SharePoint 2010 was and is versatile in that it makes collaborative operations a snap.
Some of its features:
- With SharePoint you could set up websites on a single infrastructure, work jointly on documents and then follow it up with reports.
- That in itself is a simple enough matter but go a step further and you have tools to create business solutions without having to code it yourself.
- Users can share information and it enables people to work together on a single platform. Content management becomes easy, especially when used in conjunction with MS Office suite.
- Finding information and contacts relevant to their job is a breeze.
That was SharePoint 2010. SharePoint 2013 brings still greater refinements especially from the Cloud perspective. You can do all of that and publish content to SharePoint from inside any MS Office application and share it with people.
Here it is brief what the new 2013 SharePoint does:
- Documents can be shared and SharePoint lets you use your mobile device to remain updated and in touch with colleagues.
- Seamlessly integrate Microsoft Project, Outlook and SharePoint to organize projects and keep track;
- Stay in touch with team and compile all relevant documents relating to a particular project in one place;
- Then sync all such documents with SkyDrivePro
And that brings us to Cloud and the way Microsoft SharePoint 2013 introduces a paradigm shift.
SharePoint 2013 and the new MS Office work together and redefine collaboration, analyzing and sharing tons of data within and outside of an organization, laying down challenges for developers, especially on mobile platforms. Concurrent changes in SQL Server pave the way for a shift in the way data, tons of it, is analyzed, shared and used. How useful it is can be seen from the fact that SharePoint alone generates $ 2 billion and has a user base of 135000, the numbers growing by the day. With this latest version, social networking makes inroads into workplaces. The whole idea is that SharePoint should empower businesses to get things done on a bigger scale and on a wider canvas. Activity streams are inspired by FaceBook and Twitter and let users follow people, documents, tags and sites. SharePoint 2013 is smarter too with a core engine capable of recognizing what an individual is focused on and presenting it all with relevance. The community sites feature will help users with a commonality of interest to come together and share, further promoting widespread use of SharePoint 2013.
SharePoint 2013 is more versatile in that it is “cloud ready” while being just as capable in on-premises use.
SharePoint 2013 has new multi-tenant architecture. In conjunction with the redefined Windows Server 2012, it allows for greater flexibility in running it with Windows Azure or third party cloud providers, aiding in cost efficiencies and ease of use.
SkyDrive is available as a cloud storage solution for consumers. SkyDrivePro will be included in Office 365 subscription. SharePoint 2013 connects with Office 365 and with SkyDrivePro. SkyDrivePro takes over Mysites features of SharePoint. The online iteration of SkyDrivePro has rich content management features such as alerts, document preview, versioning and integration with Office in about 7 GB storage space, distinct from SharePoint 2013’s pooled space. It has sync capability to create a copy of the document in SkyDrivePro. Want to Know More About Microsoft SharePoint 2013 Click Here
Boiled down to simple terms, for small and medium businesses it means you can do all that is possible in the cloud with some ready made out of the box tools, without spending a lot. Most office users are familiar with the Microsoft idiom and it does not take too great an effort to learn about SharePoint and SkyDrive Pro. That alone should encourage people sitting on the fence to hop over to the cloud on the Microsoft platforms.
Image source:- Wikipedia
