SharePoint’s ability to create web pages on the fly naturally lends itself to the creation of intranets and extranets sites.
Unlike ‘static’ pages, created using technologies such as HTML, Java, Flash – which need constant editing by specialist staff to maintain relevance, SharePoint allows non-technical users to affect the content of the pages. News items, stories, meetings, calendars, discussion forums and even surveys are all part of standard SharePoint functionality and may be updated by any authorised users.
Pages may be set up to view and analyse data held on the organisation’s systems from sales to payroll details - all based on a rigourous user access system. Webparts, components that enable non programmers to gather information they care about and customise the appearance of web pages, can then be used to personalise the pages to organisation, team or even individual level. These components are available from the Microsoft site or may be written specifically for your organisation.
Similarly, information that may be relevant to users outside your organisation, may be produced, managed and made available by non-technical users. As far as SharePoint is concerned, it doesn’t care who sees the pages – it simply allows access to any viewer with the correct password; again all maintained centrally.