MOSS 2007 consultancy and development

What we do

Solution Canvas offer integration and bespoke development services for Microsoft Sharepoint Portal Server and Windows Sharepoint Services. We can advise on the most efficient and productive ways to utilise Sharepoint to maximise your return on investement. We can extend Sharepoint through the creation of custom web parts and applications. As Microsoft Gold Partners and achievers of the "Portals and Enterprise Content Management" and "Web Development" specialisations of the Information Worker competency as well as being the first company in the United Kingdom to achieve the Custom Development Solutions competency, you can be sure that we are well placed to advise on all of your Sharepoint needs.

Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007 and associated Services allow teams to create Web portals for information sharing and document collaboration, benefits that help increase individual and team productivity. Windows SharePoint Services 3 is a component of the Windows Server 2003 information worker infrastructure and provides team services and sites to Microsoft Office System and other desktop programs. It also serves as a platform for application development. Including such IT resources as portals, team workspaces, e-mail, presence awareness, and Web-based conferencing. Windows SharePoint Services enables users to locate distributed information quickly and efficiently, as well as connect to and work with others more productively.

MOSS 2007 Portals provide the foundation for a smart workplace-whether you are an IT administrator looking for an all-in-one solution for managing effective collaboration and communication organization-wide, or whether you are a team member looking for a fast, robust way to share information with others and collaborate effectively on team projects.

Our experience

Solution Canvas has recently rolled out global intranets for a number of large organisations. We have enjoyed a great deal of success in both rolling out MOSS 2007 and in customising it to suit the specific needs of our customers.

Solution Canvas perform a large range of services around the WSS 3 and MOSS 2007 platforms, including:

• Information architecture and planning.
• Migration from SPS 2003 and other platforms.
• Design and development of custom site themes and templates.
• Development of custom web parts; applications; and packaging of features.
• Design and creation of custom workflows and approval processes.
• Integration with third party products: e.g. JD Edwards, HR systems, and MS CRM.
• Design and creation of custom security providers and authentication models.

Our approach

Solution Canvas recognises that the specific needs of our customers may be very different but take a pragmatic approach and lean on our experience to ensure that the "out of the box" features are maximised to provide cost effective delivery of an appropriate solution.

Solution Canvas delivers intranets in the following distinct phases which are customised to meet the needs of our customers:

• Planning and information architecture including consultation with end users and business owners.
• Design and theming- either in-house or working with a design agency.
• Prototyping of customisations and navigation to help gain business buy in.
• Development and testing with all customisations being packaged into reusable features.
• Content migration (if appropriate).
• Training of end users, content owners, and administrators.

Benefits for users

SharePoint provides the following advantages to the individuals and teams who use it:

Better Discoverability

Finding and accessing information across a distributed workplace is a major challenge for which SharePoint offers an effective solution. By providing users with a single Web-based team environment and built-in search capabilities, SharePoint helps users to find information more effectively than with traditional file shares.

Better Communication

With the built-in alert capabilities of SharePoint, users can be notified when changes are made to shared information. Microsoft Office Live Communication Server provides users with the means to communicate instantly, whether by video or audio, and Microsoft Office Live meeting enables users to communicate and collaborate with anyone.

Better Team Processes

The process of document creation and review is made simpler and more effective with built-in document versioning plus check-in and check-out capabilities. Additionally, using Windows Rights Management Services, authors can determine how their documents are distributed and used by others.

Better User Experience

By integrating Web-based team collaboration services into everyday tools such as Microsoft Office, users can quickly and effectively adopt new collaboration tools and services. And by providing Web-browser access, SharePoint makes it easy for users to access team information through a single site on demand.