What are the advantages and disadvantages of SharePoint Server?
SharePoint on- premises has a number of advantages but also disadvantages compared to SharePoint online. In this blog we will discuss the most important advantages and disadvantages with you. If you want to use Microsoft SharePoint, there are currently two different options, namely the on- premises SharePoint Server licenses and the Cloud- based SharePoint online that is included in Office 365.
Difference SharePoint Server and SharePoint online
Before we delve deeper into the advantages and disadvantages, we will first discuss the difference between the SharePoint server and SharePoint online. As mentioned earlier, the SharePoint server is an application with on- premise licenses, which means that the SharePoint server application is installed directly on your organization’s servers. This means that the SharePoint server is an internal network on the servers of your own organization . Unlike SharePoint online, where the application is implemented in the Cloud. Both forms of SharePoint have advantages and disadvantages that we will explain further in this blog.
Benefits of SharePoint Server
There are a number of advantages of the SharePoint server compared to SharePoint online. We will discuss the most important ones below.
1. Migrating documents to the SharePoint server. Moving documents and content to the SharePoint server environment is a relatively simple task , provided a physical server is already used . Moving a physical server to a cloud storage such as SharePoint online, on the other hand, can take a huge amount of time.
2. Store information safely. The advantage of the SharePoint server is that company and/or privacy-sensitive information can simply be stored on the SharePoint server because it contains an internal network. Some companies cannot store sensitive information in the Cloud for legal reasons.
3. Capacity. Unlike SharePoint online where the capacity limit is quite strict, you can easily add capacity to the SharePoint server if necessary. This can be an advantage for companies that are growing quickly and want room for growth in capacity for their servers.
Cons
Besides the fact that SharePoint Server has advantages compared to SharePoint online, it also has significant disadvantages. All these pros and cons are of course related to your needs and business structure.
1. Costs. Compared to SharePoint online, the initial costs of the SharePoint server are something to consider. The SharePoint on- premise environment often consists of multiple SharePoint servers, each requiring the correct license. Naturally, this also affects the total costs of all these servers. However, unlike SharePoint online, this is often a one-time cost item. Because SharePoint online is an application within Office 365, the costs are based on a fixed amount that is included in the subscription. However, you should not underestimate the costs of SharePoint online, with the many subscription types, the costs for SharePoint online can also increase so much that a one-off investment in licenses is cheaper.
In addition, the administrative costs for the SharePoint servers are considerably higher, such as maintenance work on the servers.
When you buy used Sharepoint server licenses, you can save smartly on your license costs. We at Q-Advise have years of experience in the field of purchasing and selling used Microsoft licenses! We are happy to advise you in the field of second-hand licenses!
2. Server maintenance and updates. Unlike SharePoint online, SharePoint Server is not automatically updated by Microsoft. Updates are the responsibility of the user for on- premise licenses. This means your own IT Team must ensure that the SharePoint Servers remain up-to-date. As mentioned earlier, this also affects the costs. You will need more employees dedicated to the maintenance of the SharePoint server, and the costs will logically increase . Naturally, this also means that you will have to make much more time in your business operations for SharePoint-related activities.
Which option suits my organization best?
It can be difficult to decide which option best suits your business model. It is important to look at the needs and wishes of your organization now, but also at the wishes and needs in the long term, your so-called roadmap. SharePoint online is cheaper and easier to maintain, because maintenance and updates are carried out entirely by Microsoft, in the cloud. This can be a reason for smaller companies, with fewer employees, to work with SharePoint online. However, is there a good chance that your company will experience growth within a significant period of time? Then this will most likely go in parallel with a greater need for capacity, in which case SharePoint Server can be a solution. In addition, it is important to look at what kind of information your organization works with. If your organization often comes into contact with sensitive information, a cloud-based solution such as SharePoint online is sometimes not even an option. It is therefore important to look at the needs and capacity of your organization. We at Q-Advise can advise you on this, together we ensure that you do not unnecessarily spend a lot of money on licenses or subscription services that your company does not need.
Save with second-hand SharePoint server licenses
You can save a lot of money with used SharePoint licenses. Used licenses work the same as brand new licenses. The difference is in the price, which can save up to 70%! Used SharePoint server licenses are extremely interesting for business users, regardless of the size of the organization.
Thanks to our years of experience with Microsoft contracts , independent licensing advice and buying and selling second-hand licenses, we can help you make the right choices , so that you can in turn save money. Because we are an independent party and are therefore not paid on a commission basis for the number of licenses we sell, we can provide you with honest and transparent advice.
Would you like to know more about Microsoft SharePoint licenses? Do not hesitate to contact Q-Advise’s licensing experts & contract negotiators without any obligation.
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