Many rookies in the IT field come up with this question that should I migrate my Exchange Public folder to SharePoint or not. Well to answer it in simple terms, SharePoint cannot be considered as a replacement of Exchange Server. Let’s first try to understand what the use of SharePoint Server is. SharePoint Server can be used to do a variety of tasks such as creating websites, to use as a collaboration space to store, organize, share and access information from anywhere and from a multitude of devices. It can be deployed on premise and can also be accessed through a web browser.
Some of the salient features of SharePoint are:
- It allows you to share documents and information with your teammates.
- Employees all over the enterprise can connect with each other to share ideas and work together over SharePoint platform.
- SharePoint offers “developed” DMS features such as versioning, check-in check-out, content change notifications etc.
- Allows you to develop workflow based application to cover business processes from start to end.
- Configure browser-enabled user form templates through InfoPath Forms Services in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010.
- Develop insights, find answers, search for information in a collaborative environment.
Where SharePoint score higher over Exchange Server Public Folders?
- There is a full interoperability between SharePoint and MS Office. MS Office documents can be easily opened in SharePoint.
- Enhanced Permissions management system in comparison to Public Folders.
- It has more appealing interface that is very similar to the familiar Microsoft Office interface.
- You can publish websites for external visitors which is not a possibility in Exchange Public Folders.
- SharePoint offers a full fledged avenue for Portal, Content Management, Collaboration, Search, Business Forms and Business Intelligence – a feat Exchange Public Folders fall short of.
Should I migrate from Exchange Public Folders to SharePoint?
If you are looking for a developed collaboration solution with enhanced features for search, permissions management and workflow, SharePoint is definitely the way to look across. However, if you have a small employee base and can do with simple permissions management system with limited scope of collaboration and search, continuing with Exchange Public Folders might be a good idea.