Although many people have heard of collaborative platforms and document management systems, you may still be unfamiliar with Microsoft SharePoint and how it works, if so, we’re here to give you a quick overview of what SharePoint is and why we love it.  

Microsoft SharePoint, launched in 2001, is used predominantly as a document management system and to support collaboration throughout the workplace. With SharePoint constantly growing and evolving – the service can also be used for intranets, extranets, business intelligence and more. With it confirmed that 80% of Fortune 500 businesses currently use SharePoint, and ranked as the world's most popular collaborative platform worldwide with approximately 190 million global users – why not join the trend? 

SharePoint runs through the cloud – if you’re unsure of what the cloud is then check out our post explaining it here. Although it’s easy to presume that all businesses are already on the cloud, it’s still common for businesses to run on-premise, SharePoint is still available as SharePoint Server for these businesses – although the maintenance and infrastructure are completely in your hands. On the other hand, SharePoint Online runs solely through Microsoft servers providing a smoother and simpler experience for users. Users no longer need to worry about servers, as this is done by the vendor. 

All data within your SharePoint platform are safely stored and accessed by yourself or other members of your team and business. Its collaborative approach to content allows for multiple people to access files and work simultaneously on a document, with the intelligent cloud feature saving updates, and previous copies, along the way.  SharePoint also offers a fully customisable platform, meaning you can create custom dashboards, see analytics, and create a fully integrated content management system to suit your business needs.  

 

 

So why do we love it?

• It’s user-friendly – if this is your first time hearing about or using SharePoint then don’t worry, its user-friendly features are incredibly similar to standard Microsoft packages. With an existing Microsoft Integration, SharePoint features a familiar design suitable for first-time users to get the hang of alongside the ability to use other Microsoft apps within it. 

• Integration – As mentioned above, SharePoint is seamlessly integrated with other Microsoft apps such as Teams, Outlook and OneNote. Its integration features provide full productivity for users and ease of access to all relevant information and data stored in one place. 

• Security – Its online portal can be password protected and available to certain members of the team, keeping all your documents and files safe.  

• Cloud-based - SharePoint is a cloud-based product, meaning that your documents and files can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection. It also makes the probability of losing files much fewer thanks to it being backed up and accessible in cloud storage. The cloud also provides the collaboration tools needed for multiple access to files. 

• It’s highly customisable – SharePoint provides access to the databases to customise its platform to meet your business needs. Here at Blacklight our professional team of in-house software developers are able to customise your platform to suit your business and meet the requirements that you need.  

 

So, if you’re interested in an effective content management solution or perhaps an internal intranet, SharePoint could be the platform for you. Feel free to call us on 01924 640350 or email our friendly team at sales@blacklightsoftware.com for more information on how we can help enhance your business through SharePoint.