Current State of SharePoint

Microsoft SharePoint is one of the most popular and effective content collaboration tools available today. The latest iteration of the software has made many improvements from its predecessors and, according to CMSWire's Rich Wood, SharePoint 13 offers greater mobile and cloud-based functionality.

Cloud computing and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are greatly influencing the corporate landscape. Organizations supporting hosted environments and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) initiatives can empower their staff members by allowing unprecedented access to company data regardless of their physical location.

Wood explained that customers have been clamoring for mobile capabilities since SharePoint 2007. To truly reach a mobile operation within SharePoint, the cloud may be the key.

"The bottom line: If you really want to go mobile in SharePoint for something more than web publishing of intranet pages, go to the cloud," Wood asserted. "Go Office 365. The writing's already on the wall; it's in the form of the SkyDrive app released in late June for Windows Phone and iOS."

Employees Seeking Access to Cloud & Mobile

Businesses using SharePoint may want to embrace the possibilities of both cloud computing and mobility to not only boost productivity and efficiency, but keep employees happy. More staff members are asking companies to support these innovative technologies to perform mission-critical tasks.

A CDW survey of more than 1,240 IT professionals found that 73 percent believe employees' use of cloud-based applications and mobile devices has influenced their companies' decision to adopt cloud environments. Nearly 70 percent indicated that worker requests to access cloud solutions have increased during the past two years.

As a result of employees' embrace of everything centered the worlds of the cloud and mobile, nearly 40 percent of businesses are using the cloud in some capacity; up from 28 percent in 2011.

"By aligning cloud services with critical applications and preferences of employees that use mobile devices, organizations can better capture business value that includes cost savings, increased efficiency, improved employee mobility, and an increased ability to create innovative new products and services," said Stephen Braat, general manager at CDW.

The possibilities of cloud computing and mobile devices are immense, to say the least. As Microsoft continues to support current SharePoint solutions and develop new ones, the inclusion of the cloud and mobility will likely remain critical functions of collaboration software as things move forward.