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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    HCL Notes

    Score3.5 out of 10
    N/ANotes from HCL (formerly from IBM, acquired by HCL in late 2018) is a collaboration platform based on the Lotus platform.N/A

    SharePoint

    Score7.8 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft's SharePoint is an Intranet solution that enables users to share and manage content, knowledge, and applications to empower teamwork, quickly find information, and collaborate across the organization.

    $5

    Per User Per Month

    Pricing
    HCL NotesSharePoint
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Plan 1
    $5.00
    Per User Per Month
    Plan 2
    $10.00
    Per User Per Month
    Office 365 E3
    $20.00
    Per User Per Month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    HCL NotesSharePoint
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    HCL NotesSharePoint
    Considered Both Products
    HCLSoftware
    No answer on this topic
    Microsoft
    Chose SharePoint
    Microsoft SharePoint shares many of the same pros and cons as HCL Notes. It does a lot. Maybe too much to understand.
    Incentivized
    Chose SharePoint
    It was a strategic decision to use Microsoft so SharePoint fit into the strategy.
    Incentivized
    Chose SharePoint
    SharePoint has replaced WordPress for internal blogs and Lotus Notes for collaboration sites. SharePoint was chosen because of its one-stop solution (blogs, news, document folder functionalities) over WordPress for blog. As for Lotus Notes, Outlook and SharePoint made a better …
    Incentivized
    Chose SharePoint
    SharePoint 2013 leads in every way. It feels modern, professional and well designed. I would guess the developers had regular every day users in mind when creating the product with the exception of customization of pages which sometimes can throw off even more experienced …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    89%
    Would buy again
    51 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    96%
    Delivers good value for the price
    45 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    95%
    Happy with the feature set
    54 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    27 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    37 Answers
    Features
    HCL NotesSharePoint
    Project Management
    Comparison of Project Management features of HCL Notes and Microsoft SharePoint
    Feature
    HCL Notes
    6.9
    10 Ratings
    11% below category average
    Microsoft SharePoint
    -
    Ratings
    Task Management7.09 Ratings00 Ratings
    Gantt Charts6.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Scheduling8.09 Ratings00 Ratings
    Workflow Automation5.06 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Access8.010 Ratings00 Ratings
    Search6.09 Ratings00 Ratings
    Visual planning tools8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Communication
    Comparison of Communication features of HCL Notes and Microsoft SharePoint
    Feature
    HCL Notes
    9.2
    10 Ratings
    15% above category average
    Microsoft SharePoint
    -
    Ratings
    Chat6.010 Ratings00 Ratings
    Notifications9.010 Ratings00 Ratings
    Discussions9.57 Ratings00 Ratings
    Surveys9.14 Ratings00 Ratings
    Internal knowledgebase10.06 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with GoToMeeting10.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts10.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with Outlook10.05 Ratings00 Ratings
    File Sharing & Management
    Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of HCL Notes and Microsoft SharePoint
    Feature
    HCL Notes
    7.6
    9 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Microsoft SharePoint
    -
    Ratings
    Versioning9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Video files6.05 Ratings00 Ratings
    Audio files6.05 Ratings00 Ratings
    Document collaboration8.08 Ratings00 Ratings
    Access control6.08 Ratings00 Ratings
    Advanced security features8.08 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with Google Drive10.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Device sync8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    HCL NotesSharePoint
    Small Businesses
    Flock
    Score9.5 out of 10
    HCL Connections
    Score9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Troop Messenger
    Score9.8 out of 10
    HCL Connections
    Score9 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
    Score9 out of 10
    HCL Connections
    Score9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    HCL NotesSharePoint
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.0
    (16 ratings)
    8.1
    (271 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    1.7
    (5 ratings)
    9.8
    (26 ratings)
    Usability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.2
    (31 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    8.8
    (13 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.5
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    6.0
    (5 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.2
    (51 ratings)
    Data Sources
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.6
    (50 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    HCL NotesSharePoint
    Likelihood to Recommend
    HCLSoftware
    I often work with teams from other country and regions, hence HCL Notes is a very useful platform for internal company management operations. It standardized organisational work standards in most of the offices worldwide. HCL Notes also enables chat with other team around the world that I find very helpful when initiating conversation or just want to have a quick update rather than sending emails and waiting for replies. However, HCL Notes is not very efficient in web browsing and user still need to use other internet service providers.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    It's Microsoft, so it rarely goes down or unnecessarily limits access. It works, though page load times can be long if you have lots of data. I feel like the Mac vs. PC divide has started to show up for MS products, but SharePoint works well with both.
    Read full review
    Pros
    HCLSoftware
    • It has a really strong and robust database that's extremely scalable and holds up well to thousands of users and many different environments.
    • It has a really good enterprise-grade framework for development custom database applications
    • All of the custom database applications along with the email all have a nice uniform look and feel so their easy-to-use.
    • I really like how it's developed and supported on every client OS (Windows, OSX, Linux)! The competitors definitely do NOT offer this (M$).
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • We track employees' performance sheets, which are accessible to the employee, his manager, and HR, and this helps with transparency.
    • We maintain technical process documents and SOPs, which help us quickly provide relevant documents during audits.
    • We maintain incident documents change request forms in SharePoint, which helps us in tracking the changes.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    HCLSoftware
    • Notes' backwards compatibility sometimes gets in the way. Menus are cluttered with extraneous, outdated options and features that modern users will never use, and Preferences are often difficult to navigate for those coming from Gmail or Outlook. We have greatly simplified this via Policies, but users still find it daunting to go through all the options that are available.
