Upgrading Older SharePoint Server Sites

• Features, dependencies, and licensing trade-offs will affect the choice between remaining on SharePoint Server or migrating to SharePoint Online.
• Despite sharing most of the same codebase, SharePoint Server lacks some features found in the hosted offering.
• SharePoint Online licensing is simpler, but it could cost more in the long run compared to existing perpetual licenses.
• Even remaining on-premises, technical blockers can limit the ability to upgrade to newer versions.

SharePoint delivers file sharing, team collaboration, corporate portal hosting, enterprise search, content management, Web-based reporting, and other collaboration features. Many organizations customize SharePoint, from fine-tuning the out-of-the-box user interface to creating complex line-of-business processes using SharePoint as a Web application platform.

The product comes in two offerings: SharePoint Server, which is a Windows Server–based server application, and SharePoint Online, which is an Office 365–branded online service.