IT news and products; Microsoft SharePoint server 2007 and Microsoft Exchange server 2007 will increase the need for formal SharePoint management policies.

Quest's survey shows that 38 per cent of UK companies are currently using SharePoint, but only half of these (52 percent) have a formal management policy in place for the application.

"The launch of Exchange 2007 sees Microsoft de-emphasising public folders in Exchange, encouraging customers to migrate this data to SharePoint. With SharePoint included free as part of Windows Server, many organisations will simply switch it on without considering the potential impact," comments Quest Software. "As soon as end-users become familiar with the collaborative advantages of SharePoint, and realise they are able to create SharePoint sites themselves, there will be an explosion in current usage levels. Unmanaged, this will create a serious headache for IT departments," Quest predicts. The shift towards public folders in Microsoft Exchange being migrated to SharePoint is already evident, with 10 per cent of UK companies having already made the move, according to Quest's research. A further 29 per cent are actively considering the move. The remaining 61 per cent will come under increasing pressure to migrate Exchange Public Folders as they transition to Microsoft Exchange 2007." Companies that fail to embrace and manage SharePoint correctly will therefore find themselves with a major content management issue" added Quest.

www.questsoftware.com