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What others say about The SharePoint Report

"Every organization that is looking at SharePoint should purchase this report; it's merely good governance to do so."
-- Michael Sampson, President, The Michael Sampson Company Ltd

"...the clear definitions of business services, customer tiers and the rating system allows business analysts, knowledge workers and the CIO to gain a much more rounded insight to SharePoint."
-- Paul Culmsee, IT Consultant, Clever Workarounds

"The SharePoint Report provides useful in depth technical information for the IT Manager while also providing a good overview for the non-technical business manager who wants to know where MOSS will be useful in solving their business dilemmas. This higher-level treatment includes lists of 'do's and don'ts' and highly readable tables summarizing the suitability of MOSS for use in various scenarios."
-- Toby Ward, CEO, Prescient Digital Media

" SharePoint promises a number of services (even more than its so-call 'six pillars'), but it doesn't necessarily deliver on all those promises to the extent customers hope or expect. With that in mind, KMWorld held a joint Webinar with CMS Watch, the leading vendor-neutral analyst firm in the country, to address exactly what people can expect from SharePoint."
-- Hugh McKellar, Editor, KMWorld Magazine

"The quality of the analysis and the writing is exemplary, and I cannot comprehend how any organisation contemplating a MOSS07 implementation of any scale could justify not purchasing a copy at a price somewhat less than a single day of consulting from the nearest Microsoft channel partner. Chapter 6 alone would give a return on the investment."
-- Martin White, Managing Director, Intranet Focus

"SharePoint has big strengths and weaknesses, and organisations should inform themselves before purchasing or deploying the solution. This will allow them to maximise their benefits, and mitigate the weaknesses. One of the best ways of acquiring this vital knowledge is through the purchase of The SharePoint Report from CMS Watch. This is packed with detailed information on all aspects of SharePoint, written in the same pragmatic and fearless style as all CMS Watch's reports."
-- James Robertson, Managing Director, Step Two Designs

"CMS Watch provides us with a review of SharePoint that helps us understand where and how it best fits - or doesn't - into the enterprise..."
-- Barb Mosher, Senior Editor, CMSWire.com

"The SharePoint Report is perhaps the most thorough analysis of the solution to date and is based on real-world use of the product within numerous organizations and it is 'designed to assist both Business and Technology Managers to figure out where, why and how to apply SharePoint.'"
-- Toby Ward, CEO, Prescient Digital Media

Looking for a different report or technology? See a complete list

Any questions about our technology reports? Read the FAQ

 

• What and who is CMS Watch?
• How do I know your evaluations are truly independent?
• I want to buy the report; can you help me justify the expense to my boss?
• What makes your reports different from low-cost buyers guides?
• What's the difference between Web CMS and Portals?
• What's the difference between CMS and ECM?
• I'm interested in SharePoint, but what about its competitors?
• How much do the various reports cost?
• What are my payment options?
• What happens if I buy a report and you publish an updated edition?
• Do I receive a discount if I buy more than one report at a time (e.g. Search and CMS)?
• Can't I just subscribe to all your reports like I do with other analyst firms?
• What is your refund policy?

Have another question? Write us.

What and who is CMS Watch?

CMS Watch™ is a buyer's advocate for enterprises looking to invest in content technologies. We publish independent reports that help you sort out suitable technology choices for your particular needs. Our reports are known for their technical depth, readability, and absolute neutrality. Separately, we publish articles and a blog on this website about content management practices to help educate the broader community.

CMS Watch was founded in 2001 by Tony Byrne, a reporter-turned-developer who led the content management practice at a systems integrator during the 1990s. CMS Watch is supported by a global network of independent consultants and practitioners, who inform our reports and frequently publish on our site. We never consult with vendors. You can read more about our approach here.

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How do I know your evaluations are truly independent?

CMS Watch is not affiliated with any vendor, period. None of the analysts on our team consult or otherwise work with the vendors they review. Other analyst firms frequently struggle to reconcile potential conflicts of interest between consulting for buyers and advising vendors. We have decided to make our lives simpler by never advising -- or working in any capacity -- with vendors. We don't publish their white papers. We won't speak at their conferences or sanctify their webinars. We don't wine and dine on their tab. We work only for you, the technology buyer.

You can read more about our distinct approach here.

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I want to buy the report; can you help me justify the expense to management?

Sure. Explain that for likely less than 1% of your total project expense, you can substantially reduce your risks by:

• Understanding vendor pricing and mitigating potential cost surprises.
• Reducing the likelihood of selecting a vendor or product that proves ill-suited for your needs.
• Making sure that you are considering all the plausible vendors for your project size and scope.
• Educating you about the many pitfalls encountered by those who went before you.

You can also reduce your company's time and resources by:

• More quickly coming up with an accurate vendor shortlist without sitting through mind-numbing demos.
• Having ready access to a list of questions to ask yourself (and your bidders).
• Being guided by a step-by-step solution selection approach focused on finding the right match for your needs.
• Keeping at your fingertips detailed technical and historical information about dozens of vendors.

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What makes your reports different from other buyers' guides?

