Microsoft Talks Up SharePoint For Search

First, slated for some stage time in Munich will be Office SharePoint for Search. The intranet search software was discussed at the Worldwide Partner Conference last summer, but there hasn’t been much detail disclosed around it, says Davide Vigano, worldwide market lead for Microsoft Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partner group (SMS&P) Well, here are a few factoids: The software will index up to 1.5 million documents for $7,000 with no client access licenses (CALs) required. Microsoft’s goal is to unify desktop and intranet and Internet search where Microsoft lags far behind leader Google. For customers wanting to go beyond the 1.5 million document limit or to search line-of-business applications, will need to go to full-fledged SharePoint Server he said.

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Ward Cunningham on Google’s JotSpot acquisition

Earlier this week Google announced they had acquired yet another Web 2.0 company, this time JotSpot, for an undisclosed sum. JotSpot’s main product is a wiki, a site for collaboration among many users across a network. Wikis were invented by Ward Cunningham, currently the Director of Committer Community Development at Eclipse. I asked Ward what he thought of thie acquisition and about where wikis were heading.

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SocialPoint On Sharepoint

This morning we released SocialPoint, or Socialtext running on SharePoint. At first, this may seem counter-intuitive for a company like Socialtext. SharePoint is coming out with wikis and blogs in their 2007 version, why embrace and extend? Let me give you my personal reasons.

First of all, the humanizing of Microsoft has changed my attitude about the convicted monopolist. I believe that great people can work to change organizations, not just from Ray Ozzie on down. I’d rather be part of communities of change. I’ll still be a stalwart critic of the organization, but know I will have constructive conversations as a result.

Second, I believe that our Open Source solutions cooperating with Microsoft may grow the Open Source community as a whole. Most people won’t see this in Microsoft’s best interest. I do. Some people won’t see this in Open Source’s best interest. I do.

Third, SharePoint 2007 is an incumbent entry into the market that validates and grows the category. There is an increasing role for the best-of-breed wiki in the long term. Markets reward choice.

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Vignette allies with Microsoft for rich content management

Content management software provider Vignette Corp has struck an alliance with software giant Microsoft Corp to build Web-based media applications on Office and SharePoint. Under the terms of the deal, Microsoft will leverage Vignette’s web content management software to deliver rich multimedia content on Windows PC and Internet-enabled mobile devices, set-top boxes and Xbox video games consoles. For example, content cataloged and stored Microsoft’s Office and SharePoint Server 2007 systems will be made accessible to these devices via Vignette’s content management products.

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EMC Teams with Microsoft for content management

EMC and Microsoft have strengthened their partnership in the world of content management with the announcement of a new alliance. The hi-tech power couple is set to introduce new content and archiving products that enable tighter integration between the EMC Documentum ECM platform and Microsoft applications, specifically Microsoft’s SharePoint collaboration portal. EMC says it will debut new software that integrates its Documentum platform with multiple Microsoft solutions and platform technologies, including Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, the 2007 Microsoft Office system, SQL Server 2005, and enterprise search solutions. Microsoft provides content management capabilities in SharePoint Server 2007 today, but the new alliance will allow SharePoint users to transparently tie in with the enterprise ECM capabilities of the Documentum platform. Users will be able to access the Documentum platform natively from within the SharePoint Server 2007 and the Microsoft Office system user interface.

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Microsoft, Symantec Dueling for SharePoint Security

Microsoft has announced the beta release of “Forefront Security for SharePoint” a revision of the MS-acquired Sybari “Antigen for SharePoint Server” product, that brings needed security to SharePoint (MOSS 2007) and Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) 3.0. Forefont, a package of security add-ons, will be implemented to protect SharePoint/MOSS from viruses and other malicious software. “As business customers use collaboration software to connect internal users, customers and partners in an increasing variety of ways, they want to maintain the highest level of protection for critical business information,” said Margaret Arakawa, senior director of Security and Access Product Marketing at Microsoft.

Read the full story (CMS Wire)