Thinking of migrating to SharePoint?

If you are thinking of migrating to SharePoint environment, it is time to ponder over its features and the new advanced capabilities it offers. If you are using some other platform and want to migrate to SharePoint platform, what new features and services you will get? Or are you already using a SharePoint version and want to upgrade to the next version? There are lot of points which should be considered while taking the plunge: such as “Would it be helpful our business or is it just cool to migrate”?  Here we will discuss the new capabilities of SharePoint 2013 and how it becomes the right pick and the favourite platform for users.

As a matter of fact, SharePoint has seen a widespread adoption. Around 78% of Fortune 500 companies are using SharePoint 2013 across the globe. Microsoft has made lot of changes in its SharePoint versions in order to make its complex structure easier and user friendly, like by introducing some new cutting edge features for web content management, workflow, search, and big data, it has won the confidence of the users and they simply love it!

The SharePoint migration has been of two kinds, firstly, the companies which were using other platforms like Lotus, Oracle. etc. are now migrating to SharePoint platform. Secondly, the companies which were using older versions of SharePoint are now upgrading to SharePoint 2013. The reason being it’s new and advanced features some of which are listed below:

• Advanced Apps 
• New improved workflows with an add-on feature called as ‘Workflow Manager’.
• Yammer Integration
• Big Data support
• Web Content Management
• Improved Design Capabilities
• Improved Publishing Capabilities via Cross-Site Publishing

SharePoint : The Multipurpose Tool

SharePoint provides a multitude of features which are helpful for developers as well as for users. SharePoint provides a set of services for collaboration and foundation for building Web-based applications.

Creating an app for SharePoint is now easier with SharePoint 2013 as it is a strong development platform for building solutions and apps to address different requirements and needs. Using the tools which SharePoint provides, one can instantly create apps and publish them in a corporate catalog or in the Office Store.

Apps for SharePoint enable users to get new capabilities. They are versatile, reusable, and scalable. Developers can design their apps as widgets, extend the SharePoint interface, and provide a great experience to users.

MSDN provides plenty of information on SharePoint application development as how to start building your first application and how to consume the different capabilities of the platform.

SharePoint is composed of multi-purpose set of web technologies that are useful for many organizations. Microsoft recently released Windows SharePoint Services which is a free add-on for Windows Server 2003. Organizations and business units of any size and structure can use SharePoint services to increase the efficiency of business processes and improve team productivity. With tools for collaboration that help people stay connected across organizational and geographic boundaries, Windows SharePoint Services give people access to information they need.

Built on Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows SharePoint Services also provide a foundation platform for building Web-based business applications that are flexible and can be customized to meet the changing and growing needs of your business.

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 introduces some useful new capabilities and features. The following new capabilities and features are particularly relevant to building custom applications.

• Libraries and Lists- SharePoint Services 3.0 introduces a number of new library and list types, which can be used as the basis for SharePoint applications and you can store a lot of data and files in these lists and libraries.
• Content Types- A content type is a reusable collection of settings that is used for content management. It enables to reuse the metadata and behaviours of a document or item type.
• Site Columns- Site columns provide a central, reusable model for column definition or template which are helpful for users to pick for multiple lists across multiple SharePoint sites.
• Workflow- SharePoint workflow is defined as the automated movement of documents or items through a series of actions or tasks for a successful completion of a business processes within an organization.
• Feature Framework- Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 contains a new structure called a “feature” which reduces the complexity involved in making site customizations, leaving out the requirement to copy large chunks of code to make simple changes in the site.
• Event Enhancement- This is used for core events like changes, additions and removal of lists items or list columns. It is also used for deletion of sites and site collections.
• Mobile Device Access - SharePoint Services 3.0 provides new capabilities to the users to browse SharePoint site on their mobile devices easily.

The new features and enhancements in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 provide an array of opportunities for the developers. It provides enterprise-scale capabilities to meet business requirements such as content management, site plan or site collections and streamlining business processes. Using Windows SharePoint Services organizations can enable their users to create, manage, and easily build their own SharePoint sites.