How does Microsoft SharePoint work?

Microsoft SharePoint is a browser-based collaboration platform. Users can upload large amounts of data there, including PDFs, Office documents, tasks, images, videos, emails, calendar entries, contracts and project information. Business teams can collaborate through MS SharePoint using workflow applications, list databases and security features. The Microsoft platform enables companies to control access to information and automate workflows across business units.

The most obvious difference is in the name: SharePoint Online is the online version installed on Microsoft servers and accessible via the Internet. On the other hand, a local SharePoint, i.e. on-premises, is licensed software that is installed on a company-owned or leased server. This version can be accessed via the Internet or a company intranet. This leads to fundamental differences in the applications, especially in the maintenance effort of the system.

Thanks to cloud-based working, access from all devices is a decisive advantage, especially in times of digitalization and working from home. The use of mobile devices is also much easier. For all programs, new features and updates are first released for the online version and only then for the on-premises solution. Another advantage of the online version over on-premises is that Microsoft automatically updates and improves in the background. This ensures that you always use the latest and, above all, secure program version. Expanding the network is also not an issue with online solutions; new users can simply be added by purchasing a license. The server capacity is then automatically adjusted in the background. The same applies to the integration of external service providers, where only an additional user license is required.

However, there are disadvantages to using Microsoft's cloud servers. Sensitive data that must not be stored on foreign servers or even only in Germany cannot be processed online with MS SharePoint. Caution is also advised with slow internet connections or large amounts of data. Cloud solutions can then slow down work processes unnecessarily.

If you install the on-premises solution on your own server, you have full control over your data. As long as you work locally, there is no problem handling large volumes of data. On-premises and online SharePoint can also be integrated or connected locally. Large or sensitive data such as archives or customer data is stored locally on your own servers, while other data is stored in the cloud and can be shared and edited across teams. The hybrid solution can even be used with existing intranet systems so that existing systems can continue to be used.

The on-premises solution has a disadvantage compared to the cloud-based variant, as you have to operate and maintain your own or rented servers, which incurs additional costs. Updates and improvements to the system must be carried out either by yourself or by an external specialist. The capacity of the server must be planned years in advance to ensure a certain degree of scalability. New users and external service providers must be created and given the appropriate authorizations. This results in a greater administrative effort than with online SharePoint, which can be particularly necessary when handling sensitive data. However, from a certain size, the cost factor is also taken into account, because with the on-premises version you do not need to buy a monthly license for each user.

Launched in 2001, Microsoft's SharePoint software combines several functions under one roof. For example, every SharePoint user can use the tool to coordinate tasks and projects, create team sites or intranet portals, set up document management including search functions and much more. The platform's many functions make it much easier to collaborate on ad hoc projects and establish standard business processes for exchanging information, publishing documents and recording data. Features such as security controls, co-authoring, version control and integration with Microsoft Exchange. Business users can get more done in less time while ensuring the integrity of the work product.

Microsoft SharePoint is basically divided into six areas:

• Community
• Composites
• Content
• Insights
• Search
• Websites

Each of these areas relates to the topic of the website. For example, you can set up separate pages in your community (mySites) and add discussion forums, calendars and wikis to these pages. With the "Composites" feature, you can optionally equip your website with various components - including applications from the Microsoft Office world, for example. In the content area, you can version social media content, integrate various documents and define your own rules for controlling and storing this content. Using the Insights function, you can aggregate data from various sources and display it as charts on your website. The search option gives users the ability to search for any information, both inside and outside the tool.

This is about communication and support for websites, blogs and more, including corporate social networks. Each user can store information: Media, files, mailboxes, calendars and more. The ability to make this data accessible to other users and to create blogs or forums means that communication with other users is quick and easy.

This is an area in which you can add self-developed components and applications to your website without having to master a programming language. For example, you can integrate tools developed under Microsoft Access into Microsoft SharePoint. With the Designer tool, on the other hand, you can change layouts and designs, connect to external data sources and develop workflows. You can also design forms for your websites and applications and display data from business systems in Microsoft SharePoint.

This area of Microsoft SharePoint can be thought of as a document management system. The solution can also be used as a web content management system. It separates layout and content, provides templates, publishes content according to a schedule, automates the provision of content and follows certain processes when content is approved. In addition, pages are accessible in Microsoft SharePoint and page caching can be customized.

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In this area, program components are aggregated to map the business intelligence of MS SharePoint. For example, you will find Excel services with which you can directly integrate diagrams and Excel tables and graphically display performance indicators such as key performance indicators. The diagram wizard supports you in creating diagrams and you can also use SharePoint lists as sources in Microsoft SQL Server. You can also use Microsoft PerformancePoint services to create dashboards and define layouts.

There is a search field in the top right-hand corner of every SharePoint page. Entering a term here triggers a full-text search. The program provides an index for the search, but only for the collection of sites on which the user is currently located. If you use the server version, you get more options in the search function. These include refining results, predefined searches, automatic search suggestions, searching for people and extending the search beyond your own collection of websites.

A SharePoint site can contain any number of individual pages. These individual pages in turn consist of content such as image galleries, wikis and documentation, task lists, calendars and discussion forums. SharePoint sites are often divided into several sub-sites with different templates, such as empty sites, team sites with libraries, calendars, task lists and discussion forums or blog site templates.

The enterprise content management product includes the tools you need to organize and manage content throughout the content lifecycle, from creation to archiving. MS SharePoint allows you to add metadata to files in many different ways to sort, organize and track enterprise content. In addition, the platform also enables the markup of content when business users upload it to the collaboration space. As part of this process, end users may also need to provide metadata about the document. Here, the solution includes the following features:

• Workflow tools for the automation of processes.
• Content lifecycle tools that support work with data sets.
• Processing of information in accordance with company policy.
• Approval and inspection of documents.
• Pre-check of a document.
• Notifications when files are uploaded or changes are made.
• Create workflows with if-then logic to automate actions such as moving or emailing documents and logging information.

All of these features increase the productivity of business users. Best of all, Microsoft SharePoint outperforms previous document collaboration systems by displaying information about what information and documents are stored and why. Users can even create custom databases in a user-friendly format and record thousands of different pieces of information that can be integrated into workflows or other business processes.