SharePoint is a Web Application developed by Microsoft™, which launched in 2001. The original idea was for a platform for content management and document management. Now, I could go through all of the features that SharePoint has, but I’ll only touch on the general functions as well as the new functions for SharePoint 2013.
Are you looking for other ways to share and access documents across Microsoft systems?
SharePoint is all about the customers
For companies that use SharePoint, I think the number one reason is their CRM solutions. With SharePoint, you can build an entire customer database and share it across the entire enterprise. You can store previous invoices, current enquiries, a list of all potential and current customers with contact and billing information. I think that this is the best use for a company. We are a long way from the rolodex that sits on your desk and only gets updated by you. If a co-worker made contact with a potential customer, they can update the information locally and it will update throughout the entire company.
SharePoint is also a personal organizer
SharePoint is giving users the ability to organize documents and appointments; it also gives a user access to an enterprise-wide calendar.
SharePoint is also a company document holder. Companies can upload all of the re-used documents for the entire organization onto a single platform. Whether it’s a company policy document, new memo, time-off request, or a non-competition contract, these documents can all be stored in the same place and accessed from anywhere on the system.
SharePoint is a now social
With SharePoint 2013, it has not only the original intranet collaboration tools, but also newsfeed and sites, where you can manage your companies’ pages and blogs. Centralized internal controls have also improved, allowing intranet managers more control over what is happening on the network.
All in all, I think that SharePoint has a lot of capabilities and every company would certainly find a use for it, but I’m still left wondering how a huge platform can be the solution for everybody. Surely there are more cost effective and targeted solutions out there, based specifically on what the company needs. Only time will tell how readily adapted SharePoint 2013 is, but I think it will be awhile before we know the end result.
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