The SharePoint Decision
The majority of readers of Redmond magazine uses SharePoint and has for some years. But a majority isn't everyone and there are still plenty that haven't made the move (and may never in the future).
For those still in contemplation mode, Don Jones has some things to ponder.
Jones' basic premise is that SharePoint is well worth considering given how it helps bring discipline to document storage, access and sharing.
It's also great for creating forms and managing the data that comes from all these forms being filled out.
Jones is also impressed with how well SharePoint supports business intelligence (BI), especially for SQL Server shops.
On the downside, some shops see SharePoint as a perfect replacement for file servers. But SharePoint isn't a traditional file server, and since it's generally used as an adjunct to SQL Server, it is more expensive. It also has more overhead than the file servers it might replace.
Finally SharePoint isn't shareware and can cost a pretty penny, what with SQL Server licenses and SharePoint Server costs.
Jones' advice? If you don't have SharePoint today, trying it out in a small way in the cloud may be the best way to see what it can do.
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/03/2012 at 1:19 PM