Got Enterprise? Get Prepared! Quick Resources To Prep For Upgrading To SharePoint 2010

I was perusing the web today when I came across a great article on a SharePoint rollout titled "IT manager explains groundwork strategy for major SharePoint rollout." The article did a great job walking the reader through the preparation and steps taken by a Microsoft customer to prepare themselves for SharePoint 2010. It is always great to see what other customers are doing in real life usage and this was one such example. For large Enterprise shops though the story and processes by necessity are much more involved. Thankfully though there is already a wealth of content and resources to help even the largest organizations prepare for the move to SharePoint 2010.

The first stop for any organization looking to prepare themselves for SharePoint 2010 should be the Microsoft SharePoint Server section on TechNet. There readers will find a wealth of documentation around SharePoint 2010 including: General question and answers and discussion; Setup, upgrade, administration and operation; SharePoint product group information; SharePoint IT pro documentation team. For those looking to specifically at what it will take to upgrade there are great article around requirements as well as Preparing to upgrade to SharePoint 2010 Products.

While information is great nothing quite beats working with folks who have been trained directly on the process. With that in mind if you are looking at how you and your organization can prepare for SharePoint 2010 then why not talk directly to your local Microsoft resources? If you are at an Enterprise customer then you have resources available from Microsoft who are ready, willing, and able to start the conversations and planning with you to prepare you to upgrade. It is an activity that I am engaged in on a regular basis. You might also want to look at Microsoft partners in your area. Many partners have already begun working and training on SharePoint 2010. Don't know where to look for local partners? Again, talk to your local Microsoft team. You might also want to get plugged in to a local SharePoint User Group or attend a SharePoint Saturday event. At both you will have the opportunity to interact with your peers, see what they are doing, as well as meet local Microsoft partners who are actively assisting customers in your area.

Migration and management tools are the final area I wanted to quickly highlight. In the large Enterprise space organizations typically employ Enterprise grade management tools to handle the operational aspects of managing their SharePoint environment. The article highlighted the use of Quest tools for the management of the cited clients environment. Management tools can be big help not only in upgrade prep and ongoing management but can even lower the workload around site migration. There are a wealth of Microsoft partners producing fine tools around SharePoint management but three of the most notable include: Quest Software, AvePoint, and Metalogix. All three of these vendors have robust offerings to help with the day to day management of an Enterprise SharePoint environment as well as assist with migration to SharePoint 2010. If you are in a large organization and are looking for help, tool wise, in managing and migrating your SharePoint environment then you owe it to yourself to look in to such a solution set.

SharePoint 2010 is prompting lots of buzz and customers are already itching to upgrade. In order to prepare for the move be sure you and your organization are keeping up to date with the latest information for migration available on the Microsoft SharePoint Server section on TechNet. Get plugged in to your local account team, local partners and SharePoint user groups, and attend a SharePoint Saturday event. Finally, if you need assistance with a robust management and migration toolset check out some of the fabulous offerings by one of Microsoft's premiere partners. The SharePoint team has worked hard to ensure that the roadblocks to migration have been greatly reduced in this upcoming iteration of SharePoint. Get informed, get plugged in, and be ready to roll out SharePoint 2010 to your organization in a timely manner and be an IT hero. :-)

Michael Gannotti is a Technology Specialist for the Microsoft Corporation and the author of the blog SocialMedia Talk. You can also find him on Twitter at @gannotti and on Facebook here.

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