SharePoint - Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is SharePoint?

SharePoint is a general term used to refer to a family of Microsoft software products designed to facilitate collaboration and sharing of documents between user groups, teams, departments or companies. There are two main products:

• Windows SharePoint Services (WSS,) and
• Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS)

2. How is MOSS different from WSS?

MOSS SharePoint has more features than WSS, and it is meant for larger organizations that are looking for more advance functionality such as:

• Enterprise Content Management (ECM) – used to manage documents and web sites
• Enterprise Search – used on servers across different locations
• Electronic Forms Management – used to manage and generate forms in electronic format
• Business Intelligence – used to create dashboards and key performance indicators
• Personal Sites for staff use – allow personalization of user’s private site

3. What do I need to install and use SharePoint at work?

First of all, you and your organization must decide whether you want to install SharePoint in-house, or use a hosted solution. The difference between the two options is that when you decide to move ahead with an in-house solution you must acquire additional sever hardware and server licenses.  You first must have a Windows Server 2003 or 2008. In addition, a Microsoft SQL server is recommended for robust deployment.  While WSS is a free download, MOSS requires the acquisition of either a Standard of Enterprise license, depending on requirements.  Typical license cost for a 25-user MOSS deployment with SQL starts at about $15,000.00. When moving ahead with a hosted version of SharePoint, you are not required to acquire any server hardware or software since the solution is hosted by a service provider like Compulite and its partners. Also, there are no license costs associated with this option, which makes hosted WSS SharePoint the most popular choice today. Typically you pay a monthly fee, based on the amount of storage required, which is only a fraction of the cost of a regular MOSS deployment.  

4. Is there any difference between a hosted and an in-house WSS SharePoint solution?

In terms of network architecture of a hosted solution, the only difference is that the actual hardware where the SharePoint server runs is not located at your office. From an administrator’s perspective, there are some tasks that must be performed by the hosting company, such as backups, updates and a few others related to the Central Administration panel in SharePoint. From an end user’s perspective there is no difference; both hosted and in-house solutions offer the same features, functionality and user interface. Organizations that choose a hosted WSS SharePoint solution prefer to outsource all technical work associated with maintaining the portal and at the same time they retain all administrative control as to what users are can access the portal and their corresponding security permissions.

5. Do I need to install any software on my computer to run SharePoint?

All you need to run SharePoint is an Internet browser, preferably Internet Explorer version 6 or later, or Mozilla Firefox. Think of SharePoint as a website, a secure company website that only authorized users can access. Using a browser you can perform all major tasks from an end-user’s point of view.  For example, you can check-in, check-out, upload and download documents, create and delete sites or workspaces, create and customize document libraries and much more. Since SharePoint is a Microsoft product it will integrate seamlessly with the Microsoft Office Suite (preferably Office 2003 or later). For example, SharePoint calendars and document libraries can be connected and synchronized with MS Outlook, MS Excel spreadsheets can be published within SharePoint lists, and MS Access databases can be made available to a larger number of users in SharePoint or can update certain lists with information collected by other users. In a similar manner, information can be transferred back to the applications by SharePoint users; for example an MS Access database can be updated by multiple users from SharePoint, a calendar can be connected to Outlook while continuing to receive updates or new events added by other users.

6. Can SharePoint manage my email?

Yes, SharePoint can manage both documents and email together.  You can either send email to SharePoint or drag-and-drop using a third part Outlook add-on.  SharePoint can be customized to store and manage email making it available to all relevant parties. This can prove to be very useful in organizations and teams that require all members to be up to date and have access to the latest communications sent or received from a client. From a company’s standpoint, managers do not have to worry if an employee is leaving the organization since all their correspondence is stored in SharePoint. In this way, all information regarding an account will never get lost or remain inaccessible; moreover, the new person who will move into that role will have a much easier time catching up with the latest developments, reducing time-to- value.

7. How long does it take to deploy a SharePoint environment?

Depending on the project size and complexity, it can last anywhere from two weeks to three months. Based on our experience with local organizations, on average it takes about six weeks to deploy. However, there are other factors involved in the process that can affect the duration, such as:

a. Training requirements and availability
b. Portal information architecture (PIA) and design
c. Understanding business processes and workflows
d. Developing a working prototype / proof of concept
e. Gathering and integrating user feedback into the design
f. Size of data to be migrated to SharePoint
g. Designing the graphic user interface (GUI) and common look and feel (CLF)
h. Integration with other line of business (LoB) applications  

8. Can I see a demo of a SharePoint site?

Yes, at your request Compulite can give you a presentation of an industry specific demo site with an emphasis on the most important features available in the portal. This initial consultation is provided free of charge and with no obligation on behalf of the client. To schedule a meeting with Compulite, please call us at (613) 723-6466 or send us a web request by clicking here.

9. How much experience does Compulite have with SharePoint?

Compulite started deploying SharePoint portals back in 2003 when the first public release was launched. Since then, we have been working with a large variety of clients representing several major vertical markets: government, healthcare, professional services, finance, legal and academic. We are managing both in-house and hosted SharePoint solution for some of the best known organizations in the Ottawa region. Our privacy and confidentiality agreement prevents us from naming them. We can provide references based on request.

10. Does Compulite provide support and training for SharePoint?

Yes, Compulite provides both training and support to organizations for both MOSS and WSS. From our experience, there is a learning curve when users are first exposed to SharePoint, but this can be drastically reduced with appropriate training and resources. Training can be delivered in a classroom setting, one-on-one sessions at the client’s site or online via webinars. We can also provide you with other online resources and books to study if you decide to deepen your knowledge about SharePoint.  We provide unlimited support for a flat monthly fee for all solutions designed by Compulite. Support is delivered according to the nature and complexity of the issue; this includes: phone, email, chat, and on-site support.

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