Mindjet announced Mindjet Connect SP this week, a tool that sits on top of SharePoint, which it claims will simplify SharePoint, making it easier to use and increase user adoption.

The way Mindjet does this is by adding a visual workflow layer that lets people see the connections between documents, people and departments. 

SharePoint is supposed to be simple enough to use on its own, but research from Forrester Research, cited in Mindjet's statement, found that 37 percent of IT buyers rated SharePoint adoption as less than expected. While that's probably a subjective question given that personal expectations can vary widely, it's telling nonetheless and Mindjet is trying to fill that hole by providing a layer on top of SharePoint to make it easier to use.

Blaine Mathieu, chief product officer at Mindjet, sees this gap as an opportunity for his company. "With often large investments in enterprise SharePoint installations, CIOs are tasked with getting the greatest adoption and return on this technology," he said.

Kathleen Reidy from 451 Group says SharePoint adoption is clearly strong, but user adoption varies. "SharePoint adoption continues to be strong among many types of organizations. However, end-user comfort with SharePoint and day-to-day usage depend a great deal on how easy it is to find information and collaborate with others." She believes tools like Mindjet could help augment the issues companies face around SharePoint user adoption.

Mindjet Connect SP is available now.

For more:
- see the Mindjet press release

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