SharePoint Server

SharePoint Server is a server platform for information sharing, collaboration, and content management. Its services can be accessed only by appropriately licensed internal users.

This product includes a server license. Each user or device that accesses SharePoint Server must have a Standard client access license (CAL). Additive Enterprise CALs are required to access certain features. See the Guide to Microsoft Server Licensing for specific licensing details.

Which Versions of This Software Are Available?

You can choose to download the current or previous version of the software in any language that's available through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center if you request this product. You can find out which version of the software is the current one in the Microsoft Title Groups document.

Benefits for Organizations

If you have system administration experience, you can use SharePoint Server to:

• Create an intranet portal for your organization to share information
• Manage and edit documents among multiple users and offices
• Develop a public-facing website

Major Capabilities

• Collaboration: You can create content from their preferred web browser or from desktop applications such as Microsoft Word. Automated versioning and workflows, document check-out, and sophisticated access controls help teams work on shared documents with minimal confusion and misunderstanding.
• Enterprise Content Management: Users within your organization can manage their content on a single unified platform for the entire content life cycle — from creation through editing, collaboration, and approval, to long-term retention or final expiration. SharePoint can also help implement and automate compliance with information management and data security policies.
• Enterprise Search: The search infrastructure combines federated search, relevance, refinement, and social cues to speed up search and help people find the information and contacts they need.
• Portals: You can build and maintain multiple content portals on a single SharePoint installation, with each portal customized for a particular business activity or organizational stakeholder. For example, you can build an enterprise intranet portal for all employees and a divisional portal site for particular departments.

SharePoint Server Foundation  

SharePoint Foundation is a collaboration platform and foundation for building web applications. It is available free of charge from Microsoft. All of the features in SharePoint Foundation are also available in SharePoint Server.

Software Assurance

Under the Software Assurance program, you have the right to install any new release of products covered in the agreement during the term of your coverage.