SS&C Intralinks is one of the leading virtual data room providers, offering secure tools for data management and collaboration. It started operations in New York in 1996 and launched the first virtual data room in 2002. It has now become one of the leading names in the virtual data room market. The company also offers other high-end business solutions for syndicated lending, finance, and fund management.
Intralinks is headquartered in New York and operates worldwide. It has offices across North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region. Intralinks data room serves different industries:
- Global banking
- Law
- Energy
- Real estate
- Life sciences
- Technology
The data room helps organizations manage complex transactions by improving security and collaboration, as well as automating parts of the workflow. It is highly useful in areas like M&As, capital raising, post-merger integration, due diligence, and regulatory compliance.
The following is a detailed Intralinks review to help investors explore its key features, pros, and cons.
Is Intralinks right for investors?
Intralinks is a reliable option for investors who deal with complex business transactions like M&As or fundraising. It has earned a strong reputation in the financial industry for managing large deals. The platform can handle sensitive data and large projects that involve multiple people or organizations across different countries.
Data security is one of the key strengths of SS&C Intralinks’ virtual data room. It follows strict data protection standards and certifications such as ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II. The data room also meets global privacy and security rules like GDPR and HIPAA. These certifications make it a safe choice for international use.
In simple words, SS&C Intralinks virtual data room is a safe and easy-to-use option for private equity firms and investors.
Key features for investment use cases
List and describe the most relevant features for investors, such as:
1. Granular permissions and access controls
Intralinks data room offers strong granular user access permissions for more secure data management. Investors or admins can set access boundaries for other data room users. That may include who can or cannot access a certain file or a specified portion of it. Administration can also set restrictions on deleting, editing, downloading, or printing a document.
2. AI-powered deal insights and analytics
Intralinks uses artificial intelligence to provide helpful insights during dealmaking. For example, it provides information on documents that get more attention from users. What’s more, the heatmaps show which section of a document is reviewed mostly. Such data helps in speeding up the deal process.
3. Advanced Q&A workflow
The advanced Q&A feature is highly important in dealmaking and private equity investments. The built-in Q&A system in the SS&C Intralinks virtual data room allows multiple parties to ask questions and get answers in one place. Concerned parties can ask questions and get answers without saving long email threads.
4. Real-time activity tracking
SS&C Intralinks allows the management to track user activities in the data room. It means the VDR admin can see what users are doing in the data room. It provides details on files accessed, changes made, and the time spent on documents. These activity logs keep things transparent and provide records for audit purposes.
5. Integration with deal pipelines or CRM
Intralinks virtual data room allows smooth integration with third-party customer relationship management platforms and other apps. You can connect Intralinks data room with solutions like Salesforce and Microsoft SharePoint, Office, and Outlook. It also allows integration with Mesh for streamlined finance operations.
6. Custom watermarking and document expiry
The custom watermarking feature in the SS&C Intralinks data room minimizes the chances of copying content. Users can add custom watermarks like names or dates to prevent copyright issues. These watermarks also track all the activities performed on the document.
What’s more, users can also set access expiry on sensitive documents. That means access to a document will expire after a specific period. This gives investment firms more control over their confidential documents and makes document management easier.
7. Mobile-friendly access
Intralinks offers mobile access to Android, iPad, and iPhone users. Remote access allows users to access data, answer other users’ queries, and track deal progress from their mobile devices.
Investor Experience and Usability
User experience is a mixed segment for the SS&C Intralinks data room. It scores 3.5 in terms of “ease of use” on Capterra, a trusted software review platform. However, that does not mean Intralinks is not a user-friendly data room. Here is why:
- The onboarding process is simple.
- Drag-and-drop upload feature simplifies the data uploading process.
- Search filters and a structured folder system make it easy for users to access data.
- Videos, documentation, webinars, and in-person training help users get used to the data room quickly.
What’s more, the 24/7 Intralinks multilingual support ensures the clients are attended to immediately.
Security and Compliance
Strong security is one of the strengths of Intralinks, and this makes it one of the best virtual data room providers in the market. Here is a brief overview of SS&C Intralinks’ security.
1. End-to-end encryption
The data room offers 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption, which uses a 256-bit key to encrypt and decrypt data when shared between users. It is one of the strongest forms of data encryption in the world. Also, the data at rest encryption in Intralinks ensures the data is encrypted when not in transit.
2. SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR compliance
Intralinks data room keeps high-security standards by complying with global standards. For example, the GDPR compliance ensures that companies can use the data room for clients based in Europe. Intralinks is also ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certified, which makes it a trusted option for investors.
3. Custom user roles and audit logs
SS&C Intralinks allows the VDR admins to set custom roles for the users based on the responsibilities in the transaction. They can set different access levels for the users and monitor their activities through audit logs.
Pricing Transparency
There are no details about SS&C Intralinks pricing on the company’s official website. That means there are no standard plans, and it is hard to estimate Intralinks VDR
cost for the project. Customers have to contact customer support at Intralinks to get a quote.
The company also does not offer a free trial, but you can request a demo. This is a segment where Intralinks competitors like Ideals stay ahead, as it offers a 30-day free trial.
Pros and Cons for Investors
| Pros | Cons |
| · Strong reputation in high-value M&A· Advanced virtual data room features like AI redaction, 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption, custom watermarking, audit logs, and auto-indexing· Streamlined Q&A for deal-related questions· Expert guidance with a dedicated project manager | · Higher cost compared to basic providers· Not very user-friendly for non-tech-savvy clients· No free trials and clear pricing plans |
Verdict: Should You Choose Intralinks?
SS&C Intralinks data room is an advanced data management solution that helps protect large volumes of sensitive information during due diligence in M&As, private equity deals, and similar transactions. Intralinks offers advanced features for protecting sensitive content and more automated workflows. The data room strictly complies with international security standards.
These qualities make Intralinks’ data room a top choice for investment firms. However, it does not suit individual investors as it is quite pricier compared to other data room providers.
