Microsoft unveils package for corporate intranets
Microsoft has unveiled Microsoft Solution for Intranets, a package designed for portal development which ties together existing...
The integrated offering of products and services is designed to reduce the cost and complexity of deploying and integrating a departmental portal workspace, according to Microsoft.
"The economic slowdown has forced customers to adopt more of a solution-focused approach to collaboration, information-sharing, and portal technology deployments," said Jeff Teper, general manger Microsoft.
"[Microsoft Solution for Intranets] is not just providing basic plumbing for those services but tying them together into a solution, providing the application, documentation, support, and partners for a more comprehensive solution," Teper said.
SharePoint Portal Server is placed at the heart of the solution, enabling the creation of a customised knowledge workplace from which to facilitate centralised information management and discovery. The inclusion of Windows Media allows organisations to deliver real-time or on-demand broadcasts to individual employee desktops, which can reduce travel and training expenses.
Four systems integrators, Cap Gemini Ernst and Young, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq and Avanade will build dedicated services around the Microsoft Solution for Intranets.
Microsoft plans to continue to push packaged solutions for portal technology with a forthcoming offering aimed at e-commerce. The Internet-focused application will be built around Commerce Server, aimed at supporting business transactions on the Internet.