SharePoint & Microsoft 365 Services for Universities
People-First Solutions, Built for Higher Education
We combine a people-first approach with proven technical expertise and real sector insight, shaped by close university partnerships. From institution-wide digital workplaces, to research hubs, faculty portals, intranets and document management systems, our solutions are built around the day-to-day needs of professional services staff, academics, students, and researchers.
Our Services
- Digital Workplace
- Staff & Student Intranets
- Departmental Portals
- Research Hubs
- Document Management Systems
We design digital workplace solutions built on Microsoft 365—using tools like SharePoint, Viva, and Power Platform—to meet the needs of modern universities.
Single Point of Access
Underpinned with intuitive information architecture and exceptional UX design, we build systems where staff can access core systems, documents, and communication tools through a single, user-friendly platform.
Breaking Down Silos
We help universities overcome decentralised structures by creating a connected digital environment. Systems and services across departments, central administration, libraries, and research units are brought together to reduce duplication, improve consistency, and make it easier to share knowledge across teams, disciplines, and campuses.
Built for Governance and Security
Our solutions are designed with institutional governance and sector standards in mind. Role-based access controls, structured permissions, and Microsoft 365’s built-in security features ensure your data is protected and access is appropriately managed. We support your compliance with internal policies and regulatory frameworks, giving IT teams confidence in the platform’s integrity.
We design modern, branded intranets – built on SharePoint and Microsoft 365 – that acts as a single source of truth for your university community.
Designed to Reflect Your Identity
Our intranets are built to align with your university’s brand, tone, and visual identity—creating a familiar, trusted space for staff and students. Including colours, fonts, and imagery, we ensure your intranet feels like an extension of your institution.
Personalised by Role, Campus, or Faculty
Using our bespoke tools, we enable personalised views that surface relevant links, tools, and content based on role, department, or location. This makes it easier for people to navigate complex environments and access what matters most to them.
A Trusted, Single Source of Truth
The intranet becomes your central communications channel—reducing reliance on mass emails, outdated file shares, or external-facing platforms. Internal Comms teams can manage and surface timely, targeted content, giving staff and students confidence they’re always accessing the most up-to-date information.
We create connected, purpose-built portals in SharePoint and Microsoft 365 that support academic and administrative teams across the institution.
Built Around Departmental Needs
We create portals tailored to the specific structures and workflows of faculties, schools, and services—bringing together documents, systems, and communication tools into one consistent, easy-to-use space.
Connected to the Wider Digital Workplace
These portals aren’t built in isolation. They’re fully integrated with your university’s broader digital environment, making it easier for departments to collaborate, share knowledge, and align with institution-wide processes and tools.
Supporting Local Autonomy, Enabling Collaboration
Departments can maintain their own spaces and content while still working within a shared governance framework. This supports autonomy while ensuring alignment across the institution—helping teams work better together, not just side by side.
Dedicated digital spaces that support collaborative research activity across disciplines and beyond campus.
Connecting Research Activity
We design hubs that bring together research groups, centres, and administrative teams—providing shared access to project documentation, funding information, and communication tools in one secure environment.
Supporting Internal and External Collaboration
Our research hubs make it easy to collaborate with colleagues across departments and institutions, as well as with external partners. Controlled access and integrated tools ensure that everyone can contribute effectively while maintaining oversight.
Secure and Compliant by Design
Research hubs are built with institutional governance in mind, offering structured permissions and information security as standard. Sensitive materials are protected, while access and auditability are managed within your existing compliance frameworks.
Centralised, accessible systems for managing university documents at scale.
Unlocking Institutional Knowledge
We help you consolidate documents scattered across legacy systems, shared drives, and team spaces into one central, structured location. This supports better knowledge sharing and ensures that key documents are easy to find, access, and manage.
Governed, Searchable, and Easy to Use
Our systems are designed with strong information architecture, making documents highly searchable, consistently structured, and governed in line with your internal policies—supporting both operational efficiency and compliance.
Seamlessly Integrated with Microsoft 365
Built on SharePoint and the Power Platform, our document management solutions integrate with your wider digital workplace—supporting workflows, permissions, and version control through familiar tools your teams already use.
Our Commitment to Accessibility
Accessibility is never an afterthought at Silicon Reef. From the earliest stages of design through to implementation, we build digital solutions that are intuitive, inclusive, and accessible to all users across your university community.
We help institutions create digital workplaces that are, at minimum, WCAG 2.1 AA compliant—supporting your commitment to equal access for staff, students, and external partners. Our approach ensures that accessibility is not a box to be ticked, but a core part of how your systems function and serve every user.
Working in Partnership with Higher Education
It was a pleasure to work with Silicon Reef. To have their knowledge and expertise in developing a user-centred intranet using SharePoint was critical to our success. Embedding Silicon Reef’s Beacon software to lift the out-of-the-box features and the My Tools app to give users a choice of business applications to choose from have been an unexpected and very welcome bonus.
Solving University Challenges with Microsoft 365
Our work with universities has highlighted common challenges across the sector sector—from fragmented systems and outdated communication channels to rising governance pressures and disconnected collaboration. These examples show how Microsoft 365 tools can help solve these issues and support more connected, efficient, and secure ways of working.
Customer Spotlight
University of Leeds
Case Study: Transforming Communication with SharePoint
Learn how University of Leeds overhauled internal comms with a single-source-of-truth in SharePoint.
Webinar: Creating a Connected Campus
Insights from Chris Hewitt on their journey to creating a new intranet, including a live demo of their new site.
Blog: 5 Lessons from University of Leeds’ Intranet Transformation
Chris Hewitt shares 5 valuable lessons for other universities facing a similar journey.
Blog: One Year of Success – University of Leeds Intranet Anniversary
One year on, we delivered an on-campus design workshop to celebrate the new intranet’s first anniversary.
UCISA: Developing a Cohesive Digital Workplace During Challenging Times
In partnership with UCISA, we explore the importance of a cohesive digital workplace, how to make it a reality, and what it could look like in Microsoft 365.
Key Resources
We’ve got you covered. Our blogs, guides and how-tos help you maximise all that Microsoft 365 and SharePoint has to offer.
The Future-Ready University: Fixing the Gaps in Your Digital Workplace
Learn how IT can lead the charge for a centralised digital worplace powered by Microsoft 365.
Successful Internal Communications in Higher Education
With tips, Q&As and advice from HE colleagues, this guide explores how to maximise Microsoft 365 to drive internal engagement.
Digital Workplace Audit
Use this checklist to benchmark your digital workplace maturity in six key areas.
Why Internal Comms in Higher Education is More Important Than Ever
A robust internal communications strategy is the first step to a cohesive, connected digital workplace – and Microsoft 365 can help.
Engage University Staff with Microsoft Viva: 5 Practical Steps
Many universities are at a turning point with communications – tools like Viva Connections and Viva Engage can fuel the next evolution.
SharePoint Accessibility Checklist
A 7-step guide to creating inclusive, accessible experiences in SharePoint.
Ready to explore what’s possible?
Whether you know exactly what you need or you’re still working that out, we’re here to help. Book a meeting with Nicki Pugh, our dedicated Account Director for Higher Education, to talk through your goals and challenges.
In your initial session, we’ll:
- Listen to your specific pain points and priorities
- Explore how Microsoft 365 tools can help solve them
- Start shaping a tailored roadmap for your university’s digital workplace journey
It’s a conversation—not a commitment—and a great first step toward building something better for your staff, students, and wider university community.
FAQs
Got questions? We’ve answered some of the common ones here. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, drop us a note.
How can Microsoft 365 improve collaboration in higher education institutions?
Microsoft 365 offers a suite of tools that streamline communication and collaboration across departments, faculties and student services. Platforms like Teams and SharePoint enable real-time document sharing, group chats, and project coordination, reducing email overload and improving response times. Viva Connections and Engage help build a sense of community, especially in hybrid or remote environments.
At Silicon Reef, we’ve seen universities improve productivity levels by tailoring M365 to their unique structures—whether that’s simplifying onboarding for new staff or creating centralised hubs for research teams. Our people-first approach ensures that technology supports the way your institution works, not the other way around. We don’t just implement tools—we help you build digital environments that empower educators, administrators and students to thrive.
What are the biggest challenges universities face with digital transformation?
Universities often struggle with fragmented systems, legacy platforms and siloed communication. These challenges can slow down decision-making, complicate compliance, and make it harder to engage staff and students. Digital transformation isn’t just about adopting new tech—it’s about aligning tools with institutional goals and culture.
At Silicon Reef, we’ve worked with higher education clients to bridge the gap between IT and internal communications, ensuring that platforms like SharePoint and Viva are not only technically sound but also intuitive and inclusive. We believe transformation should be people-led, with technology enhancing—not replacing—human connection. Our experience shows that when universities prioritise user experience and accessibility, adoption rates soar and long-term value is unlocked.
Is SharePoint suitable for use as a university intranet?
Absolutely. SharePoint is a flexible, scalable platform that can be tailored to meet the complex needs of higher education institutions. It supports secure document management, personalised content delivery, and integration with other Microsoft 365 tools like Teams and Viva.
Universities can use SharePoint to centralise policies, streamline internal communications, and create role-based access for different departments.
At Silicon Reef, we’ve helped clients design SharePoint intranets that reflect their organisational structure and culture—whether that’s faculty-specific dashboards or student-facing portals. We see SharePoint as more than just a document repository; it’s a foundation for building a connected, efficient and inclusive digital campus.
How can Microsoft Viva help improve employee experience in universities?
Microsoft Viva offers powerful tools to support staff engagement and communication in higher education.
Viva Connections acts as a personalised gateway to your university’s intranet—bringing together news, resources and communities in one place, accessible from any device.
Viva Engage enables open dialogue and peer connection, helping staff feel heard and included, especially across dispersed campuses.
Viva Amplify simplifies internal comms by allowing teams to create, publish and track campaigns across multiple channels—ensuring key messages reach the right people.
At Silicon Reef, we help universities embed these tools in a way that reflects their culture and structure. We’ve seen how Viva can transform the staff experience—making communication more human, inclusive and effective. It’s not just about pushing content; it’s about creating a digital environment where people feel connected, informed and empowered.
What makes Silicon Reef different when working with higher education clients?
We’re Microsoft 365 experts with a people-first mindset. That means we don’t just deliver tech—we design digital environments that work for real people in real roles. In higher education, that could be a lecturer juggling research and admin, or a comms team trying to reach thousands of staff across campuses.
We take time to understand your structure, challenges and goals, then tailor solutions that fit. Our work with universities has shown us that success comes from collaboration, not configuration. We bring deep M365 knowledge, but we also listen—really listen—to what your teams need. The result? Platforms that feel intuitive, inclusive and empowering from day one.