    • The IBM Notes client for Windows & Mac is essentially the Eclipse Java development platform...so it is HUGE. Performance initially was very slow but IBM has done a good job of speeding things up. As IBM moves more toward cloud-delivered applications, this will not be as much of a problem.
    • Notes and Domino can be complex to manage for administrators who are more accustomed to ActiveDirectory, Group Policy, etc. Editing a notes.ini file to add a feature, or working with XML files by hand to create a SmartUpgrade kit can be daunting to those coming from more modern administrative roles.
    • Some users claim to "hate" Notes mail. While I have heard this less and less over the past 10 years, we have had 3rd party software offer plugins to Outlook and it's rare to see any for Notes.
    • The client update process should be automated more. I would like to see the Notes client update quietly and quickly more like an Adobe software update. If an update fails it should automatically try again without prompting the user over and over.
    • Notes multiple language spell checking is a downloaded add-on Java-based resource that has to be deployed in a convoluted way that is difficult for users to grasp. Therefore any foreign language spell check updates must be done individually per Notes client by IT, which is unfortunate. I would prefer to see that be a "live download" update option for users to get directly from IBM (don't make me download it and put it on my network).
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Windows Explorer users have some difficulty having to constantly UPLOAD / DOWNLOAD files. Specifically on the DOWNLOAD when they are used to Drag & Drop in & out of LOCAL folders via Window's explorer.
    • Microsoft SharePoint supports multiple "library" types. When implementing our "image" library the search function is done via "tags" and boolean logic. This is challenging to most end users. I'd like our users to be able to search our Microsoft SharePoint image library without having to enter KEYWORD or other BOOLEAN logic.
    • Microsoft SharePoint can also be an internal website for each department or company wide communication tool but I believe these features are geared for much larger organizations. Since we are a SMB we really aren't using these features. So maybe something more useful to SMBs would be nice.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    HCLSoftware
    I've been in IT business and as a Programmer/Developer for 20+ years with too many programming languages experiences/back ground (C/C++/Visual Basic/Basic Program/Unix/COBOL/Java). Also with 18+ years with Lotus Notes/IBM Domino, I am still and always think Lotus Notes is the best RAD platform available!. When the time where resource is very limited and the expectation is very high and the turn around is too short, IBM Domino/Notes is the platform to use and it's the only choice available.
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    It's integral to our business. It's already included with most of the Office 365 licensing we buy, so the cost is effectively zero. It stores our files, it is the foundation for custom applications, and Microsoft only continues to enhance its functionality and its connections to other Microsoft tools. SharePoint just keeps getting better and better.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    HCLSoftware
    Easy to use for the user, most of the apps we developed, there is not much need for user training. Most of the times, we just do a demo to the users group and they can pick up from there.
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    No usability issues reported. Individual teams also have allocated areas which replace legacy shared drives on local LANs. Access to Sharepoint resources is fully integrated with corporate Active Directory with additional two-factor authentication required for administrative users. Users have access to Microsoft Services Hub which allows you to create, manage, and track support requests while staying current on Microsoft technologies with access to select self-paced learning paths
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    HCLSoftware
    I've been using the production for a very long time and very happy with it. Also, all the online resources and forums for notes is very friendly and easy/quick for getting help. I found out that compared to Microsoft or Oracle or any other platforms, IBM Notes online forum is the best I have seen.
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Support for SharePoint is quite good. Microsoft provides good support. Microsoft offers
    • Quick turnaround time for issues
    • A range of support services
    • Access to a network of resources
    • Escalation of issues
    • Ongoing development and commitment to produce enhancement
    The majority of support is required for initial installation. Once complete and the system is operating we have had very few support issues.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    HCLSoftware
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    The face to face training I received was on SharePoint Administration. It was rushed as there was a lot of information to cover and the application of the labs weren't that great either. I like to be able to relate what I am learning to what I am currently doing.
    Read full review
    Online Training
    HCLSoftware
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    I like to learn at my own pace and online training allows for that. Additionally, you can skip through pieces of content that you already know or are already comfortable with. Microsoft actually offers great videos on their website for basic fundamental SharePoint Training. I have used these training videos in some of my own training sessions with end users.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    HCLSoftware
    Implementation is easy and smooth if the requirement is well gathered/documented. Notes is a RAD platform, all projects in Notes is simple in the implementation step.
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Planning to the last detail would be advised. SharePoint is a very large application that takes a lot of finesse to get operational
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    HCLSoftware
    Outlook has been considered for years as a replacement platform. Pricing and support staff made it prohibitive. Our long-time use of Microsoft Office productivity suite naturally led us to consider the adoption of Office365. A recent investigation told us that Azure Cloud services propel an O365 solution to the forefront. Early adopters in international divisions have paved the way for Azure and O365.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    The reasons for selecting MS SharePoint are: SharePoint provides ease of use and web design assistance and support SharePoint helps you schedule your content for publishing. enables users to share documents with external parties and offers a better internal structure of the content and better indexing and searching capabilities.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    HCLSoftware
    • Over the years, we have lost countless hours of productivity from the thousands of crashes we have experienced.
    • One benefit of IBM Notes is that it is very simple to train a new user on. Many people prefer and are familiar with Google tools, but those that use IBM Notes have very little trouble acclimating themselves.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • It comes with Office 365. It won't cost you any additional charges.
    • It will help you to streamline your communication and work as a central hub for all tasks, files[,] and events[.]
    • Setting it up will need a bit [of] planning. If you jump blindly it will become a confusing place for your team members and make them frustrated[.]
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots