(Warning, geek content ahead!)

Microsoft SharePoint (tm) is a collaboration platform that enables quick collaboration setup and usage within the MS Windows platform. It is built upon .net, and integrates MS Office, and can often be deployed and customized without any code.

Sample sites built on SharePoint include Viacom, Canon Technology Solutions, Florida’s Orange County Public Schools, and Spinebreakers.

Custom “web parts” – the sections that make up a page – can be created, including many codeless solutions. Searching across diverse sources – including databases, excel files, word docs, pdfs – can be set up.

Collaboration – shared work – is a cornerstone of SharePoint, and its major selling point. If you’re doing a significant amount of collaborative work within MS Office, SharePoint may be a boon to your productivity.