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HCL Connections Reviews

Vendor: HCLSoftware
4.1 out of 5
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What is HCL Connections?

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.

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HCL Connections is the #5 ranked solution in top Corporate Portals and #15 ranked solution in top Enterprise Social Software. PeerSpot users give HCL Connections an average rating of 8.2 out of 10. HCL Connections is most commonly compared to SharePoint: HCL Connections vs SharePoint. HCL Connections is popular among the small business segment, accounting for 48% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a performing arts, accounting for 13% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
HCL Connections
March 2026
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HCL Connections mindshare

Product category:
Corporate Portals (Enterprise Informa...
As of March 2026, the mindshare of HCL Connections in the Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) category stands at 5.3%, up from 3.0% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
HCL Connections5.3%
SharePoint22.9%
Drupal16.7%
Other55.1%
Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)

PeerResearch reports based on HCL Connections reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryCorporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)Mar 26, 2026Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersMar 26, 2026Download
ComparisonHCL Connections vs SharePointMar 26, 2026Download
ComparisonHCL Connections vs Atlassian ConfluenceMar 26, 2026Download
ComparisonHCL Connections vs Liferay Digital Experience PlatformMar 26, 2026Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
SharePoint3.922.9%79%164 interviewsAdd to research
Atlassian Confluence4.113.0%90%109 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

HCL Connections offers key features like file sharing, communities for team collaboration, mobile access for on-the-go convenience, and integration with existing tools. Users appreciate the ability to manage projects through activities, wikis for documentation, and effective profiles for connecting with resources. Notifications keep teams informed. The platform's suite of enterprise collaboration tools, including social features and threaded conversations, enhances communication, reduces information silos, and supports a unified work environment across departments.
  • "This is a great set of tools that is easy to adapt to different teams."
  • "All the features above improve collaboration among employees."
  • "Communities and activities are very useful for team collaboration and project level communication."

Room for Improvement

HCL Connections needs improvement in its interface, which is not intuitive and challenges users with inconsistent navigation. Document management and file sharing features are limited without additional extensions, making content organization difficult. Licensing and installation are complex, requiring skilled partners. Administration lacks centralization and requires accessing multiple platforms. The mobile and desktop plugins need enhancement for better functionality and integration with other tools. Community and user management features, including tagging and file organization, require further development to improve user experience.
  • "The file plugin for Mac need some improvement."
  • "Movies with high resolution after uploaded in the community had bad quality, were unreadable, or we couldn’t upload files in AVI or WMV."
  • "The UI and UX portions definitely need to be improved."

ROI

Some users observed a positive return within nine months, benefiting from enhanced knowledge sharing and reduced meeting times. Adoption requires effort in the beginning, emphasizing driving initial user engagement. Negotiation on features is crucial; some users pay for unneeded features such as chat services that are already covered by alternatives like Skype. Understanding HCL Connections' capabilities and prioritizing essential features over unnecessary ones can enhance return on investment.

Pricing

HCL Connections pricing involves single user licensing, with two main editions offering similar pricing structures. Companies find initial costs competitive compared to Jive or SharePoint, although market awareness of its value may be limited. Attractive pricing can be secured through IBM business partners, especially when bundled with additional solutions. The cloud version is recommended for reduced maintenance. Negotiations on pricing are beneficial, as list prices may not reflect available discounts and flexibility.

Service and Support

HCL Connections' customer service is mixed, with Business Partners frequently handling tasks. Technical support receives varied feedback, from excellent to needing improvement. Many express satisfaction with knowledgeable and efficient support staff, but some encounter delays and require multiple interactions to resolve issues. IBM's multi-tier support offers strengths at higher levels, while earlier levels can struggle, sometimes requiring escalation. The community and IBM's network of Business Partners provide valuable additional assistance.

Deployment

Initial setup of HCL Connections varies, with some finding it straightforward and quick, especially in cloud environments, while others consider it complex due to integration with components like WebSphere, DB2, LDAP, and Cognos. Technical knowledge is often necessary, and the process is considered challenging when customizing for specific needs. Many participants report needing expert help, although detailed documentation is available. Those already familiar with IBM environments might find it easier.

