SMC Enterprise positions itself as key information worker partner

Portal Technology allows information workers (IW) across the globe to collaborate and share information with disparate sources. This technology enables end-users to make informed decisions with easier access to critical business information.

According to Forrester research: "Microsoft is setting the bar in the collaboration platforms market." Its latest offering in the IW space is the Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal 2007 (MOSS 2007).

MOSS 2007 provides a central location for employees to collaborate with team members, easily build and maintain portal sites, search enterprise-wide information, create and manage content and integrate workflows to automate processes.

Locally, Microsoft is experiencing an increased pipeline for MOSS 2007 requirements without many partners skilled enough to deliver the services component, says Naashief Miller, Services Executive at Microsoft South Africa.

With experienced SharePoint skills, SMC Enterprise is positioning itself as a key IW partner in the market. "Being contracted to implement MOSS 07 in the Middle East for the largest oil company has given us the confidence to be one of the strongest contenders in the market," says Junaid Osman, Business Development Manager at SMC Enterprise.

"We're also partners for implementing K2.Net, which enables us to provide a complete IW solution," says Osman. K2.Net provides a solution for automating business processes and creating an integrated workflow environment. Coupled with MOSS 2007, the software enhances the workflow functionality, enabling the design of custom workflows.

Nadir Kamdar, Microsoft Portal Consultant at SMC Enterprise, says the company is equipped with skills to deliver the complete end-to-end solution for MOSS 2007 implementations and customisation. "We offer services comprising the full cycle for implementation and customisation, covering the analysis, implementation, development of custom user interfaces, custom sites and Web parts," says Kamdar.

Microsoft provides three editions of its collaboration solution to cater for different levels of requirements. The base version, Windows SharePoint Services, is coupled with the Windows Server package and offers collaboration functionality for sharing of documents and information. The next edition, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Standard Edition, provides additional functionality in the form of portals, enterprise search and enterprise content management, while the enterprise edition adds workflow and business intelligence.

Says Kamdar: "MOSS 07 provides a great solution for connecting your organisation. It's tightly integrated with the MS Office suite, which makes it a smart choice for companies standardised on Microsoft server and desktop technology."