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Why Upgrade from WSS/SPS 2.0 to WSS 3.0/MOSS 2007

With any new product there's always compelling new features, bug fixes and reasons that the manufacturer thinks you need to upgrade. But with all the new features what are some of the key benefits that you will gain by utilizing WSS 3.0/MOSS 2007? Below is a list of many items that I've found that help justify doing an upgrade.

1. Only see what you have access to where in previous versions you saw things even if you didn't have access to and given a nice message of "Access denied"
2. Blogs - Blogs provide a publishing-oriented experience for a single user or a team. Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 includes a site template that supports:

   • Article posting
   • Reader comments
   • Archive views
   • RSS feed generation
3. Wikis - A wiki is a new site template in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 that makes it easy to create, edit, link, and restore an individual Web page. Wikis can be used as creative forums to brainstorm ideas, manage knowledge bases, create designs as well as instruction guides or simply gather information in an easy-to-edit format. Wikis are easy to create, modify, and annotate in addition to tracking contributions and changes. Key features include:

   • Fast and easy page creation
   • Easy and automatic linking
   • Version differences
   • What you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) Web page editing

   Wikis leverage existing SharePoint functionality including search, navigation, alerts, and custom fields.

4. Document Libraries - Improvements to SharePoint document libraries include:

   Similar to the functionality provided by public folders in Microsoft Exchange Server, e-mail enabled discussion boards support:

   • Checking out documents locally
   • Offline document library support in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
   • Major and minor version numbering and tracking
   • Support for multiple content types
   • Policy, auditing, and workflow
   • Tree view support
5. Content Types - Content types are reusable definitions of document types across your organization. A single document library can store content with multiple document types.

   A content type is used to define a group of documents that share a common set of attributes; including:

   • Document templates
   • What’s on the “New” button
   • Metadata specific to the content type
   • Shared column property templates
   • Custom InfoPath forms in 2007 Microsoft Office system applications
   • Enterprise defined policies
   • Common workflows

   Content types are different from traditional file types (which map to physical file formats like Word documents or Excel spreadsheets). Content types are used to define and implement business documents such as functional specifications, budget planning spreadsheets, or new product concept presentation.

6. Windows Workflow - Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 hosts Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) to enable customized creation of workflow solutions and use of structured workflows on document library and list items. Office SharePoint Designer 2007 can be used to design and configure custom workflow solutions with the support for WF in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

   Ready-to-use workflow templates are available with Office SharePoint Server 2007 as well as a new set of application solutions for Windows SharePoint Services downloadable from the Microsoft TechNet Web site.

7. RSS Feeds - Although this is something that can be added to 2.0 it's straight out of the box and on every part on WSS/MOSS (if the Administrator enables it). Use RSS feeds to syndicate content managed in a portal site.
8. Office 2007 - Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 easily integrates with smart client tools through a set of Web services and documented application interfaces. Users can readily adopt these new tools because of their similarity to other familiar environments, such as the Microsoft Office system. For example, users of 2007 Microsoft Office system programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, InfoPath, Project, and OneNote can directly interact with information stored in SharePoint sites without having to manually download the content. Users can create workspaces, post and edit documents, and assign tasks, all while working on documents stored in SharePoint sites.
1. Outlook 2007
1. Document workspaces - Create shared attachments to store dynamically created SharePoint document workspaces as well as being sent as a conventional attachment.
2. Meeting workspaces
3. Events (Calendar) (two-way interaction) - Calendars have been enhanced with richer calendar views, expanded support for recurring events, and all-day events.
4. Contacts (two-way interaction)
5. Tasks (two-way interaction)
6. RSS
9. Email Integration - Document libraries, discussion boards, calendars, and announcements can be enabled to receive new postings via e-mail. In addition, extensible support is provided for custom e-mail handlers in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

   Similar to the functionality provided by public folders in Microsoft Exchange Server, e-mail enabled discussion boards support:

   • A highly scalable, topic-based architecture
   • New “super rich-text” field type
   • Unified experience for both e-mail and Web-based discussions
   • One-step creation of Active Directory directory service distribution lists as part of the site creation process
   • Unified SharePoint group and Active Directory management functions
10. Windows Mobile Support - All SharePoint portal, team site, and list pages now render on international and North American mobile devices (including Web-enabled mobile phones) using a simplified text-only format.
11. Enhanced Search
12. Features
13. Audiences
14. Interface
1. Top navigation bar
15. Development
1. Object Model - All object model changes in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 are highly backward-compatible with Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 SP2. However, you should be aware that your old code, although it will compile, may not behave as expected in the new object-model hierarchy. The Administration object model (Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration) has been completely re-factored to allow for greater extensibility. There is now a hierarchical object store.
2. ASP.Net 2.0 - Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 leverages the reliability, scalability, and functionality of ASP.NET version 2.0. This includes support for the ASP.NET version 2.0 Web Part Model (with added backward compatibility support for Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 SP2 Web Parts). Building on ASP.NET not only provides a deep technical foundation for Windows SharePoint Services, but also allows Windows SharePoint Services to leverage the Visual Studio development environment for application development.
3.  Master Pages - Each Web page in a SharePoint site references an ASP.NET version 2.0 master page. Master pages provide centralized control of the layout and style of all the pages in a SharePoint site. Each site has a master page gallery that the site owner can use to customize the look of all of the pages on the site.
4. Web Services - Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 expands several existing Web services, increasing the number of methods provided through the Lists, SiteData, UserGroup, WebPartPagesWebService, and Webs services.
16. MOSS Specific
1. Business Data Catalog (BDC)
2. Excel Services
3. Records Repository
4. Key Performance Indicators
5. PowerPoint Slide Libarries
6. My Sites - The My Site personal site gives users an opportunity to aggregate information “for me,” “by me,” and “about me.” Significant enhancements include social networking, privacy controls, SharePoint Sites and Documents Aggregation Web Parts, and Colleagues and Memberships Web Parts.