Imagine if you could have a single platform for your company intranet that required minimal setup, built-in security, flexibility, and native tools for communication, collaboration, reporting, and more. A system that integrates with your familiar office productivity software tools. A system that is available to all your users (in the office, on the road, or working from home), on any device.
And all for a price that won’t break your budget.
You could try to build such a system from scratch, or cobble together different off-the-shelf applications into one fragile “system.” If you’re quite ambitious, you could try to deploy it in the cloud and build both web apps and mobile apps around it. But all of these ideas are budget busters, not to mention the time required to develop and test a system with that level of complexity.
There’s a better option, one that’s already been built and is ready to use: Microsoft SharePoint. Microsoft calls SharePoint a “modern platform for shared access, interaction, and collaboration.” In this article we describe the top benefits of Microsoft SharePoint for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and why you should consider it for your company.
Benefits of SharePoint
A Single Platform for All Your Needs
Many organizations that use Microsoft SharePoint find that one of the most important Sharepoint benefits is that it’s a single platform that serves a wide variety of needs. Instead of separate, siloed systems that must be separately maintained and administered, SharePoint is your “one-stop-shop” for:
- Document management, storage, sharing and collaboration
- Data access, reporting and business intelligence
- Support for business processes
- Content management
When every department can leverage Microsoft Sharepoint for the above functionalities, the result is a consistent user experience for content consumers, content developers and system administrators alike.
Limitless Flexibility
The uses for the SharePoint platform are limited only by your imagination. Whether you need a “news and events” page to keep your users informed, shared calendars, task lists, version-controlled content management or a platform for streamlining business processes, the possibilities are endless.
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A Cloud-Based Solution
Although Microsoft provides the option to deploy a SharePoint server within your own data center, many organizations (including some Fortune 500 companies) take advantage of SharePoint Online, a Microsoft-hosted cloud option for SharePoint. The benefits of SharePoint Online include:
- No additional server hardware to purchase, deploy and maintain
- User access from anywhere–no VPN required
- Integration with other cloud services, such as OneDrive and Office 365
In addition, SharePoint is compatible with a variety of web browsers and device types, including traditional PCs, laptops and mobile devices.
Integration with Services and Applications
One of the major Microsoft SharePoint features and benefits is its seamless integration with other Microsoft products, such as:
- Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other cloud-based Microsoft office productivity tools)
- OneDrive for Business cloud storage
- Microsoft Teams
- Microsoft Yammer
Furthermore, users can take advantage of products such as Microsoft Flow to develop drag-and-drop workflows that automate business activities. If that’s not enough, SharePoint developers can leverage SharePoint APIs to develop custom applications.
Robust Security
SharePoint’s built-in role-based security settings enable you to control who can perform what actions on various objects, such as documents, lists, pages and sites. By only assigning users the specific roles they need to do their jobs (also known as the “least privileges” principle), you can prevent issues such as users accessing or modifying files they shouldn’t have access to. This setup can be instrumental to help you comply with regulatory requirements regarding sensitive data.
Furthermore, SharePoint integrates with your existing Active Directory or LDAP system, so users don’t need to remember a separate password to access SharePoint.
Cost Savings
One of the most compelling of SharePoint’s benefits is its cost savings. Organizations that use SharePoint realize cost savings in several ways, including:
- Monthly subscription model for SharePoint Online that provides low, predictable recurring per-user costs
- Increased productivity for your users, who can spend more time collaborating on their day-to-day business activities and less time searching for files or emailing files back and forth
- Reduced IT costs by consolidating multiple, siloed systems into one unified platform and combining the cloud application and cloud storage into one system
- Low startup costs thanks to straightforward configuration and minimal customization
SharePoint and VTC Tech
At VTC Tech, we’ve helped many SMBs design and deploy SharePoint systems. As a Microsoft Silver partner, we have the tools and expertise to properly scope your SharePoint solution, configure it and get into your users’ hands.
Some SMBs are hesitant to migrate to SharePoint because of its perceived complexity. And it is, without question, a complex and versatile system. But VTC Tech SharePoint experts are here to guide you through the process and teach you how to use the system to realize maximum value.
If you have questions about whether SharePoint is right for your business or how to go about implementing it, contact VTC Tech today.
