SharePoint 2007 improves content management, social tools, search, Outlook integration

The new version of the enterprise portal solution MS Office Sharepoint Server 2007 (MOSS) is a web-based platform on top of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 that Microsoft wants to make a front-end to all other company's server products, as well as to all other enterprise applications and data sources. One of the most important innovations in SharePoint Server 2007 - is integration between intranet and extranet. It includes the web-content management tools, that previously were part of Microsoft Content Management Server. The WCM and ECM functions are enhanced with InfoPath forms, built-in workflow-engine, improved search and new social tools - Wiki, RSS and blogs.

MOSS provides advanced global search for all enterprise data sources - structured and not. In particular, MOSS 2007 search engine indexes contents on company Web sites, in Exchange Server shared folders and in Lotus Notes. In addition, the new version provides social search that allows to find people by name and contact data (including the data from Active Directory and other LDAP directories) and by the sphere of expertise.



You can now sync calendar, tasks and contacts between Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 and SharePoint server. If you want to edit a contact or a meeting, you can do it in Outlook or in SharePoint, and the changes will be synced in both directions. Also, Outlook supports offline access to Sharepoint document libraries. You can make changes to documents when disconnected from the network, and then sync them when you connect.

Other improvements in MOSS 2007 include:

- SharePoint Designer 2007 - Web Editor, which allows you to modify the portal without coding

- Improved mobile access

- Excel Services - allows you to collaborate on spreadsheets in a Web browser

- New features for managing Sharepoint Web sites and integration tools

See also: Top 10 Enterprise Portals