Office SharePoint

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007 is a large bundle of related technologies. A lot of businesses are taking it up, and skilled people are in short supply.

Office SharePoint updates and integrates a number of MS products and technologies:

• Windows SharePoint Portal
• Content Management
• Frontpage
• Search
• InfoPath and Forms Server

It also builds out from several core technologies:

• IIS
• SharePoint
• Visual Studio
• ASP.NET
• SQL Server, SQL Analysis and Reporting

But why Office SharePoint? Our view is that it represents a shift in the way of thinking about how users interact with information:

1. Information is published, rather than stored as a file on a server.
2. Users edit published information directly, rather than download, open, edit, save.
3. Information is published in different formats like blogs, wikis, discussion forums, announcements; but underneath the presentation the format of the data is the same.
4. Users search for information, rather than for files; information must be tagged with metadata in order to be searched.
5. Publishing information implies an approval process; approval implies workflow; workflow can be used for any simple task like a purchase order or expense claim.
6. The universal client (browser) allows information to be combined with task: look at a chart; send a message; set up a meeting in the calendar; look up a contact; edit a document.

It is an interesting challenge for the technologist. To make it work you need a good grasp of IIS, SQL, ASP.NET, CSS, XML, authentication, replication etc. etc.

• Virtualise your SharePoint deployment
• Run your datastore a SAN
• Monitor your SharePoint service end-to-end
• Load balance and offload SSL processing
• Protect your SharePoint service.

If you would like any help with SharePoint please contact us.