SharePoint is a web based content management tool developed by Microsoft. As the internet has become one of the most important tools used within the business environment, many organizations have adopted the SharePoint application as an efficient way to manage documents. Organizations within the public and private sectors that already use Microsoft products find that SharePoint integrates well with the other Microsoft Office products they currently use.
Paperless Environment Spawns The Need For Content Management
After the push was made for companies to migrate to a paperless environment, electronic files multiplied. Without an industry standard way to manage an organization’s content, businesses had to rely on individuals’ organizational skills to keep up with important documents. The SharePoint application was developed out of a need to help organizations manage the content created using word processing and spreadsheet applications.
SharePoint Collaboration Environment
SharePoint’s features move beyond the basic function of a document repository and acts as a collaboration environment for an organization’s staff. SharePoint allows developers to create intranet or extranet sites that contain content libraries. Documentation within the content library categorized as “draft” or “completed” may be stored as a repository document. Documentation that is still in work may be shared and made available for editing by a pre-scripted user group.
SharePoint functions as a project management tool as it encourages collaboration among project team members. SharePoint developers may create work flow processes within the application that allows content to be reviewed, edited, and version controlled by selected team members. The content may be viewed as a wiki page, published web page, or using customized web parts.
SharePoint Security With User Privileges
The information found on SharePoint pages are secured through the SharePoint administrator by assigning various levels of privileges to users. Privileges may be assigned for individuals and for groups. An individual may be added to a list that has read-only, editing, or administration privileges for certain content libraries. Groups may also be added to lists that have specified privileges; this feature is especially beneficial for those SharePoint administrators responsible for large organizations.
SharePoint Development System Requirements
As with all applications, there are hardware and operating systems requirements. To deploy SharePoint for evaluation use requires 4 GB of RAM and 8 GB of RAM is required for full use. Various versions of SharePoint may be run using Windows Server 2008 and 2012 as well as Windows 7 and Vista operating system platforms all using the 64-bit standard. This presents a significant drawback to those using Linux based operating systems.
SharePoint is compatible with Microsoft SQL 2005 and later database servers. It is also compatible with many of the well known web browsers to include Safari, Firefox, and Google Chrome. However, only Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7 or later versions are fully supported.
SharePoint Development Training and Certifications
Since many organizations use SharePoint, trained SharePoint developers are highly valued. Microsoft also frequently introduces new tools and features within SharePoint so developers should be kept abreast of changes and enhancements through continued education and training. Self paced SharePoint training is available through various information technology training organizations. However, Microsoft provides its own SharePoint developer training and offers certifications via examinations.
Darrion Hurst is a technology junkie. He has spent the past 4 years working with all sorts of management related software and highly recommends SharePoint 2010. He also recommends QiPoint for any SharePoint Development that you may be undertaking.