Microsoft Gives Away 30 SharePoint Apps

The 30 out-of-the-box applications -- essentially templates that can be deployed on a Windows Server 2003 system equipped with the free SharePoint Services -- cover such scenarios as event coordination, employee training, meeting management, help desk, and public relations.

With the employee training application deployed, for example, workers can locate and register for any company-offered training, while managers or the HR department can track of such things as the number of attendees at each session and required materials. Managers can also use the applications to post training announcements and conduct after-the-fact surveys. Each of the application templates can be downloaded separately from links posted on the TechNet Web site.

Microsoft introduced SharePoint Services in October 2003, and updated it a year later. The free add-on is also included in Microsoft's SharePoint Portal Server 2003, a portal aggregator and management tool that the company sells separately.