Extends the utilization of SharePoint calendars, tasks, contact, and document libraries through offline access and integration with Outlook experience.
Outlook and SharePoint Integration |
2003 Client Experience
|
2007 Client Experience
|
Read-only view of SharePoint team calendars and no ability to overlay them with personal calendars.
Issue: SharePoint team calendars are not seamlessly integrated into existing work habits.
|
One-click process to connect SharePoint calendars to Outlook 2007 with bi-directional synchronization.
Benefit: Shared team calendars become more accessible through users’ primary scheduling tool and are more easily integrated into existing work habits – stimulating utilization.
|
No ability to copy contents of SharePoint Server lists and libraries for offline access in Outlook folders.
Issue: Access to SharePoint Server managed data limited to times when a network connection is available.
|
Easy process to copy contents of SharePoint lists and libraries to Outlook 2007 folders for off-line access.
Benefit: Easy offline access to SharePoint managed data stimulates team site usage by eliminating requirement to be connected.
|
The major issues with Outlook 2003 integration with SharePoint calendars is that only read-only access is provided. The process of connecting a SharePoint calendar is straightforward but the side-by-side viewing mode is not as user-friendly as it could be. Any changes to the SharePoint calendars must be done on the SharePoint site. The inconvenience of this process (having to leave Outlook) reduces the attractiveness of SharePoint calendaring to users and reduces adoption.
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Outlook 2007 offers two key advantages over the 2003 experience with regard to accessing SharePoint calendars. First the Overlay view makes it much easier to spot conflicts between the two calendars. Second, Outlook 2007 provides read/write access to SharePoint calendar items. In addition to enabling full edit access to SharePoint calendar appointments, appointments can be dragged and dropped from one calendar to another. Because it is so much easier to work with SharePoint calendars from within the familiar Outlook environment, user adoption of the capability is enhanced.
| -
Connect Calendar to Outlook
-
Side by Side Display
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View Appointment in Outlook
| -
Connect Calendar to Outlook
-
Overlay View
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Create new appointment on team calendar
| -
Read-Only Access
| -
Appt. appears on Team Calendar
| Access and SharePoint Integration
Provides wizard driven process to move entire Access databases to SharePoint site (tables, forms, reports etc.) with complete support for SharePoint data types, ability to interact with databases stored on SharePoint using Access client or browser, and support of offline access to database.
Groove and SharePoint Integration
Enables Groove users to have offline access to SharePoint document libraries.
Groove and SharePoint Integration |
2003 Client Experience
|
2007 Client Experience
|
Groove 3.1 does not support direct access to contents of SharePoint Server 2007 document libraries. Contents of libraries can be added to workspace but no synchronization service provided.
Issue: Limited ability to combine usage of SharePoint server team sites and Groove workspaces.
|
Adding documents to a Groove Workspace is a easy to mange process that automates the synchronization of the copies.
Benefit: Improved utilization of the tools and more effective collaboration especially for highly mobile users who are frequently disconnected.
|
Integrating Groove 3.1 and SharePoint document libraries can be done in a limited fashion. Files residing in a SharePoint document library can be added to the Groove 3.1 workspace. No synchronization service is provided between the Groove workspace and the SharePoint document library and the files quickly can get out of sync.
|
Groove 2007 provides a streamlined experience for connecting workspaces to SharePoint document libraries. A special purpose “SharePoint Files” tool makes the process of bringing files into the groove workspace easy. The Groove 2007 client provides synchronization services. If the file is modified in the Groove workspace – notification is provided reminding the user to synchronize. All synchronizations are previewed prior to execution.
| -
Add files to Groove 3.1 Workspace
| -
SharePoint Files tool to get files
| -
File is edited on SharePoint Site
-
Files are out of sync
-
Files are out of sync
-
Changed file must be re-added to Groove 3.1 workspace
| -
SharePoint Files tool to get files
-
Synchronization notification provided
-
Re-synchronize to get updates from site
| Conclusion
Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Office SharePoint Server 2007 provide advanced collaboration and enterprise content management capabilities for end users through rich, contextual integration with Office Professional Plus 2007 and Office Enterprise 2007. These latest versions of their respective platforms were developed together for maximum integration, with the expressed purpose of enabling the most powerful user experience possible. While the 2007 Office Suites and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Office SharePoint Server 2007 provide much new and improved functionality compared to their previous versions, the combined deployment of the latest client programs and server technologies is necessary to achieve the best Office and SharePoint integration features.
