What is SharePoint?
Microsoft SharePoint is a secure online platform included with Microsoft 365 that organizations use to store, organize, share, and collaborate on files and information.
Think of SharePoint as a company-wide digital filing cabinet and collaboration workspace. Instead of saving files only on your computer or a shared network drive, SharePoint allows you to access documents from anywhere using a web browser, Teams, or mobile devices.
What Can Users Do in SharePoint?
- Store and Access Files
Users can:
- Save documents online
- Open files from any approved device
- Work on files without needing a VPN or network connection
- Access previous versions of documents if changes need to be reversed
- Restore documents that have been accidentally deleted
Example:
A department can keep all policies, forms, and spreadsheets in one shared location instead of emailing copies back and forth. They can collaborate together in real time on individual documents.
- Collaborate with Others
Multiple users can:
- Work in the same Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file at the same time
- Leave comments and track changes
- Share files or folders with coworkers
This reduces duplicate files and confusion over which version is current.
- Organize Information
SharePoint uses:
- Document Libraries – Similar to folders or file shares
- Lists – Similar to spreadsheets or tracking tables
- Sites – Department or project workspaces
Departments often have their own SharePoint site for storing files and resources.