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Microsoft's SharePoint Team Services integrate better workgroup tools into Office applications, but the functionality still falls short of collaborative Nirvana.
When Microsoft introduced workgroup tools to its Office 2000 suite in early 1999, our verdict was "Good idea, bad execution." Two years later, we can sum up our take on Office XP's updated group features--newly dubbed SharePoint Team Services--as "Looking better, but still rough around the edges." SharePoint fixes some of the problems that plagued Office 2000's collaboration features, and introduces a few useful tools. But too many gotchas remain for us to give SharePoint an unqualified thumbs-up.
First, a definition: SharePoint isn't an Office application. Rather, it's a set of Web-based services you use in conjunction with the regular applications in Office. Small organizations that want to use SharePoint will likely need to subscribe to it through a third party that hosts the service. (Some ISPs and Web-hosting companies such as Interland and Verio plan to offer this service, but prices weren't set at press time.) Larger businesses equipped with Windows 2000-based servers can set up their own SharePoint server; the necessary software will be bundled with FrontPage 2002, which itself is available as a stand-alone product or as part of Office XP's Professional Special Edition and Developer versions.
Instant Team HQ
SharePoint Team Services provide workgroups with a ready-made, password-protected online home, complete with folders for shared documents. Members of the workgroup can save documents to a SharePoint folder...