By leveraging the best Office and SharePoint integration features, you will be able to collaborate more productively, manage your enterprise’s information content and people driven processes more effectively, and improve your business insight more rapidly.
For More Information 2007 Microsoft Office System Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies -
Product Marketing Home Page: http://www.microsoft.com/sharepoint
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Community Portal Home Page: http://mysharepointcommunity.com
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SharePoint 2007 Products Comparison
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SharePoint Services 3.0 Feature Guide
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SharePoint Services 3.0 vs. SharePoint Services 2.0 Comparison
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SharePoint Server 2007 Feature Guide
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SharePoint Server 2007 vs. SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Comparison
Appendix Client Program, Server License, and Client Access License Requirements
The following table shows the Office 2003 or 2007 client program, SharePoint server license, and client access license requirements for each of the major Office and SharePoint integration feature.
Client Program, Server License, and Client Access License Requirements |
Office and SharePoint Integration Feature
|
Client(s)
|
Server(s)
|
CAL(s)
|
Enterprise Content Management
Publish documents to server to enable content management tasks in the client (e.g., start and/or participate in approval or review workflows from within the Office client), access content management features from within client (e.g., auto-generated document properties)
|
Word, Excel, PowerPoint
|
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007
|
MOSS Standard CAL
|
Information Rights Management
Protect documents from unauthorized access or distribution from within the Office client applications.
|
Excel, InfoPath, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word
|
Windows Server 2003 w/ Windows Rights Management Services (WRMS)
|
WRMS CAL
Windows Server CAL
|
PowerPoint Slide Libraries
Publish slides to server where they can be easily shared, access slides on Slide Library from within PowerPoint, receive notification if slide on server changes.
|
PowerPoint
|
MOSS
|
MOSS Standard CAL
|
Excel Services
Publish Excel spreadsheets to server for centralized management, browser-based spreadsheet viewing and access control.
|
Excel
|
MOSS
|
MOSS Standard CAL + MOSS Enterprise CAL
|
Electronic Forms (Complete)
Publish forms to server to enable browser-based access for data collection, initiate workflows and additional forms management tasks from InfoPath client.
|
InfoPath
|
MOSS
|
MOSS Standard CAL + MOSS Enterprise CAL
|
Electronic Forms (Limited)
Publish forms to server to enable browser-based access for data collection.
|
InfoPath
|
Office Forms Server (OFS)
|
OFS CAL
|
Outlook/SharePoint Integration
Keep synchronized copy of SharePoint Calendars, Tasks, and Contacts and offline access to SharePoint Document Libraries in Outlook.
|
Outlook
|
WSS 3.0
- or -
MOSS
|
Windows Server CAL - or -
MOSS Standard CAL
|
Access/SharePoint Integration
Move Access data to a SharePoint site where it can be centrally managed and accessible by the client or a browser.
|
Access
|
WSS 3.0
- or -
MOSS
|
Windows Server CAL - or -
MOSS Standard CAL
|
Groove/SharePoint Integration
Take synchronized copy of SharePoint Document Libraries offline in a Groove Workspace.
|
Groove
|
WSS 3.0
- or -
MOSS
|
Windows Server CAL - or -
MOSS Standard CAL
|
OneNote/SharePoint Integration
Store a Shared Notebook in a SharePoint Document Library, which enables collaborative content editing by multiple OneNote users.
|
OneNote
|
WSS 2.0 or 3.0
- or -
SPS 2003 or MOSS
|
Windows Server CAL - or -
SPS 2003 CAL or MOSS Standard CAL
|
|