SharePoint Updates Deliver Fixes, Features

Updates for Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) 3.0 and SharePoint Server 2007 fix a variety of bugs related to workflow and content deployment that were not resolved by the Dec. 2007 service packs issued for those products. In addition, the July 2008 updates improve performance and add several new features for WSS’s and SharePoint Server’s search capabilities. The updates are beneficial enough that most organizations will want to install them. However, they are extensive and thus warrant the same careful testing and planning that accompany deployment of service packs.

Separate Packages for WSS, SharePoint Server

The SharePoint updates are delivered in two separate packages:

• A WSS 3.0 update includes fixes and adds new features to Microsoft’s platform for Web-based collaboration and document management
• An Office Servers update includes fixes for the SharePoint Server 2007 portal and enterprise search product.

Since SharePoint Server 2007 builds on and requires WSS 3.0, Microsoft recommends that customers running SharePoint Server 2007 deploy both updates, installing the WSS 3.0 update first.