SharePoint Reaches Out to CAD

By Doug Barney

I spent years trying to figure out Microsoft’s collaboration strategy. At first Exchange was going to kill off Notes collaboration. Then we had built-in Office document sharing tools. Then came Office add-on tools such as Office Communications Server and Office Communicator (write me at [email protected] if you know or actually care about the difference), Outlook client tools, and Groove, a peer-to-peer collaboration tool that Microsoft paid $120 million to acquire. Did I forget something? Oh yeah, SharePoint. Of their half-dozen or so options, the only one that really matters to Microsoft, is SharePoint. 

Microsoft’s vision for developers and IT is now simple. You have SQL Server with Business Intelligence on the back-end, Windows Servers handling the tough processing chores, Office as the client, and SharePoint holding it all together by letting users share information. 

If your shop has any level of commitment to Microsoft, you best get to know SharePoint. And CADnection of Santa Ana is there to help. 

The year-old company was formed specifically to tie AutoCAD to SharePoint. With the tool, engineers can search for reference files or drawings, and through the check out system, can decide who can access what.

How do you share files? Would you recommend your strategy? Let us all know by writing me at [email protected].