Microsoft Plans Enterprise Portal Solution For First Half Of 2003

Microsoft

As part of the framework, the software giant will release an integrated server combining SharePoint Portal Server and SharePoint Team Services into one solution.

A Microsoft spokeswoman said both services will be tightly integrated with the application server and .Net framework capabilities of the Windows.Net server, which is due to ship during the second half of 2002.

As a result, the combined solution will support XML Web services natively and provide scalable portal and collaboration services for enterprise use. The solution, for example, will offer a customizable portal application with advanced search capabilities and single sign-on capabilities via its integration with the Windows.Net Active Directory Services.

Microsoft's plans for an enterprise portal solution were first revealed by CRN in March.

The enterprise portal solution will also be tightly integrated with other .Net servers including BizTalk and Microsoft Content Management Server to provide built-in EAI and personalization features, respectively, for portal applications.

The integration of SharePoint Portal and Teamwork Services with .Net will allow Visual Studio.Net developers to extend and customize portals and enable XML Web services to be integrated with portals, Microsoft also said.

One solution provider executive said it is very important for Microsoft to deliver a robust enterprise portal solution. "We see the market for the extended enterprise portal growing and the need expanding," said Bob Lord, CTO of Razorfish, Cambridge, Mass. "The product sets and solution set that Microsoft is developing is right on target."