SharePoint Intranet Software Buyer Guide: Build a Modern Intranet in 10 Minutes with Origami
Building a modern SharePoint intranet often takes longer than expected.
While Microsoft SharePoint provides a strong foundation, many organizations struggle to create an intranet that looks polished, feels intuitive, and supports real employee workflows without custom development or long implementation projects.
This buyer guide explains how Origami helps organizations create a fully functional, website-like SharePoint intranet in minutes, what problems it solves compared to native SharePoint, and how it compares to other intranet approaches.
What Is Origami for SharePoint?
Origami Software Corp provides a SharePoint intranet solution that extends Microsoft SharePoint Online with ready-to-use templates and no-code web parts.
Origami is not a separate intranet platform.
It runs entirely inside your Microsoft 365 tenant, using SharePoint’s supported framework (SPFx).
Organizations use Origami to:
Launch intranet pages quickly
Improve SharePoint design and usability
Add intranet-specific functionality without coding
Avoid long consulting engagements
Why Native SharePoint Templates Are Often Not Enough
Microsoft provides some SharePoint page templates, but they are primarily designed for:
Announcements
Campaigns
Informational pages
They may feel not optimized for day-to-day intranet use.
Most organizations need core intranet pages such as:
An employee homepage with news, events, and resources
A structured onboarding experience
A centralized benefits and payroll hub
Career development and internal opportunities pages
A learning and training portal
Native SharePoint templates typically lack:
Personalization
Directories
KPIs and trackers
Integrated social or external feeds
Consistent styling controls
Origami addresses these gaps directly.
What You Get with Origami (Out of the Box)
Origami provides pre-built SharePoint intranet pages that are ready to use immediately.
Typical starter intranet pages include:
Personalized employee homepage (quick links, calendar, directory)
Alternative homepage with enterprise search and employee social
New employee onboarding page with timeline and documents
Work benefits page
Learning and development page with role-based and mandatory training
Payroll and expenses page
News center with LinkedIn feed
Department landing pages
Careers page
Knowledge base landing page
Knowledge base article page
These are real SharePoint pages, not locked layouts or demos.
Each page can be edited, extended, or reused as needed.
How Origami Improves SharePoint Functionality
Origami adds 40 intranet-focused web parts to SharePoint, giving organizations more control over layout, design, and behavior.
With Origami, teams can:
Adjust spacing, fonts, and colors without knowledge of CSS
Save styles as reusable templates
Maintain brand consistency across departments
Combine Origami web parts with Microsoft web parts on the same page
This allows business users, not developers, to manage and evolve the intranet.
Page Reuse Across SharePoint Sites
One limitation of native SharePoint is that pages cannot easily be copied between sites.
Origami enables page copying across SharePoint sites, allowing organizations to:
Build a landing page once
Reuse it across multiple sites in seconds
Reduce repetitive manual work
Maintain consistency at scale
This feature alone can save weeks of effort in large environments.
No-Code Intranet Creation
Origami is designed for organizations that want results without custom development.
You do not need:
Custom SPFx projects
Third-party design agencies
Long implementation timelines
All configuration is done using SharePoint’s familiar page editing experience.
Installation and Setup
Origami installation is straightforward and typically handled by IT.
The process includes:
Selecting which Origami web parts to deploy
Choosing where templates should appear
Installing via a single installer page
Most organizations complete setup in 10–15 minutes. Even in highly secure GCC environments, this process takes about 30 minutes.
Once installed, Origami components are available across the SharePoint tenant.
Customization and Flexibility
Every Origami template is fully editable.
Organizations can:
Add or remove web parts
Resize sections
Insert calendars, directories, KPIs, or Microsoft web parts
Connect calendars to Microsoft 365 groups
Adapt pages to department-specific needs
Templates are starting points, not constraints.
Origami Compared to Other SharePoint Intranet Solutions
When evaluating SharePoint intranet software, buyers often compare Origami to custom development or full intranet platforms.
Origami differentiates itself in five key ways:
Runs entirely inside SharePoint
No external hosting or separate platform. Because everything runs in your tenant, you get better security and performance.Compatible with Microsoft updates
Works alongside native SharePoint web parts not customizing Microsoft web parts, this means chances of outages related to Microsoft changes are minimal.Perpetual licensing
No per-user fees, unlimited users and designers, pages and sites.Fast time to value
Live in minutes, not months.Proven at scale
Used by millions of users across organizations worldwide.
Who Origami Is Best For
Origami is a strong fit for organizations that:
Use Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online
Want a modern intranet without heavy customization
Need design flexibility without coding
Prefer predictable licensing over subscriptions
Want to move fast while staying within SharePoint governance
Final Takeaway
Origami turns SharePoint into a practical, modern intranet, without replacing it.
Instead of starting from scratch, organizations get:
Functional intranet templates
Design control
Reusable components
A solution that grows with their needs
For teams evaluating SharePoint intranet software, Origami offers a balanced approach between out-of-the-box simplicity and enterprise-grade security.
Frequently asked questions
What is Origami Connect?
Origami Connect is a SharePoint intranet solution that provides pre-built intranet templates and no-code web parts for creating modern, branded SharePoint intranets inside Microsoft 365.
Is Origami a separate intranet platform?
No. Origami runs inside SharePoint Online using Microsoft’s SharePoint Framework (SPFx). It enhances SharePoint rather than replacing it with a separate platform.
Who typically uses Origami?
Origami is used by:
Microsoft 365 and SharePoint administrators
Internal communications and HR teams
IT departments in enterprise and regulated organizations
Where does Origami run?
Origami runs entirely inside your Microsoft 365 tenant on SharePoint Online. It follows native SharePoint permissions, authentication, and security boundaries.
Does Origami store or host our data?
No. Origami does not host or store SharePoint content outside your tenant. All data remains in Microsoft 365.
Does Origami send telemetry or analytics data?
No. Origami does not send telemetry, usage analytics, or tracking data to Origami or any third party.
Do you have access to our tenant?
No. Origami has no tenant access by default. Any access for troubleshooting or support is granted only if you explicitly approve it and can be revoked at any time.
Does Origami support Microsoft 365 GCC High?
Yes. Origami supports Microsoft 365 GCC High environments and operates fully within tenant boundaries.
Is Origami SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified?
Origami is not a hosted SaaS platform. It runs inside Microsoft 365 and inherits Microsoft’s security, compliance, and data residency controls applicable to SharePoint Online and GCC High.
Is Origami a subscription?
No. Origami is licensed with an initial purchase. Renewals for updates and support are optional.
What happens if we don’t renew?
You may continue using the licensed version already installed. Updates and support are not included without an active renewal.
Can we renew later?
Yes. Customers can renew at a later date to regain access to updates and support.
Is support included forever?
No. Support is available only during an active renewal period.
Is the license transferable?
No. Licenses are issued to a specific organization and Microsoft 365 tenant and are not transferable.
Do I need coding skills to use Origami?
No. Origami is designed for no-code configuration using the SharePoint page editor.
Can Origami be used with existing SharePoint sites?
Yes. Origami web parts and templates can be added to existing modern SharePoint sites.
Does Origami work with Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Origami components can be viewed within Microsoft Teams where supported by SharePoint.
Does Origami work on mobile?
Yes. Origami works in modern browsers and through SharePoint and Teams mobile experiences, depending on the page and component.