Know more about SharPoint Portal!

This is a question I have heard often, or at least in one of its many forms. "Can I do xxxxx with SharePoint?", "Will SharePoint work with", etc. The truth is, SharePoint is much too big to limit with such a question. A better question is, what are people doing with SharePoint?

Today, we're going to look at some of the scenario's that people use Windows SharePoint services for, from the simplest uses to more complex setups.

Moss SharePoint as a CMS

Many companies are using SharePoint Portal as a content management system to host an Internet site. With a site builder/templates available and SharePoint Designer, there is no limit to the layout or functionality of a SharePoint site. A SharePoint site can be designed to host media, run an e-commerce site, and even provide per page user access. No matter your website needs, SharePoint can stand on its own as a website framework.

As an Intranet

Much like a website, but only for internal users (staff), Microsoft SharePoint 2007 can provide an excellent Intranet. Keep your company organized and up to date by sharing information with your employees and other internal users. Give assignments, share data and work together on projects using SharePoint for your Intranet.

As a Document Repository

One of the things that SharePoint is specifically designed to handle is documents and version control. The last thing you want is a document with inaccurate data because two people were editing it at once. SharePoint handles this with comprehensive version control and a check in/out system to maintain document integrity. Smooth out your workflow and stop worrying about loosing data.

As a Collaboration Server

If we combine the features listed so far, and add a few more, we start getting to what SharePoint was actually designed for. One of it's primary functions is as a Collaboration server. Imagine that you run a web development company with a virtual workforce (most of your employees are telecommute), and you need a way for your artists, designers and programmers to work together. Using SharePoint's tools for document sharing, version control, communications and CMS/ Intranet capabilities, your ideas can move seamlessly from concept to reality, with real-time interaction on all levels. One can also upgrade to a low cost dedicated SharePoint server with hyper-v hosting.

In conclusion, whether you're needs are a CMS to hold your website, or a full-blown Document Sharing and Collaboration Server, SharePoint site hosting is definitely worth a look.

Manage Knowledge Bases with SharePoint Hosting Template

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 hosting providers provide easy-to-use templates free with their SharePoint hosting service plans. The SharePoint hosting templates are meant to meet the challenging needs of your day-to-day business operations. These application templates implement scalable business solutions which require minimum administrative effort and speed up operations. These templates take into account common functionalities, roles and requirements for a specific business operation and can be applied to business tasks for creating useful web-based applications.

The Knowledge Base Moss SharePoint Services hosting template is one such template that helps in efficient Knowledge Base management by standardizing and categorizing information. With the basic hosted Microsoft Office SharePoint Server price plan, you get access for unlimited users at a cost as low as $8.95 per month, from hosted solution providers such as Apps4Rent. Additionally available, is a free package of Microsofts 40 SharePoint hosting templates.

Organizations often strive hard to manage volumes of vital information and share it with all members across the organization. The Knowledge Base SharePoint Portal hosting template helps teams to efficiently manage information within their organization. Using this template, you can create new documents with the help of web-based content creation tools and also upload existing documents. It is also possible to tag documents with the intent that others can find and refer to these documents with ease.

The template can be utilized in two ways - a top down approach or a bottom up approach. In the top down approach, a central department passes down appropriate information to the specific members concerned. In the bottom up approach, information from the knowledge base is captured by all team members as a standard business process, and this information can be further dispersed to others within the organization. Thus searching information turns out to be simpler than ever with the Knowledge Base SharePoint hosting template.

SharePoint Service Architecture with a renewed feel in 2010!

With changing times and technologies, there have been a lot of changes to both the logical and physical topologies of SharePoint 2010. Thus, its very important for any developers to know the architecture of the new Windows SharePoint 2010 services.

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 builds on the operating system and database services to add additional features, such as team sites and collaboration features. Specifically, WSS 3.0 provides the following platform capabilities:

* Storage: Through content databases, which are literally SQL databases managed by Moss SharePoint to accommodate the pages, data, and documents stored in the various portals, team sites, and workspaces
* Management: Administration pages with deep configuration options
* Deployment: Web farms, physical servers, and roles
* Site Model: Web application, site collection, and sites
* Extensibility: Features, Web parts, and templates

A well architected logical and physical SharePoint Portal environment tends to revolve around Search. Search drives much of the logical and physical architectures for SharePoint 2007. SharePoint 2010 has not changed from a Tier perspective. There are Web, Application and Database tiers. Whats important is it to understand how to architect those tiers. For SharePoint 2010, the Application tier has changed significantly as it is more sophisticated than what was available in SharePoint 2007. Some things that we will get into within this series are creating service farms and partitioned services.

