SharePoint Online Roadmap Unfolds

SharePoint Online, the Microsoft-hosted version of SharePoint Server, can reduce IT costs compared with on-premises deployments of SharePoint Server, but does not offer feature parity and is still based on SharePoint 2007 instead of the newer SharePoint 2010 (released in May 2010). When considering SharePoint Online, customers should check that all desired features are included and understand that functional updates to the service will be introduced automatically, which could cause incompatibilities or unexpected changes. Customers may want to wait for a planned update later in 2010 that will offer SharePoint 2010 features like Office Web Apps, plus new administrative tools.

Levels of Service

Introduced in 2007 for companies with more than 5,000 subscribers and in 2008 for organizations of all sizes, SharePoint Online is one of four core Microsoft Online services, alongside Exchange Online (hosted Exchange server), Communications Online (hosted Communications Server), and Live Meeting (a meeting service that will eventually be subsumed into Communications Online).