CRN | Breaking News | Microsoft Readies Server Changes

CRN | Breaking News | Microsoft Readies Server Changes
Microsoft's shifting server strategy looks to be shifting some more.
The company is moving toward converging SharePoint Portal Server (SPS) and Content Management Server (CMS) functionality into a single "server system," due in 2006, CRN has learned.

Microsoft officials have discussed the plans so much that some partners thought the move had been definitively announced. It has not.

SPS, the focal point of Microsoft's collaboration strategy, hosts departmental collaboration sites and deals with Web content. CMS is more geared for traditional content management.

"CMS and SharePoint are merging, and it makes sense," said one source close to Microsoft. A solution provider in the Northwest concurred that the rationale is sound: "We're doing a lot of point integration between CMS and SPS. I don't think we have one CMS deal that does not also include the portal," he said.

Despite the buzz, Microsoft remains mum. "It's too soon to comment about the future of SharePoint products and technologies or Content Management Server," said Erik Ryan, product manager of Microsoft Office Sharepoint, via email. The company remains committed to its "Office System approach," which will provide programs, servers and services to improve productivity, he said.

But several sources said the plan is a go for 2006, with the new server system to be part of the Office 12 product wave. Office 12 is the planned successor to Office 2003.

EROL MVP SPS