Understanding the Basics of SharePoint Development: A Beginner’s Guide
Introduction
SharePoint is a powerful platform developed by Microsoft that allows organizations to create websites, intranets, and collaboration spaces. SharePoint development involves designing, customizing, and building solutions on top of the SharePoint platform to meet specific business needs. Whether you are new to SharePoint or looking to expand your knowledge, this beginner’s guide will provide you with a solid foundation in SharePoint development.
SharePoint Websites
A SharePoint website is a collection of web pages, documents, and other content that is hosted on a SharePoint server. SharePoint websites can be used for various purposes, such as public-facing websites, team sites, project sites, and document management systems. SharePoint provides a wide range of features and tools to create and manage websites, including customizable templates, document libraries, lists, workflows, and search capabilities.
When developing a SharePoint website, it is important to consider the target audience, the purpose of the website, and the desired functionality. SharePoint offers both on-premise and online options, allowing organizations to choose the deployment model that best suits their needs. SharePoint on-premise is installed and managed on the organization’s own servers, while SharePoint online is a cloud-based service provided by Microsoft.
Intranet Design and Development
An intranet is a private network that is used within an organization to share information, collaborate, and streamline business processes. SharePoint is widely used for intranet design and development due to its robust features and capabilities. With SharePoint, organizations can create a centralized hub for employees to access important documents, communicate with colleagues, and stay informed about company news and updates.
When designing and developing a SharePoint intranet, it is important to consider the needs and preferences of the end users. The intranet should be user-friendly, visually appealing, and easy to navigate. SharePoint provides a range of customization options, allowing organizations to create a unique and branded intranet that aligns with their corporate identity.
SharePoint On-Premise vs SharePoint Online
SharePoint on-premise and SharePoint online are two deployment options available for organizations. SharePoint on-premise is installed and managed on the organization’s own servers, giving organizations full control over their SharePoint environment. This option is suitable for organizations that have strict security requirements, need to integrate with other on-premise systems, or prefer to have complete control over their SharePoint infrastructure.
On the other hand, SharePoint online is a cloud-based service provided by Microsoft. With SharePoint online, organizations can access SharePoint from anywhere, at any time, using any device with an internet connection. SharePoint online offers the benefits of scalability, reliability, and automatic updates, as Microsoft takes care of the infrastructure and maintenance. This option is suitable for organizations that want to reduce IT costs, have remote or distributed teams, or prefer the flexibility of a cloud-based solution.
Outsourcing SharePoint Development
Outsourcing SharePoint development can be a cost-effective and efficient solution for organizations that do not have the in-house expertise or resources to develop SharePoint solutions. By outsourcing SharePoint development to a specialized agency, organizations can leverage the skills and experience of SharePoint experts, reduce development time, and ensure high-quality solutions.
When outsourcing SharePoint development, it is important to choose a reputable agency that has a proven track record in SharePoint development. The agency should have a deep understanding of SharePoint’s capabilities, best practices, and development methodologies. They should also have experience in developing custom SharePoint solutions tailored to specific business needs.
Custom SharePoint Development
Custom SharePoint development involves building tailored solutions on top of the SharePoint platform to meet specific business requirements. SharePoint provides a wide range of development tools and technologies, including SharePoint Designer, Visual Studio, and SharePoint Framework (SPFx), to develop custom solutions.
Custom SharePoint development can include creating custom web parts, workflows, forms, and integrations with other systems. It allows organizations to extend the functionality of SharePoint and automate business processes, improving productivity and efficiency. Custom SharePoint development requires a strong understanding of SharePoint’s architecture, development best practices, and coding languages such as C# and JavaScript.
Managed SharePoint Services
Managed SharePoint services involve the ongoing management and support of SharePoint environments. This includes tasks such as monitoring, maintenance, security updates, and user support. Managed SharePoint services can be outsourced to a specialized agency or handled internally by an organization’s IT team.
By outsourcing managed SharePoint services, organizations can ensure that their SharePoint environment is always up-to-date, secure, and optimized for performance. The agency responsible for managed SharePoint services should have a deep understanding of SharePoint’s architecture, best practices, and administration tools. They should also provide proactive monitoring and support to quickly address any issues or concerns.
Conclusion
SharePoint development is a vast and complex field, but understanding the basics is essential for anyone looking to work with SharePoint. This beginner’s guide has provided an overview of SharePoint websites, intranet design and development, SharePoint on-premise and online, outsourcing SharePoint development, custom SharePoint development, and managed SharePoint services. By gaining a solid foundation in SharePoint development, you can unlock the full potential of this powerful platform and create innovative solutions to meet your organization’s needs.