By offering features such as web content management, shared business processes and enterprise content, business intelligence among others, Microsoft’s first integrated server platform, Office SharePoint Server 2007, aka Moss 2007, connects people, processes and informs. SharePoint Server 2007 offers quite a number of benefits to the end the user, including the ability to integrate Workspaces, Blogs, Forums, Tasks, RSS and Wikis.

Moss 2007 provides the user with an easy yet familiar and uniquely consistent experience. It combines well with existing desktop applications along with e-mail and Web browsers and makes it easier for users to interact with content, processes and use business data.

The user friendly Moss 2007 allows for the streamlining and managing of normal business activities, by making things like document processing and analysis simple without the need for coding. There is also the ability for business users to comprehensively and effectively manage, control and repurpose content. Also, with built in data validation rules you can collect data and integrate it with back-end systems.

The Enterprise Search feature has the ability to produce extensive results for searches by incorporating business data and other relevant information from remote data stores. There is a “Best Bet" feature, which draws search hits from both inclusive and non-inclusive search scopes. Also added features like spell correction and duplicate collapsing help to make the search results extremely specialized.

Users will have the ability to search data and index in line-of-business applications by way of the Business Data Store integration. Business managers and developers will appreciate this feature in Moss 2007.

There is the ability to share business data and thus give users real-time access to information. Applications like Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheets can be accessed from a Web browser through Excel services running on SharePoint Server 2007. Live interactive business intelligence portals with the ability to assemble and display business-critical information from varying sources are made easy and simple with the SharePoint Server 2007.

Office SharePoint Server 2007 supports Web services and interoperability standards such as XML and Simple Object Access Protocol. The server has open application programming interfaces and event handlers for lists and documents.

Businesses presently undertaking an upgrade to Office 2007 will gain the most from the enhanced Office integration. Any business with the older versions of Office will find their accessibility limited.

The improvement in areas such as Web and Web 2.0 content management is minor to say the least. There is however, some difficulty that is experienced with customization and there are also concerns about ongoing maintenance.

The Office SharePoint Server 2007 aka Moss 2007 has an impressive array of features and capabilities which fall into one of six major functionality areas, namely portal, enterprise search, enterprise content management, collaborative capabilities, business processes and forms, and business intelligence. This is certainly an extensive product and it addresses almost all businesses needs in spite of its minor shortcomings. Any organization or business that has the ability to acquire, make use of, manage and maintain the system and its infrastructure, should not hesitate to do so.