SharePoint 2010 Test Drive

Today I got a chance to test drive the SharePoint 2010 and Office 2010. There are a ton of new features and functions. I wanted to take a few minutes and tell you about some of them

SharePoint 2010
http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/2010/Sneak_Peek/Pages/default.aspx
A new SharePoint 2010 sneak peak…and the new Overview Video by Tom Rizzo.

“Value Pillars” This is the central pitch around SP2010
Connect and Empower People
Heavily pushing on multiple devices: multiple Browers (IE, Safari, Firefox); mobile

Cut Costs with a Unified Infrastructure
One platform with multiple solutions

Rapidly Respond to Business Needs
Quickly skin SharePoint and “mash it up” business processes


Nicest new features in my opinion
After takeing it for a spin and playing with the features here are the ones that I liked and saw good potential in impacting a Project Managers world:

• Live Editing of text on page in Office 2007

This is a critical factor in document creation and collaboration! Imagine that I am working on a requirements document in SharePoint. I open it up and start working. Meanwhile Steve the BA on my project opens it up and starts working. Each section of the document I work on is locked and Steve can see it visually (green bracket with my name associated with it). As Steve changes items those sections are locked to me. At anytime that is good for me I can sync this changes with a simple click of a button. It is cleaner – nicer and not forced (it does not interrupt me with prompts or other distractions!) I did it in Word and powerPoint

• Content Controls

This allows me to go into a document and create SharePoint Tasks directly in the document. When they complete the task and attach the created document. SharePoint takes the task document and integrates it into my document. So imagine if you will that I am writing a design document that is sensitive in nature. I have section that requires a person outside my team to write a blurb. I can assign the task and not have to give them access to the document itself. This is very powerful! I can also kick off workflows with content controls.

• Visio web integration

Now I create a process diagram and use it visually show the progress to the user on the diagram – without the need for the user to have Visio and it can pull data from LOB apps or SharePoint

• Upload images as content is seamless

No more upload to a picture library then add to a webapart – do it all in one step

• Browser Support for Firefox and Safari

I saw no difference

• Office Ribbon everywhere!

All the apps including SharePoint now have the ribbon. Easy access to commands and functions that are relevant

• Nicer BDC integration (now BCS business catalog service)

Read – Write
Easier managemen

• Clientless web version of Office

Acconding to the keynote speach at the partner conference all windows live accounts will have access to use the web version of Office 2010

More to come Later!

Linc