Your business doesn’t operate in a bubble, so why should your business software? Depending on who you ask, different parties related to your organization are going to have drastically different needs with regards to your internal systems and information.
For example, if you have an ad agency on retainer, they need easy access to your marketing materials. Your distributors, on the other hand, need to be able to look up important product information at a moment’s notice. Employees need a comprehensive intranet to collaborate and direct themselves to various applications, while customers require a more tailored interface to do things like create an online account and submit support tickets.
If you’re having trouble curating the online experience for different user groups, consider investing in portal software. These applications can help you customize the “entryway” to your enterprise business systems.
In this Buyer’s Guide, you’ll learn what portal software is, common functionality, pricing information and more.
Let’s get started:
What Is Portal Software?
Common Functionality of Portal Software Systems
Benefits of Portal Software
How Much Does Portal Software Cost?
Additional Portal Software Resources
Portal software allows companies to customize the digital gateway through which different types of users access enterprise software systems. If first impressions matter (and they do), portal software helps your business make a great one on employees, customers, business partners and more.
Portal software is somewhat of a catch-all term for a variety of different software systems that cater to the needs of different end users. Here are some common examples:
Though web portal software can have wildly different functionality depending on the intended end user, there are a number of common core features that tie these systems together:
Software integration | Integrate with other internal software systems (ERP, EMR, CRM) so users can access necessary functions securely through the portal. |
Single sign on (SSO) | Users create a unique login and password to access a number of separate platforms at once. |
System directory | Point users in the right direction for different business applications and functions. |
Custom user permissions | Group users together and control the information and tools that each group can access. |
When implemented properly, portal software can offer a slew of benefits to different organizations. If you’re having trouble convincing higher-ups to invest in a dedicated web portal system, consider throwing these benefits in your business case:
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How much a specific portal software system costs and how often your business has to make payments depends on your preferred method of deployment. There are generally two different types of deployment models for portal software with different pricing structures:
There may be other costs associated with your portal software as well, for things like setup, training or support. It’s important to note, however, that neither deployment option is necessarily better or cheaper than the other in most cases. Our Total Cost of Ownership Calculator shows that costs for each option tend to equal out over time.
The information found in the Buyer’s Guide is just a starting point. If you want to learn more about portal software, here are a few resources that can help:
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