What You Need to Know About SharePoint Consultants

You've come to a point where you need a SharePoint consultant.

It can be extremely frustrating when you have to depend on someone else to get the job done. And you feel like you should know more. Because you've heard so much about SharePoint - and you've seen the love it got from your friends and families - but you're just not sure if it's for you.

It's a good idea to start out by asking people you trust for recommendations. The people you choose should have a good knowledge base with SharePoint, having been certified in that discipline. That way you can cross check their expertise and you will be assured that you are getting the help you need.

The first thing you will want to know is what specific skillsets are required. SharePoint requires certain skills - project management, networking, social media and HTML, to name a few. If you don't have the appropriate skills there, you will be really frustrated and find it difficult to get anything done. So it's a good idea to make sure that you have the right set of skills first.

Do you have the right amount of bandwidth? Many groups find that they need different amounts of bandwidth, or say they need to make sure that they have at least 100mb of bandwidth for everybody, but you may be able to just use the built-in Web management tool or the built in email tool. There are times when you may need to put different applications on different virtual servers, so you will need to make sure that you have the right amount of bandwidth, but you shouldn't have too much and you shouldn't need too little.

Are you utilizing the latest technology? Whether you are using Exchange 2007 or an older version of SharePoint, you will want to make sure that you are using the latest version available. Many people will be tempted to do their project on a previous version, but you'll just regret it later. While it's not possible to make an application work with Office 2007, you can make sure that it is updated at least once a week, and you can make sure that it is performed properly.

Are you taking advantage of the latest technology? People often talk about being current, but it's also important to remember that being current can mean different things. If you have been using Office 2003 or earlier, you may be looking at a shelf of older versions. If you are using 2007, you can be certain that you are on the official release channel. Off-site hosting can be a legitimate concern, especially if you are not an organization with a dedicated on-site IT staff. By using the cloud, your organization can have access to fixes, support, and performance updates 24 hours a day.

Free trials don't count toward the points you need to penetrate a hosting plan. It is important to get to know your hosting company and your application, and it is best to compare multiple companies and multiple applications. If you need help, be sure to ask for it.

Stretch Technology

When you are able to test the service, don't let it replace your current IT infrastructure. Prioritize your needs and talk to industry experts who can help you with strategic decisions about your technology. When you are able to test the service, you'll be able to:

Make sure that you have a realistic expectation of what the new software will do for your organization.

Make sure that you can migrate from your current IT infrastructure to the software in question.

Decide whether to implement the new software now, or hold off Your organization is likely to benefit from instant relief. But if you need to implement a new software now, be prepared to invest a great deal more time and effort.

Work with an independent service landscape expert who can help you make the decision about what to do first and the best way to implement the software without affecting your daily functions.