SharePoint

Microsoft SharePoint is a software platform and a family of software products developed by Microsoft for collaboration, file sharing and web publishing. These capabilities include developing web sites, portals, intranets, content management systems, search engines, wikis, blogs, and other tools for business intelligence.

As a content management system, SharePoint improves communications and efficiency by allowing work groups to set up a centralised, password-protected space for document sharing where documents can be stored, downloaded and edited, and then uploaded for continued usage and sharing.

SharePoint 2010 is described as the ‘Business Collaboration Platform for the Enterprise and the Web' and is distributed in three editions: SharePoint Foundation 2010 which comes as a free download, SharePoint Server 2010 Standard and SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise, of which both have a licensing fee.

SharePoint Foundation

Microsoft SharePoint Foundation, formerly known as Windows SharePoint Services (WSS), is a free add-on to Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and 2008 providing a web portal with commonly needed features.

In addition to its portal functionality, installation of WSS on a server makes available the complete object model and APIs underpinning Microsoft SharePoint technology. This includes a collection of web parts that can be embedded into web pages to provide SharePoint functionality such as dashboards, document workspaces, lists, alerts, calendaring, contact lists, discussion boards, and wikis in a custom web site.

WSS technologies are at the core of several of Microsoft's commercial portal technologies. Specifically, WSS 3 underlies Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (MOSS), and WSS 2 was the framework beneath SharePoint Portal Server 2003.

SharePoint Server 2010 (Standard / Enterprise)

Microsoft SharePoint Server should not be confused with Microsoft SharePoint because its main strength is in enabling an organisation’s information to be organised and aggregated in one central web-based application and in providing a taxonomy for corporate data.

SharePoint Server integrates closely with applications in the Microsoft Office suite and adds various features like hierarchical organisation of content areas, enhanced navigation, Single Sign On, personalisation features, indexed search, the Business Data Catalog, in-browser rendering and, in certain cases, editing of Microsoft Office documents.

It can also be used for creating specialised document-specific libraries, such as Microsoft PowerPoint slide libraries, which can be used to share not only specific slides from a presentation but also their design as well.

Please contact eBECS if you would like to know more.