Agenda Automation and Workflow Features

Benefit Description Agenda Models Predefine and changeable Agenda Document Models Agenda Item Models Predefined and changeable Agenda Item Models including: • Attachments • Goals • Status As well as allowing for user defined fields and Agenda Type definitions. Security Users and groups are defined in the Active Directory and .NET. Role Based Users are secured by a role based administration model which includes • Readers • Authors • Approvers • Coordinators Workflow A predefined workflow process which allows for • Submit • Approve • Publish • Rework Publishing Automated publishing of the Meeting Agenda in the following available formats: • MS Word • Adobe PDF • Html SharePoint Integration All documents are created and published to a SharePoint Document Library. Web parts are available to view status and interact with the agenda creation process

Administration and Deployment Features

Benefit Description Scalability Windows SharePoint Services scales from a single-computer deployment to server farm deployment with multiple front-end and back-end computers. New computers are easily added to a server farm and removed for upgrades. Per-site backup and restore Each SharePoint site can be individually backed up and restored for end-user support. This ability reduces the cost of restoring an entire database for a small subset of data. Administrative object model and command-line utilities With the .NET Framework-based object model and command-line access to administration functions, system administrators can create custom scripts to automate their most common functions. Site quotas To prevent disk space from running low, sites can be limited to a preset size. Automatic alerts can be sent to notify owners when a site approaches its quota. Blocked file extensions Site collection administrators can block users from uploading specified file types when adding attachments or files to document libraries.

Group Collaboration Features

Benefit Description Microsoft Office System integration Deep integration with Microsoft Office System programs allows teams to collaborate using the familiar tools they use every day. Document collaboration Document workspace sites created using Microsoft Office Word 2003 take advantage of platform features by providing a document collaboration space. Check-in and check-out Documents can be reserved by individual users for updating purposes. Document versions Document changes are tracked and assigned different version numbers for auditing and rollback. Browser-based customization Changes can be made in a Web browser by dragging Web Parts onto personal or public pages, and then customizing them. Themes can also be applied using a browser. Presence integration Users can determine the online status of site members quickly by sending e-mail or an instant message, adding the member to a contact list, and viewing current free/busy status. Alerts A user or site manager can add an alert to a list or list item so that they receive an e-mail notification when changes are made.

Platform Features

Benefit Description .NET Framework Sites are built on ASP.NET and can be extended easily by using the .NET Framework, also included with Windows Server 2003. Object model Developers can use the object model to build custom applications on the Windows SharePoint Services platform. Most list data and site settings offer full read/write access. Templates Organizations can create custom site templates for distribution across teams. Lists can also be saved as templates for reuse. Web Parts Developers can create Web Parts to integrate existing applications, and then reuse them by adding them to the site library. Developer support The MSDN® site contains information for developers about customizing sites by using Web Parts and more on the Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies page.