SharePoint User's Guide

Integrating with SharePoint Portal Server 2003

Windows SharePoint Services provides a powerful suite of functions for developing portals and working collaboratively. However, Windows SharePoint Services only provides part of the total information portal solution.

SharePoint Portal Server

SharePoint Portal Server 2003 extends Windows SharePoint Services by adding many new features to assist larger and more robust collaborative work environments. In particular, SharePoint Portal Server 2003 provides a solution that enables enterprises to:

• Use single sign-on to enable easy access and relieve administrators from having to maintain multiple user data stores

• Integrate information from various systems (such as Microsoft BizTalk 2004) into a single coherent portal

• Employ a complete end-to-end solution that allows users to search for people, teams, and information through audiences, automatic categorization, site directories, and user profiles

• Use new deployment and management tools to meet the ever-changing needs of the corporate enterprises

The Relationship Between Windows SharePoint Services and SharePoint Portal Server 2003

Although SharePoint Portal Server 2003 provides more features than Windows SharePoint Services, it is very important to remember that SharePoint Portal Server 2003 is an extension of Windows SharePoint Services. Whereas Windows SharePoint Services allows you to create sites for team collaboration, SharePoint Portal Server 2003 connects these sites to create a global directory. ...