Comprehensive software reviews to make better IT decisions
Peripheral Podio
Podio, by Citrix, covers a large number of collaboration capabilities but seems more like a high power digital personal assistant rather an enabler of business interactions.
We are assessing leading collaboration tools against four criteria that we see as critical to the future of this space. The criteria we used to assess Podio’s effectiveness as an enterprise tool are:
- Debates lead to elegant solutions.
- Project partitioning and allocation is efficient.
- Progress monitoring improves capital allocation.
- Risk mitigation improves project outcomes.
The strength of Podio is in how it integrates with other tools, particularly customer management tools, and how it allows users to interact with the information. However, Podio might be trying to do too much for too many workflows. Its enterprise pricing model puts it in line with established behemoths and though its project management workspace is more compelling, it falls short on quantitative elements. Most importantly, it does not catalyze ideation (point 1).
Our Take
Citrix, a recognized leader in the collaboration space, purchased Podio in 2012 and has yet to integrate it in its products. Whilst Podio is being presented as a standalone product online, Citrix is offering a full suite of collaboration tools on its main site. The value proposition for using Podio is fading fast. Perhaps Citrix can deploy Podio in schools as a means to gain mindshare early – an excellent branding tactic – but, beyond that, unless Podio expands into risk management – its time as a peripheral is numbered.