Microsoft cloud computing (BPOS): More new features, by Richard Gibbons
Microsoft BPOS has, yet again, been something of a star of the Worldwide Partner Conference and a bunch of new features have been confirmed/announced. They are:
Exchange Online:
- Voice mail with Unified Messaging
- Integrated archiving
- Retention policies and legal hold
- Transport rules
- Multi-mailbox search
- Conversation View
- MailTips
- Enhanced Web-based administration
- Role-Based Access Control
- Remote PowerShell
- Free/busy between cloud and on-premises
- Cross-premises management
- Native migration tools
Sharepoint Online:
- Portal site templates
- Extranet access
- Anonymous Access
- Multi-Lingual UI
- Office 2010 integration
- Tagging, Rating, Tag Cloud
- Activity Feed, Social Networking, Note Board
- Improved Wikis & Blogs
- Content publishing
- Navigation controls
- Cross site-collection search
- Phonetic search
- People search
- Visio Services
- Excel Services
- Sandboxed Solutions
- Improved workflows
- Improved SharePoint Designer 2010
- Access Services
- Better controls of FQDNs
Office Communications Online:
P2P A/V across firewall
File transfer across firewall
Presence with pictures
Federation
IM with Windows Live
Platform Updates:
Free/Busy co-existence
Single Sign On
Identity federation
Redesigned admin interface
More administration and access control
There are some really awesome additions here, which will make BPOS hugely more attractive and credible to users in the mid-market segment. Some of the game changes are, in my opinion,:
Exchange Online:
- Transport Rules
- Legal Hold
- Unified Messaging
- Remote Powershell
Sharepoint Online:
Extranet & Anonymous Access
Cross Site Collection Search
Visio, Access & Excel Services
Office Communications Online:
Federation.
These new features bring Microsoft’s Online Services so much closer to feature parity with their existing on-premise brethren which is what I, and most people, have been waiting/asking/pleading/clamouring for. The number of times I’ve had a customer opportunity collapse due to BPOS missing a standard and relatively basic feature isn’t funny. This is a very positive move from Microsoft which will make the world of Online Services a much better place for Microsoft, it’s partners and our customers