Some Advantages of Microsoft SharePoint 2010

Some Advantages of Microsoft SharePoint 2010

Is your company considering paying the extra this year to install or upgrade to Microsoft SharePoint 2010? If so, you may be in for a bit of a learning curve. SharePoint is not a particularly new technology, but some new features have been introduced to combat Google’s efforts into the world of collaborative documents stored on the internet. SharePoint was introduced in 2007 but the 2010 version offers a number of improvements and promises to be even more competitive than before.

SharePoint 2010 has a number of remarkable capabilities. First, SharePoint makes it easier to create sites for all of your business needs. You can not only create a site for internet customers, but intranet sites for your own employees, partners, or clients. This service is best for people who are uncomfortable with web development and would like a consistent backend throughout all sites. This makes it easier for an IT team to train regular employees and maintain the sites overall.

Since SharePoint is a Microsoft product, it ties in instantly with all Microsoft services. It’s easy to save and display Microsoft files on websites, a traditionally difficult process. SharePoint removes the need for all the normal editing required for putting a Microsoft Word document onto the web, for example.

With SharePoint composites, you can escape the need for tedious programming because the technology enables you to create applications and develop business solutions without the need for code. Save your IT team’s expertise for more important projects as you seamlessly share Access databases and Excel spreadsheets with the necessary recipients. Even if you lose your connection to the internet, you’ll still be able to work; synchronising is instantaneous once your connection is regained.

SharePoint also lives up to its name by allowing all employees access to the important data they need to make sales proposals, development choices, and important decisions. SharePoint Insights allows employees to share important files with one another so entire teams have access to results. The system is flexible, so it’s easy to create users and groups to modify permissions and access to certain documents. It also uses familiar interfaces so there will never be any difficulties involved in uploading, modifying, and understanding important data.

An important question to ask is how does Microsoft SharePoint compare with Google’s suite of applications for businesses, Google Apps? In Microsoft Office and SharePoint 2010, many of Google’s features are in effect mimicked while maintaining consistency enough for continued business use. For example, conversations can now take place directly in Microsoft Outlook, and real-time collaboration is possible on documents edited through SharePoint. These features have both been available through Google’s suite for a long time, and now it seems as though Microsoft is finally catching up.

In truth, SharePoint looks much more professional. It comes at a cost, but offers a number of services designed for larger companies. Unfortunately its installation is quite complicated as well as expensive. You will probably require training in addition to advice regarding set-up and configuration. In other words, you’ll probably need to bring in outside IT experts, but once the system is running and your employees have been trained properly, they should no longer be necessary.

For small businesses, however, Google Apps are probably more instantaneously useable and cost-effective. Many people are familiar with the way Google works and since all of your information is stored in the cloud, it is completely painless to install. The flat fee per employee also makes it perfect for small businesses. Schools enjoy even cheaper access, making Google Apps the perfect choice for educational services.