Architectural changes in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

1. Shared Service Providers (SSP) which was used to host services in SharePoint 2007 have been completely removed from SharePoint 2010. Thus, the services are run independently in SharePoint2010

2. Some services in SharePoint 2010 will be referred to as Service Applications. Not all services in Central Administration are Service Applications. Service Applications tend to map to major features of SharePoint rather than services which could be considered part of the infrastructure of SharePoint

3. Service Groups have been introduced to logically manage Service Applications. When Service Applications are added they will be included in a Default Group. Web Applications can use that Default Group or use a Custom Group of Service Applications

4. SharePoint 2010 services can be reused within and across farms. This was not available in SharePoint 2007 and provides a significant amount of scalability options.

5. SharePoint 2010 supports Service Partitioning. If you are familiar with database partitioning, think of it is horizontal partitioning of data within a SharePoint service. Not all services support service partitioning; partitioning is only used in services that are data driven. A typical scenario is that a centrally managed/cross farm service with data that should not be exposed to all subscribing farms. If that is the case, a farm would subscribe to a partition of centrally managed service. In SharePoint lingo each partition is referred to as a tenant.

Thus, having a glance at these changes before diving deep into SharePoint 2010 would be really helpful!

Where MobileMe Missed the Business Exchange?

"Exchange for the rest of the world" that is how MobileMe has been praised by its maker Apple. Precisely speaking, MobileMe is developed by Apple as a cost-effective solution for emailing options and group effort. This may be right for customers who are entirely dependent on Apple products. Nonetheless, for users with an assortment of desktop and mobile devices options, Exchange gets a hands up.

Like any other devices or services, this new Apple product has its own share of pros and cons. For example, MobileMe is developed on push technology which enables synchronization of emails, calendar and contacts in all your devices, be it PC or Mac. Nevertheless, users that need to sync their PC and other Microsoft products have sometimes complained about errors.

Some of MobileMe's features, however, have endeared the service to many Mac users, such as iDisk, that allows users to share files online, and Find My iPhone, which helps you find other Apple devices. As well, it let's you create and share a web photo gallery with other MobileMe users. In short, it's a wonderful service for Apple users. What about those that have more than one device and those devices are built on more than one platform?

MobileMe is a great little service, but leaves businesses relying on a hosted exchange 2010 network behind. As many know, though, Apple has grown as a family and personal use platform, but Microsoft still rules in business. The differences between the two services point out why:

• While some individuals use smart phones as their main information holder, many use their desktop platforms. Microsoft Outlook Exchange allows desktop calendar and contact sync, allowing people on the move to sync with their main information for updates or information retrieval.
• Although Apple has the possibility of adding shared mailboxes and multiple accounts, they don't currently support this feature. For Enterprise level businesses, this Exchange capability is priceless, allowing employees and management to send company-wide information from anywhere.
• Exchange provides Global Address List access to a shared, corporate directory, a feature that allows a company employee to search and find any available company email address for easy reference and retrieval. This feature also provides scheduling abilities for a group or groups, rather than scheduling with individual employees or management.
• Apple MobileMe has limited junk mail filtering. Exchange offers more robust antivirus and spam filters.
• Exchange allows the set up of server side mail rules
• Used in conjunction with Blackberry, it includes mobile messaging features such as voice memos and voice-to-text (voicemail transcription).

Do you think MobilMe is a good option for personal use?? If you use nothing but Apple products, absolutely. However, for those that use multiple platforms, Exchange is still the clear winner.

Your Business Communication is easy even when in Portugal

Sun-kissed beaches like Cascais and Sagres offer enticements of a more hedonistic sort. Indeed, the dramatic, end-of-the-world cliffs, wild dune-covered beaches, protected coves and long, sandy islands of Portugal's coastline have long enchanted visitors and locals alike. Meanwhile, the country's capital, Lisbon, and its northern rival, Porto, are magical places for the wanderer, with riverside views, cobblestone streets and rattling trams framed by looming cathedrals. However, Alas! amidst enjoying these beautiful places of Portugal, you can't leave your professional life behind and keep yourselves always on toe with regards to checking mails, addressing issues, etc. But how will you do it? Here is the answer! Setting up your phone with Microsoft Exchange Email!

If you synchronize your phone with MS Exchange Email, accessing your mails on phone becomes easier. However, before synchronizing with Exchange mail hosting, you must check whether you are carrying a mobile device that can access the local wireless provider, the data plans offered by the provider, and the proper configuration of your device. Also being a non-native of Portugal, in order to avail the use of MS Exchange, you should first check with your home country's local wireless providers whether they provide the roaming arrangements with the Portugal's carriers. Also, you should check with the Portugal's wireless providers about their various schemes and offers that they provide. The three biggest wireless providers of Portugal are Optimus Telecomunicacoes S.A., TMN, and Vodafone Portugal. Another good news for the natives of Portugal is that they can access Exchange Email features in their own Portuguese language. The Hosted Microsoft Exchange is available in multiple language packs.

If mobile access is too expensive or not available, you can always access your exchange emails from a browser or in an internet caf© using Outlook Web Access or Outlook Web App . If you are carrying a laptop, you can get WiFi or landline connections at Hotels, Internet cafes and Airports.