We are soon unveiling Doc-To-Help’s integration with SharePoint. Users will be able to store and manage content in SharePoint through Doc-To-Help’s interface. This will give writers an easy, industry standard way to manage content, workflows, and even translation. More detail will come soon, but I want to first address some myths about SharePoint.

The common myth about SharePoint is that it is hard to implement, impossible to use, and costly to own. These are just myths (especially when speaking about SharePoint 2010). So, let’s do some myth busting. 

Myth: “SharePoint is hard to implement and our IT staff would never install it.”

  • SharePoint is already installed on the majority of organizations’ networks. It’s just not being used. Check with your network administrator. It may already be available.
  • SharePoint is easy to install. It starts by installing all the prerequisites and configuring the server for you and then installs the application itself. It will even automatically install and connect to SQL Server Express if you don’t already have a database.
  • To set up most of SharePoint’s features, you follow intuitive wizards. Development or IT effort is only required when deep customization is required.

Myth: “It would take me too long to learn to use SharePoint.”

  • SharePoint is designed for the average computer user. Everything is menu driven and it is a member of the Microsoft Office family of products. If you can use Word, Excel®, and Outlook®, you will have no problem with SharePoint.
  • SharePoint 2010 uses intuitive Silverlight® driven menus that make features very discoverable. The user experience is actually pleasant.

Myth: “SharePoint costs too much.”

  • SharePoint is free! SharePoint has paid versions, but SharePoint Foundation 2010 (and its predecessor, Windows SharePoint Server 3.0) is free. Download SharePoint Foundation 2010 for free here:  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ee410532.aspx
  • Since SharePoint is so popular, self-help support information is everywhere. You can find training, tutorials, blogs, forums, and more in abundance.