Tuesday, August 26, 2008

What's the Big Deal about SharePoint?

Over the last couple of years, I have become known around these parts as "That SharePoint Guy." That is a particularly strong title for someone who takes pride in being platform agnostic and whose background is steeped in mid-range computing and open source. How could I be typecast like this? I believe the answer is because of my enthusiasm for SharePoint!

Please understand - I do not lead with a product. I listen to my clients' challenges and opportunities, then offer what I believe to be the best solution based on their requirements. More often than not in recent engagements, the solution has been SharePoint. I like to say that every organization needs SharePoint - some just do not yet know why.

So what's the big deal? For me it is because with over 15 years of systems consulting (and I have enjoyed nearly every minute of it), I can draw a distinct separator on the timeline for the first time. Dozens of past projects, languages and frameworks have culminated into what has become known as "my life before SharePoint."

So why such strong regard for this platform? My future posts will fill you in a little at a time, but I will sum it up in a few points now: ease of use, out-of-the-box features and flexibile integration architecture. A much anticipated paradigm shift has occurred and the focus is now able to be centered where it should be - on the business requirements.

I will expand on this topic in person at IndyTechFest on October 4. Hope to see you there.

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