To be as productive as possible, your employees need access to up-to-date information, the moment they need it. Whether separated by a department or continent, members of your staff must be able to work together efficiently on high-priority documents and projects. A software solution that makes information easier to locate and share can help your employees:
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Access critical files and data when working remotely
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Receive instant notification of changes to shared files
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Quickly find information on their computers and the Web by using a single search tool
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Easily create customized intranets that feature a home page, a document library, and permissions that are unique to individual users
Employees working on business-critical projects require easy, secure access to information and files stored online in various formats. And when working away from the office or with colleagues in other locations, employees need a foolproof way to collaborate on and share documentation. They have to avoid inadvertently overwriting the contributions of their coworkers, which could cause confusion and jeopardize project deadlines. In addition, team members must be notified when someone who is working on the project changes a shared file. That way, everybody has the most up-to-date data.
Business scenario
The Baldwin Museum of Science, a not-for-profit organization, has received a small grant from the Canadian government to participate in microbiology research of deep Antarctic ice. Research teams from Belgium, Korea, and New Zealand will be contributing information to this study from laboratories around the world and from the field, in Antarctica. All teams that are working on the project must be able to access and keep current with data as it is changed or submitted. In addition, it is critical that breaking research stay confidential. Researchers and museum personnel are racing to beat competing researchers to publish their latest discoveries—and to get future grant money to continue their study. Because of the time constraints and limited funding, scientists need secure access to work around the clock from their respective offices, from the field, or from home. Whether they are using a desktop or laptop computer, scientists must be able to instantly retrieve word-processed documents, e-mail messages, spreadsheets, and slide presentations stored in various formats by their colleagues.
A solution based on Microsoft Office System and Microsoft Exchange Server can help your business teams collaborate more successfully and securely.
Equipped with familiar Microsoft Office productivity tools such as Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, your staff can better manage the wealth of information coming from a number of sources, in several formats. Microsoft Exchange Server works with Outlook to make messaging and collaboration more reliable and easier to manage. In addition, Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server enables people inside and outside your organization to find, share, and publish information on a customized team Web site. Teams can use the version control and permissions capabilities of Microsoft SharePoint to protect sensitive data. And team members can personalize their views, get automatic notifications about data updates, and easily track document changes and workflow. Employees also can save time locating data on their computers by using the advanced search capabilities of Windows Desktop Search. By indexing the files and folders that are stored on a user’s PC, this powerful search tool helps users find nearly any document, e-mail message, appointment, or multimedia file that they need within seconds.
A solution comprised of Microsoft Office System, Exchange Server, and SharePoint Portal Server gives your employees:
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The ability to collaborate in real time. Securely and instantly share documents and data with coworkers and business partners, whether you are working at the office or from a remote location.
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One location for storing files. Use Document Workspaces to modify, access, and save documents in a central repository.
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Protection of sensitive information. Safeguard your files and folders from unauthorized distribution and modification.
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Version control. Receive alerts the moment someone on your team changes a shared document.
Find the information you need on your computer Discover how Windows Desktop Search helps you quickly scan the contents of your computer—including e-mail messages, appointments, documents, and multimedia files.