Scalability

HCL Connections is praised for excellent scalability, handling tens of thousands of users effectively. It is running on the robust IBM WebSphere platform, offering effortless horizontal and vertical scaling. Despite a few noted challenges, such as with Solr search clustering, organizations found their scalability needs met with minimal issues and sufficient infrastructure. Admin users expressed limitations in backend control. Users appreciated the capability to expand using additional resources like RAM and servers when required.

Stability

HCL Connections demonstrates good stability. Many users report no issues when properly configured, though some encounter challenges relating to tuning and performance. Issues like browser incompatibilities and occasional portal hanging have been noted. IBM works with users to resolve such concerns. Some prefer a more stable experience like that of other platforms. Generally, HCL Connections is stable, with improvements ongoing. WebSphere enhances reliability for large environments. Confidence levels vary, mostly favorably. Maintenance occasionally affects stability.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our HCL Connections Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise24
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business55
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise41
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Performing Arts
13%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Marketing Services Firm
11%
Healthcare Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Wholesaler/Distributor
6%
Transportation Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
5%
Educational Organization
4%
Real Estate/Law Firm
4%
Insurance Company
4%
Financial Services Firm
4%
University
4%
Construction Company
3%
Computer Software Company
2%
Consumer Goods Company
2%
Logistics Company
2%
Government
1%
Media Company
1%
Museum Or Institution
1%

Compare HCL Connections with alternative products

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Learn more about HCL Connections

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.

HCL Connections was previously known as IBM Connections, Lotus Connections.

HCL Connections 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

Related questions

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  • 15
When evaluating Corporate Portals, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
  • 59
What is the purpose of a corporate portal?
  • 21
What is the best corporate portal?
  • 17
Why is Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) important for companies?

Product Categories

Product Categories
Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)
Enterprise Social Software

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HCL Connections Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Talent acquisition & development specialist at Software Productivity Strategists, Inc. (SPS)4.5I use HCL Connections for marketing, but the support needs improvement as it takes a week to address issues. We have extensive experience with IBM and utilize HCL Connections for email and social media marketing alongside other partnership products.
IT Support Manager at MAX Burgers AB4.5We use this solution for B2B and in-house collaboration, valuing its adaptable Activity flow. While we've used it six years, we see room for improvement in the Mac file plugin, and a Windows Explorer plugin would enhance usability.
Project Manager | Business Consultant | Learning & Development | Managing Partner at a tech services company with 51-200 employees4.5IBM Connections is great for collaboration, offering valuable external access and document editing. While stable, I desire more homepage news control and improved To-Do list details. It offers good ROI but requires active adoption.
IBM Infrastructure and IBM Escalation at a tech services company with 51-200 employees5.0I find IBM Connections invaluable for collaboration, with excellent search and centralized storage. The upcoming Pink version's modern architecture, hybrid deployment, and Watson integration will significantly enhance capabilities, despite varied customer service.
Chief Solutions Architect at a tech consulting company with self employed4.0I value its strong collaboration, search, and file synchronization features. However, I find deployment and initial setup complex, Solr search has scalability limitations, and customer service quality is inconsistent.
IBM Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees4.0I appreciate its collaboration, offline sync, and communication benefits; it's stable and scalable. My main desires are easier external user addition and UI customization. Deployment is complex, and IBM's PMR service is inconsistent.
Responsable Technique IT at a tech company with 51-200 employees4.5I find IBM Connections a great, integratable product, useful for joint ventures, but its initial setup is complex and customization costly. Support ratings are mixed, and I wish for better employee lifecycle management across companies.
Senior Manager of Network at a mining and metals company with 10,001+ employees3.5<p>I found the solution significantly improved collaboration and communication, especially for R&amp;D and HR, but I was frustrated by the complex setup, technical issues like video quality and session timeouts, and unresponsive customer service regarding suggested improvements.</p>