Ashley Neu
Plain and simple, Microsoft SharePoint increases productivity.
This is why 75% of Fortune 500 companies utilize Microsoft SharePoint software. Organizations can easily control cost and reduce risk associated with IT through SharePoint; not to mention it allows project teams to effectively access information and collaborate with each other.
Key features of SharePoint include:
- Intranet Portals,
- Document & File Management,
- Social Networks,
- Websites,
- Extranets,
- Advanced Search Functionality
- Increased Business Intelligence solutions
These features are allowing companies of all sizes to better utilize data while cutting costs and never sacrificing on quality. SharePoint is the number one choice of businesses and, not surprisingly, Microsoft’s number one best-selling product.
1. Centralized Administration
Benefit: Effectively maintain control of the entire platform.
Through the Central Administration (CA) Console, managers can easily access application management features, system settings, monitor SharePoint farms, perform backups & restorations, manage security settings, upgrade SharePoint, change general application settings and use configuration wizards all in a single location.
2. Customizable
Benefit: Provide teams with all of the unique sets of tools they need to get the job done right.
Through SharePoint, you have the option to keep features as they come or your development team has the ability to build custom applications and components with ease. Through this option, your team will always be able to access the specific tools they need to do their jobs effectively. Additionally, administrators can customize the entire SharePoint experience with your organization’s branding.
3. Collaboration
Benefit: Allow team members to easily stay informed and connected throughout the project’s lifecycle.
SharePoint 2010 allows you to connect with your colleagues in new and creative ways, this streamlined approach to team based work allows information and knowledge to flow more freely throughout the organization. Increased collaboration equals better decision making. Read our in-depth article about SharePoint Collaboration Features.
Read about the latest SharePoint 2013 collaboration features here. Learn about the latest developments with sites, newsfeeds, sharing content with OneDrive, and mobile enhanced capabilities to increase accessibility, collaboration, and overall productivity.
4. Site Consolidation
Benefit: Incorporate all sites under one platform while also reducing the overall costs associated with each.
Managers can easily utilize the SharePoint 2010 platform to consolidate intranet, extranet and internet sites. This can amass to substantial cost savings for the organization and it also provides a more efficient method for accessing each of the sites.
In addition to consolidating sites, SharePoint also works seamlessly with many technologies your office already utilizes such as MS Office, MS Unified Communications and MS Exchange Server.
5. Security and Integrity
Benefit: Provide security at both a broad and single item level.
The SharePoint 2010 platform offers organizations the ability to protect the integrity of data from unauthorized use. This includes managing permissions to sites, lists, folders, documents, web applications and following SharePoint security best practices. Project teams can also rest assured that the integrity of the documents housed on SharePoint’s cloud will never be compromised through settings that require users to checkout documents prior to editing, allow users to view all revisions made to a document and return a document to its original state. Additionally, security measures can be implemented at both the document and item-level.
For server administrators, read this article on SharePoint Server security best practices.
6. Ease of Use
Benefit: Build the business tools and solutions you need without the assistance of a developer.
SharePoint has features and tools that allow organizations to respond quickly to business needs by building solutions without having a background in web development. Whether you need to build or update your website or create a specific online tool for your team, SharePoint has the programs available for you to do so. You can easily perform the functions you need to in one application and the cost savings related to that can add up quickly.
Nothing Beats SharePoint Collaboration
Regardless of industry, all organizations strive for increased productivity and having a tool in place like Microsoft SharePoint can make all of the difference. The collaboration features easily translate to increased productivity and cost savings for any organization.
If you’re interested in learning how to navigate SharePoint like a pro then download our SharePoint Training Fact Sheet and learn about today’s top courses for SharePoint. Whether you are an end user, developer or designer, there’s something in SharePoint for you!