What is SharePoint?

Microsoft^® Windows^® SharePoint^® Services 3.0 takes Microsoft Office beyond the desktop application and brings it online so you can share and collaborate more effectively with other people in your company, group or organization. SharePoint is a web site that can be displayed in a browser such as Internet Explorer, and includes an interface for displaying lists and libraries in a secure database.

SharePoint also contains various web-parts that can display sorted or filtered information in various ways, or can display some kind of custom functionality. SharePoint can be used for something as simple as a list of contacts, or for something as complex as a project management dashboard for a new store opening.

SharePoint can be customized easily through the web-based management interface or through the Microsoft SharePoint Designer software. In addition, there are 40 pre-built application templates which help organize various web-parts, lists and libraries to help accomplish a specific goal, such as a Bug Database, Blog, Wiki or Project Tracking.

With SharePoint, you can share and collaborate more effectively with other people in your company, group or organization.

Benefits of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

One of the keys to understanding SharePoint is to better understand what it can do for you, and how it can be used.

Improve individual productivity with collaborative tools	Connect people with the information they need, and enable them to receive, create and organize the documents, information, lists and data they need to get their jobs done.
Manage and track documents	The enhanced document management features allow for document check-in or check-out and change management. Restore previous versions or control who can access or modify which documents.
Ease of use and Microsoft Office integration	The improved views and menus make navigation easy within SharePoint sites, allowing users to get to the information they need. Integration with familiar tools including the Microsoft Office Suite make it even easier to get up to speed quickly without having to learn new skills.
Deploy solutions designed specifically for you	You can start with one of the many standard workspaces and begin your customization there, or start from scratch and build a SharePoint solution that is specifically built for your business processes and needs.
Build your own collaboration environment	Building a collaborative environment doesn’t have to be complicated and time consuming. Now you can build and deploy your SharePoint based solution with minimal time and effort.
Reduce Complexity	The administrative controls built into SharePoint make it easier to control the information stored within your site while keeping costs low and management less complicated.
Secure your information the way you want to	You can control permissions and security as deep down as the document or item level, and users, groups and teams can control their own workspaces within the security parameters you define.
Take File sharing to the next level	Document check-in/check-out, and version history and storage allow you to view what changes were made and recover old versions. The Recycle Bin functionality allows for easier recovery and restoration of lost information.
Easily scale your collaboration solution	SharePoint is well suited for small or large groups who need collaboration tools and features. Your site can grow with you and contain numerous sub-sites that suit many different purposes.
A cost-effective solution for building your applications	SharePoint provides a flexible and multi-functional framework for information management and collaboration which is both scalable and customizable, allowing it to fit within the needs and infrastructure of any business or organization.