We provide more than simple checklist charts; we explain the real differentiators among products and vendors, which stem from how they execute certain features and what makes certain offerings better or worse suited to particular use-cases. We talk to real customers and dig into the products at depth, to explain how they work and whether they might be right for you. See See what else makes us different.

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What's the difference between Web CMS and Portals?

You can find a variety of definitions for content management systems and portals, and most of them will overlap; hence so much confusion in the marketplace.

An enterprise portal generally delivers content so it can be consumed, but portal software also typically aggregates content and data from a variety of locations. Perhaps more importantly, portals are designed to deliver a variety of services as well: include search, collaboration, document management, business intelligence, business process management, and more.

A web content management system generally supports the production of content, but some products deliver content as well, which can make them "portal-like." This is especially the case in the open-source world, where the systems often grew out of dynamic page delivery systems.

In the marketplace, you'll find distinct portal and content management products, although some vendors offer both. For a list of portal products, click here. See a very different list of web content management solutions here.

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What's the difference between CMS and ECM?

CMS (or Web CMS, or WCM) technologies manage web content publishing and, to some extent, website management. ECM generally refers to processing and collaboration use-cases involving document and image files.

From the perspective of operational practice, there are many similarities between web content management and enterprise content management. As a practical matter, however the different tools are designed to perform very different tasks, and solve different business problems.

In the marketplace, you'll find distinct ECM and Web CMS products, although some of the largest vendors offer both. Note that ECM vendors typically have distinct Web CMS products, and vice-versa. For a list of ECM products, click here. See a somewhat different list of web content management solutions here.

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I'm interested in SharePoint, but what about its competitors?

We cover Microsoft SharePoint in two ways. The SharePoint Report evaluates the product on its own, as a multidimensional information management platform offering a variety of different services -- some better than others.

Our other reports that cover a particular technology sector, and evaluate SharePoint in the form of a single chapter comparing its strengths and weaknesses against its peers in that sector. The following reports have such SharePoint evaluations: The ECM Suites Report, The Web CMS Report, Enterprise Search Report, and the Enterprise Portals Report.

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How much do the various reports cost?

Product Price Buy Web Content Management - Standard Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $975.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $1,975.00 Web Content Management - Enterprise Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $1,975.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $2,975.00

The Web CMS Report 2010 comes in 2 Editions: Standard as well as extended Enterprise. A more detailed comparison of the Web CMS Report 2010 editions and licensing options (PDF) is available.

Product Price Buy Search and Information Access Report - SMB/Dept Edition Site License (corporate intranet) $1,475.00 Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $975.00 Search and Information Access Report - Enterprise Edition Site License (corporate intranet) $2,925.00 Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $1,925.00

The Search & Information Access Report comes in 2 Editions: SMB/Departmental as well as extended Enterprise Editions. A more detailed comparison of the 2 Search & Information Access Report editions and licensing options (PDF) is available.

Product Price Buy Enterprise Portals - Enterprise Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $1,950.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $2,950.00 Enterprise Portals - Open Source Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $950.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $1,750.00

Compare the 2 editions (small PDF file).

Product Price Buy ECM - Enterprise Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $2,950.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $4,500.00 ECM - SMB/Dept Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $985.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $1,885.00

The ECM Report comes in two editions: Enterprise and SMB/Departmental. The latter edition is better suited for a single departmental project or a mid-sized business with a project budget under $300k. Consult this chart (pdf) to contrast the two editions and find out which one is best suited for you.

Product Price Buy Web Analytics - Basic Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $895.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $1,175.00 Web Analytics - Enterprise Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $1,895.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $2,795.00

The Web Analytics Report 2009 comes in two Editions: a Basic Edition as well as an Enterprise Editions. A more detailed comparison of the two Web Analytics Report 2009 editions and licensing options (PDF) is available.

Product Price Buy SharePoint - Enterprise Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $1,950.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $2,950.00 SharePoint - Basic Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $975.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $1,475.00

The SharePoint Report 2009 comes in 2 Editions: a Standard Edition as well as a Basic Edition. A more detailed comparison of the two SharePoint Report 2009 editions and licensing options (PDF) is available.

Product Price Buy Digital Asset Management - Enterprise Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $1,975.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $2,500.00 Digital Asset Management - SMB/Workgroup Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $895.00 Site License (up to 12 people in your firm) $1,475.00

The Digital & Media Asset Management Report comes in two editions: Enterprise and SMB/Workgroup. The latter edition is better suited for a single departmental project or a mid-sized business with a project budget under $50k. Consult this chart (pdf) to contrast the two editions and find out which one is best suited for you.

Product Price Buy XML and Component Content Management - Enterprise Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $1,450.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $2,475.00

Product Price Buy E-mail Archiving and Management Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $1,950.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $2,950.00

Product Price Buy Enterprise Social Software - Standard Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $1,650.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $2,650.00 Enterprise Social Software - Blog and Wiki Edition Team Use (up to 12 people in your firm) $875.00 Site License (corporate intranet) $1,675.00

The Enterprise Collaboration and Community Software Report comes in 2 Editions: a Standard Edition as well as a Blog and Wiki Edition. A more detailed comparison of the two Enterprise Collaboration and Community Software Report editions and licensing options (PDF) is available.