Lost!

In an effort to gain customers that are laboring over their network share drives attempting to find “their” file, Microsoft has release Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express (I’ll call it MSSe from here on out). MSSe offers, what Microsoft calls, “Familiar search experience.” I call it a blatant rip off of the SharePoint Search Screen, but it’s their product, they can do what they want with it. In fact, the whole thing has a Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) feel to it - wait, it is WSS…

As you’ve probably guessed, Microsoft is trying to make things easier for businesses to make the hop onto WSS systems. With this, there is a huge possibility on up-selling these customers to MOSS. Add this to the fact that Microsoft is carving WSS out of Windows 2003 to make it a standard download, you have the possibility Continue reading…

SharePoint, now known as Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server (MOSS) has gone gold this week. The main Sharepoint websites are popping with info on MOSS, but who’s going to buy this software right off the shelf? I for one make it a rule of thumb to wait at least 6 months before buying new software - a year for OS’s. Its like buying a car - you never buy the first year model…

If you want to buy a copy though, you have to go through the new way of licensing that Microsoft has setup - all 9 versions. I really don’t know why they’ve decided to do this with their OS’s and software. Why would I want to buy a neutered copy of an Enterprise Portal System? Of course, it’s no longer “portal” software - its an Office add on…

SharePoint is complicated enough - why in the world did Microsoft create 9 licensing types? I mean good grief, as a Knowledge Base Administrator, I can go from one SharePoint portal to another and other than the standard changes. Now I’ve got to worry about which features are missing because of X license… Why don’t we just make it self billing? You put a check box in which features you want and customize it - kind of like building a Dell…. (please tell me you can read the sarcasm here)

Some new benefits include blogging and wiki templates as well. Other than that, I haven’t read anything too special about it. Guess I need to go ahead and install it.

OH! and FrontPage isn’t FrontPage anymore. Depending on who you are, its either Office SharePoint designer or something else (I’m too lazy to find the name.) Microsoft is REALLY pushing the Office and SharePoint brands across the board. Before too long, we’ll start seeing more pushing for Vista Enterprise or something like that. Then again, the Vista Activation Service has shown up online…