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HCL Connections vs Office 365 comparison

The compared HCLSoftware and Microsoft solutions aren't in the same category. HCLSoftware is ranked #5 in CP , with an average rating of 9.0, and holds a 2.6% mindshare in the category. Microsoft is ranked #1 in CCP , with an average rating of 8.5, and holds a 9.6% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.
HCL Connections
Read 55 HCL Connections reviews
  • 661 Views
  • 165 Comparison Views
93% willing to recommend
Office 365
Read 150 Office 365 reviews
  • 2,236 Views
  • 1,565 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between HCL Connections and Office 365 based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Atlassian, Liferay and others in Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals).

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Buyer's Guide
Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)
September 2025
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Helped 871,408 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.2
Users achieved ROI from HCL Connections in nine months by encouraging daily use and eliminating redundant features like chat.
Sentiment score
6.2
Office 365 offers cost savings and enhanced productivity, though ROI varies, especially for small companies with alternative options.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.5
HCL Connections' customer service varies, with mixed reviews on support responsiveness and challenges in reaching knowledgeable staff.
Sentiment score
4.1
Microsoft Office 365 support is generally positive, noting responsiveness and resolution, though initial delays and navigation issues exist.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the HCL Connections report
At times if you're trying to use their online support, they'll send you to an article that may or may not have anything to do with what you're looking for.
For more quotes and insights, download the Office 365 report
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
HCL Connections offers high scalability with effective IBM WebSphere support, despite Solr search limitations and manageable storage challenges.
Sentiment score
7.4
Office 365 is scalable and adaptable, efficiently supporting large user bases with easy scaling through additional licenses.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
HCL Connections is stable on WebSphere but needs tuning for performance; IBM support addresses occasional instability effectively.
Sentiment score
7.4
Office 365 is highly stable, with minor issues on Mac, rated 8-10 for reliability and performance satisfaction.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the HCL Connections report
The integration capabilities of Office 365 with Word, Excel, and Outlook with OneDrive for cloud storage have been smooth and work well.
At this time, whatever they have meets the needs, and they are expanding the number of participants to Team meetings and other features.
For more quotes and insights, download the Office 365 report
 

Room For Improvement

HCL Connections needs better document management, interface customization, third-party integration, collaboration, and cloud stability for improved usability.
Office 365 needs improved multilingual support, non-Windows performance, better third-party integration, enhanced security, AI features, and pricing adjustments.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the HCL Connections report
I believe the choice of office apps often depends on the existing ecosystem of the business, and since Office 365 has comprehensive coverage, I am not missing any features that the competition provides.
One of the big changes is when Microsoft updates anything, they will switch where some of the settings are and where to find them, which becomes a little frustrating because you're used to it in one spot and it's someplace else.
Microsoft could improve their support; I don't deal with Office 365 or Office 365 application-specific issues, but I wonder if it's similar where you get someone from Microsoft to hold your case, which could take a couple of days, maybe a week in between when they get back in contact with you.
For more quotes and insights, download the Office 365 report
AO
EB
reviewer2133984 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Setup Cost

HCL Connections pricing varies widely, offers discounts, flexible licensing, and competitive pricing compared to Jive or SharePoint.
Office 365 pricing varies by features and user count, offering flexibility but can be costly for smaller businesses.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the HCL Connections report
the cost of using the Microsoft ecosystem is higher than the combined cost of using Notion and Slack.
My experience with the pricing or licensing of Office 365 is that a lot of times we've gotten them when they've been on sale, so we've had really good pricing for the Microsoft products.
For more quotes and insights, download the Office 365 report
 

Valuable Features

HCL Connections enhances collaboration with file sharing, tool integration, expert profiles, mobile access, and efficient content management.
Office 365 enhances remote work productivity with collaboration tools, seamless integration, real-time editing, and robust communication features.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the HCL Connections report
It has improved productivity and functionality by providing all necessary tools in one suite.
The most valuable feature is SharePoint, where we can easily put files and make them accessible to any person who has access.
Office 365 has positively impacted my organization by making the salespeople more accurate because they've been able to use the features in Excel instead of relying on the calculator or adding machine.
For more quotes and insights, download the Office 365 report
EL
Godfrey-Noel - PeerSpot reviewer
EB
 

Categories and Ranking

HCL Connections
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) (5th), Enterprise Social Software (10th)
Office 365
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
150
Ranking in other categories
Content Collaboration Platforms (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Messaging and Collaboration solutions, they serve different purposes. HCL Connections is designed for Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) and holds a mindshare of 2.6%, down 3.1% compared to last year.
Office 365, on the other hand, focuses on Content Collaboration Platforms, holds 9.6% mindshare, up 5.7% since last year.
Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
HCL Connections2.6%
SharePoint28.8%
Liferay Digital Experience Platform19.1%
Other49.5%
Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)
Content Collaboration Platforms Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Office 3659.6%
Dropbox Business - Enterprise10.1%
Google Workspace9.8%
Other70.5%
Content Collaboration Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

