Windows SharePoint services are a dominant web application developed by Microsoft. It comprises of common web tools and is closely integrated with office tools to help organizations plan, create, implement and manage intranets, document management services, portals and team collaborations platforms. There are so many ways in which this company can benefit from Microsoft Windows SharePoint. The services that the software package provides offers great benefits to an organization that has so many branches and user computers spread out both geographically, and in terms of access and use. The following are the benefits the package offers.
Benefits of using windows SharePoint services
1 familiar and easy-to-use interface
Using Microsoft Windows SharePoint services, the organization will easily be able to integrate the new four offices to the company’s operations and infrastructure. The easy-to-use interface will help employees get up to speed quickly since the SharePoint package uses a Microsoft office like interface, which most people are familiar with, and the enhanced views and simplified menu navigation helps navigate a share point site with ease.
2 Fast deployments of tailored business processes
While standard workplace processes are easy to configure in Windows SharePoint, it also has templates to enable fast customization of company specific processes such as calendars, thus using SharePoint, the new offices will be up and running without disrupting the old four offices operations .
3. Team collaboration and scaling
Since the new offices will have to collaborate with the old ones, this means that the system settings have to change to accommodate the new team members, with Microsoft Windows SharePoint this can be done with minimal administrative effort and time. The deployment settings can easily be changed from one simple server to a more robust enterprise setup.
4 Robust storage and file sharing capabilities
Windows SharePoint provides workgroups with advanced document storage and sharing capability. This will help manage documents accessibility duplication and tracking. These include check-in/check-out functionality which allows employees to update and download current shared documents, recycle bin for easier document recovery, history versions and back-up and restoration services. In this time and age, companies spend so much money in storage infrastructure. Businesses have become data based; which means that information systems which support them have to provide data storage options on the cloud for access anywhere by any employee; but with observation of the necessary protocols and access rights defined by the Active Directories implemented on the network.
5 increased security at low cost
Windows SharePoint will provide the IT department with administrative tools for increased security for business information at a reduced cost and complexity, the IT department can now set permissions on any given document or item levels: these permissions include things like storage limits, site membership and file access permissions, and site managers. Teams and workgroups can initiate work collaborations within these parameters
With all these benefits that Windows SharePoint offers. Its implementation will surely solve most for the problems currently being experienced in the company such as:
- Having the new offices up and running within the shortest time possible
- Giving the owner and the IT department more administrative power like allocating costs fairly according to use and restricting access to applications and media services
Source: www.cloudmore.com/services/communication-and-collaboration/windows-sharepoint-services/
Additional storage needs
In order to solve the storage problems I would like to propose that the company implements Storage virtualization. Storage virtualization is a term which refers to bringing together of physical storage devices in a network in what appears to be a single storage device. This is then managed from a central point: this can be achieved using hardware or software. It will help the administrator to perform duties like back-up, data migration, manage available storage more easily and keep track of its usage. Such services also eliminate the need for a physical server which is more expensive as compared to virtualization that involves subscription and payment of a service to the company that offers the virtualization services.
http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/storage-virtualization
Fix for Slowdown in performance
A sluggish network can mean frustration to both users and the administrator, whether caused by faulty hardware or software, user misuse, malware or applications gone wild. The key to solving such network problems is finding the culprits. Here are some of the things that can be done to fix the problem:
1 Reduce the number of applications accessing the network
Having many applications using the network can cause a reduction in performance whether to the host or network, identifying these applications and remove unnecessary ones will significantly lead to an increase in performance.
2 Scanning for Viruses and spyware
This will start with investing on good antivirus/antispyware software from a well-recognized security company. Having these infections in a system or network, leads to overloading of computers and networks
3 Faulty network devices or insufficient bandwidth
Checking for faulty or non-functioning networking devices is advisable before upgrading the network bandwidths.
References
Callahan, C. A. (2008). Mastering Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0. New York: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Cloudmore. (2013). Windows SharePoint Services. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from Cloudmore: http://www.cloudmore.com/services/communication-and-collaboration/windows-sharepoint-services/
Rouse, M. (2006, September 30). Storage Virtualization. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from TechTarget: http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/storage-virtualization
