Project and Portfolio Management Overview

Major updates in 2006 and 2007 introduced new compatibility considerations for the Project line. The 2007 Project Professional client and Project Server offer improved reporting and analysis (including better Excel and Visio integration); more extensive, scalable server APIs; and improvements to timesheet and financial management. The Project Web Access interface supports more project manager functions, such as evaluation of project proposals, and is based on Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, the most recent version of the portal and document management service of Windows Server. Project Portfolio Server, acquired from UMT (a Microsoft partner that provides project and portfolio management and consulting services) in Jan. 2006, received a rebranded “2006” release in Aug. 2006, followed by a substantially updated “2007” release in Jan. 2007.

Project Server 2007 is not backward-compatible with Project Server 2003, the previous version, although it supports data migration from that version. Consequently, Project Server 2007 works only with Project Professional 2007 and Project Portfolio Server 2007. Conversely, Project Server 2003 is not compatible with Project Professional 2007; it works only with Project Professional 2003 and Project Portfolio Server 2006.