Hasnain Zahid - PeerSpot reviewer
A stable tool useful to manage marketing-related activities
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten. Sometimes, the portal hangs because I find that if I am on a web page, I have to log out, and then I have to log in to the portal again. Since I see that the portal hangs at times, I have to move from one side of the portal to the next, making me feel that some things are scattered in the product. I attended a meeting with IBM recently, and they are improving a few of the things, in my opinion. The concerns that I have related to the product are being improved since I think many other users have reported issues similar to the ones I faced.
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Gary Cook - PeerSpot reviewer
Access to advanced features boosts productivity despite pricing concerns in developing regions
I need to do maintenance for Office 365 very seldom, once a year. In the maintenance process for Office 365, we have about 12 people involved. For the maintenance side of Office 365, only one person is involved. Looking at Office 365's pricing, I would give it a 4 on a scale from 1 to 10. My overall rating for Office 365 is an 8 out of 10, but for the product itself, I would give it a 10. I would definitely recommend Office 365 to other businesses, probably a 9 out of 10 for recommendation. This is only because of its price and the fact that they do not take into account developing countries such as South Africa, where they should give us more favorable prices or local prices. We do not have a partnership with Microsoft, which is a sore point for us. We have reached out to Microsoft South Africa, and they are very hard to contact and largely uncooperative. We are a B-Level 2 and a B-Level 1, which are local affirmative action ratings that companies get. Level 1 is the highest, and Level 8 is the lowest. We hold amongst the highest BEE ratings, but we have not found Microsoft South Africa to be forthcoming or very open. We should have a partnership with them, and we run Power BI as we are a Power BI shop now. I strongly would want to see a box within Office 365 for our team to have ChatGPT through OpenAI as well. We use Excel as a data source for many tasks and find that it integrates really well with Python. We write a lot of Python code and use Excel as a data sheet many times, and we operate through SQL and other zero elements as well. From an Office 365 viewpoint, we find that with Copilot and Python and Excel's provision for Python, it is very useful.
Read full review
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Performing Arts
21%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Media Company
10%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
18%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Performing Arts
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business22
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise26
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business62
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise68
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL Connections?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten...Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
See all answers
What needs improvement with HCL Connections?
The support is an area where the product can improve. My company faces some support-related issues because whenever we create or generate a ticket, it takes two days for the product's support team ...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for HCL Connections?
I use HCL Connections for marketing purposes. The IBM product in our company already provides us with direct links to the marketing and HR sides.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Office 365?
My experience with the pricing, licensing, or setup costs with Office 365 is that it's the same thing; I'm not really involved with the pricing, so that's not my area of responsibility.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Office 365?
I don't think of any areas that could be improved or things that I would want to see in the next releases of Office 365. Microsoft could improve their support; I don't deal with Office 365 or Offic...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Office 365?
The main use cases for Office 365 are both for our clients and internal use.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Microsoft Teams vs HCL Connections Logo
Microsoft Teams vs HCL Connections
Compared 56% of the time
SharePoint vs HCL Connections Logo
SharePoint vs HCL Connections
Compared 44% of the time
More HCL Connections Competitors
Google Workspace vs Office 365 Logo
Google Workspace vs Office 365
Compared 55% of the time
Dropbox Business - Enterprise vs Office 365 Logo
Dropbox Business - Enterprise vs Office 365
Compared 10% of the time
Microsoft OneDrive for Business vs Office 365 Logo
Microsoft OneDrive for Business vs Office 365
Compared 6% of the time
Quip vs Office 365 Logo
Quip vs Office 365
Compared 5% of the time
Amazon WorkDocs vs Office 365 Logo
Amazon WorkDocs vs Office 365
Compared 5% of the time
More Office 365 Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
HCL Connections
October 2025
HCL Connections reportDownload HCL Connections product report
Buyer's Guide
Office 365
October 2025
Office 365 reportDownload Office 365 product report
 

Also Known As

IBM Connections, Lotus Connections
Microsoft Office 365, Office 365 Enterprise, Office 365 Enterprise E1, Office 365 Enterprise E3, Office 365 Enterprise E5, Office 365 ProPlus, Office 365 Business, Office 365 Business Essentials, Office 365 Business Premium, Office 365 F1
 

Overview

IBM Connections™ is a leading unified collaboration and social networking solution that helps you filter out the noise to get work done. Connections empowers your teams and organization to engage with the right experts, accelerate innovation, and deliver results. All the collaboration tools you need to be productive are united under a single sign-on so you can reduce time spent switching between disparate tools and focus on the people and work that matters most. Experience a security-rich and business-compliant environment sanctioned by IT. Confidently share knowledge within your teams and your organization, and extend collaboration beyond traditional boundaries. Connections can enable you to improve decision-making, increase productivity, and accelerate time-to-market. Shift from being merely productive, to truly effective with Connections today.

IBM Connections can help you: Engage experts. People-centric platform enables you to easily locate the expertise you need, right now. Accelerate innovation. Illuminate and promote new ideas within a thriving social network of teams and communities. Empower teams. Get work done together and take action; anywhere—from any device. Deliver results. Leverage cognitive insights to prioritize results and arrive at better outcomes. Extend collaboration. Safely collaborate with customers and partners, bringing them into the conversation.

HCLSoftware

Office 365 is more than just Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. It provides powerful services like business-class email, online storage, and teamwork solutions that you can access from anywhere. Bring teams and resources together with solutions like Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business that make working together more productive and enjoyable regardless of where participants are located. Easily implement security and privacy controls to help protect business data and devices against malicious threats and help you meet your compliance obligations. Automatic updates ensure your employees will always have the latest features and security updates.

Microsoft
 

Sample Customers

Yamato Financial Co. Ltd., University of Zurich, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V., Telus, Rabobank, Christian Brothers Services, Grupo Financiero Banorte, The Loft Group, Dow Water & Process Solutions, JGC Corporation, College of Medicine, Swansea University, solvito GmbH, Loft Group, Hamm-Reno Group GmbH, Geno SA
Me & the Bees Lemonade
Buyer's Guide
Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)
September 2025
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