The growth of SharePoint has created shortages in resources with the expertise to design solutions. The SharePoint success has been attributed to its rich collaboration features, tight integration with Microsoft Office, and popularity as a solution for business needs. SharePoint empowers the end user to do more and limits the need for Web developers to spend time on mundane screen updates, instead focusing their efforts on delivering richer content and functionality.
The perceived simplicity of SharePoint is a trap for many companies because they believe a SharePoint site is fairly straight forward to set up and manage. This idea may be true for the simplest of SharePoint sites, those based on a pre-configured template for a small group of users, but once more demands are placed on SharePoint its complexity can grow beyond control.
A SharePoint Solutions Architect ensures a successful deployment by offering the following services:
- Conduct a needs assessment to clearly understand the requirements:
o Types of Web sites required by the client for internal and external usage
- Validates the details of the organizational site and features:
o Sites and site hierarchies
o Relationships between sites
o Features of sites
o Site customizations
- Creates a SharePoint solutions architecture document that defines:
o Project objectives and milestones
o Conceptual design of the solution
o Work breakdown structure for development and implementation
- Details include roles, activities, level of effort, testing, documentation, and timeline
o List of deliverables
o Solution deployment options
- Infrastructure requirements for on-premise and hosted solution deployments
o Options for ongoing support and maintenance
o Cost table with one-time and ongoing costs to implement and support the solution
Exclusive to ITUtility.NET Partners, the SharePoint Solutions Architect service is designed to help partners either start their SharePoint practice by providing guidance for SharePoint architecture, or by assisting Partners with SharePoint projects that require a solutions architect. Once the solution architecture is completed, ITUtility.NET can assist in linking ITUtility.NET Partners together for filling project roles such as business analysts, SharePoint InfoPath and Web developers, testers, technical writers, and trainers.
ITUtility.NET can extend the value of linking Partners together to collaborate on a SharePoint solution by using the ITUtility.NET Platform, where Partners can deploy, test and collaborate on the project. The SharePoint Solutions Architect service can assist in designing solutions for on-premise or hosted deployments. By selecting hosting as the deployment option, the initial capital costs and ongoing maintenance costs are reduced by the investment made in the hosting platform by ITUtility.NET. This deployment provides a competitive option when submitting a proposal for clients wanting to avoid infrastructure expenditures and the ongoing costs and hassle of managing on-premise servers and supporting infrastructure.
With the release of SharePoint 2010 in June 2010, the uptake for SharePoint work is expected to increase due to its new functionality and its ability to be a development platform for software developers.
If you are interested in learning more about our SharePoint Solutions Architect service, contact sales at 613/888-567-4886 or by email at sales@itutility.net.
About ITUtility.NET
ITUtility.NET is a white label SaaS hoster for Microsoft Outlook®, Exchange, and SharePoint®, offering products through its Partners to small and medium businesses (SMBs) as a subscription service. ITUtility.NET Partners bundle their value-added products and services to provide SMBs a complete solution for their messaging and collaboration requirements without installing or maintaining any on-premise servers. The bundled offering from ITUtility.NET and its Partners empowers SMBs to be more productive without the hassle of buying and maintaining technology. ITUtility.NET services can be turned on or off monthly like a utility, allowing SMBs to only pay for the IT they need when they need it.
For further information contact:
Jen Zaremba
ITUtility.NET Corporation
E-mail: Jen.Zaremba@ITUtility.NET
