a central work stock function – where tasks from multiple systems come together, is still missing. He also sees the ability to purposefully share a page with just a single colleague or specific group (without visibility to everyone) as something Fresh could strengthen in the future.
At the same time, he points out that these are not showstoppers. They are not essential requirements for any intranet, but they are features that can take the user experience to an even higher level. And more importantly, Fresh is constantly evolving and open to this kind of feedback.
And David actively responds to that. He emphasizes that Fresh is in constant dialogue with customers and partners to improve the platform. What they hear, they take seriously, it is a valuable source of input, in addition to their own vision and roadmap. At I4-YOU we also notice this: several suggestions we made on behalf of clients have actually been implemented in Fresh.
What already sets Fresh apart are tools that make intranet content management easier. Consider a centralized content calendar, which editors can use to plan and fine-tune news, campaigns and updates. Or notifications that user contributors are required to view before they can proceed, useful for important announcements.
When it comes to search, Fresh also offers something extra. Whereas the standard SharePoint search function often searches too broadly across the entire Microsoft 365 environment, Fresh’s search functionality is scoped specifically for the intranet. David explains that employees can configure how searches are performed, what content is discoverable and how results are presented. In doing so, the interface is fully customizable, including AI integrations focused on the intranet experience itself.
AI is a hot topic, but according to David, simply building “another chatbot” was not an option. Fresh integrates AI in a way that truly fits within intranet scenarios. Think insight into outdated content, smart suggestions for cleanup, or bulk transfer of content when an employee leaves service.
Christiaan calls this one of Fresh’s strengths: the AI is not only functional, but also secure and manageable. Organizations can control which SharePoint libraries are fed, which metadata is used and who has access to which information. This makes AI a true assistant.
And that is exactly where AI makes a difference in the context of internal communications: not yet another hype item, but a concrete solution to recognizable issues.
According to David, Fresh is all about the big picture. In recent years, much attention has gone to the admin center, making intranet management a lot more accessible. Functionalities such as configurations per feature, extensive reporting and accessible content analysis give communications teams more control and insight.
Christiaan notes that many of these features can also be found in other (non-Microsoft-based) intranet solutions. But the advantage is that everything stays within Microsoft 365. For organizations already working in it, that means less switching, more integration and higher efficiency.
For many organizations, that integration is crucial; it allows for faster adoption, less management burden and better alignment with existing work processes.
Yet David sees that there are still organizations that prefer to avoid SharePoint purely because of old experiences. That image, he says, is outdated, but persistent. He emphasizes that those who really see Fresh in action are often pleasantly surprised. The combination of familiar Microsoft functionality and extras that really add value makes Fresh particularly powerful, especially if you’re already on Microsoft 365.
Christiaan underscores that point. He sees in Fresh a solution that is more deeply integrated with Microsoft than any independent tool. With all the benefits of that integration, and yes, some limitations at times. But for organizations seeking the balance of power, simplicity and familiarity, this is a rock-solid offering.
An interesting point that came up during the conversation is that many organizations make the move to Microsoft 365, look at SharePoint, conclude that it’s not enough out-of-the-box … and then go straight to a stand-alone solution. What they miss is that there are intermediate steps, and Fresh is one of them, and perhaps the most powerful.
Christiaan sees Fresh filling in the gaps where SharePoint falls short, without leaving the Microsoft ecosystem. And that makes it a solution with real potential, especially when given the opportunity to showcase it.
In doing so, Christiaan asks a legitimate, critical question: how can you be sure Fresh is not going down the same path as Valo? After all, that too was a successful SharePoint-based intranet, and it was eventually terminated. Such an association can understandably make organizations wary.
David responds firmly: That’s really not an issue here – for several reasons. Fresh has now signed long-term contracts with major international clients such as BP, TD Bank and KPMG. These are solid, multi-year commercial agreements that cannot simply be discontinued.
Moreover, Fresh is part of Advania, a larger European IT organization with a strong reputation and solid financial foundation. That gives security. Fresh is structurally updated four times a year, works with a clear roadmap for the future, and is built precisely with long-term value in mind. The pricing also reflects that ambition: no race to the bottom, but room to keep investing in development, innovation and support.
Fresh is not a standalone intranet product that replaces SharePoint – it is the missing link that makes everything fall into place. For organizations serious about using Microsoft 365, Fresh provides overview, control, efficiency and smart support. Not by ignoring Microsoft, but by making optimal use of it.
At I4-YOU, we believe in this approach. Because it is not only technically sound, but also really works for the people who have to work with it. And because as a partner of Fresh we actively think along about new features, we can help our clients to continuously improve their intranet experience.
