SharePoint Server is a server platform for information sharing, collaboration, and content management. Its services can be accessed only by appropriately licensed internal users.

This product includes a server license. Each user or device that accesses SharePoint Server must have a Standard client access license (CAL). Additive Enterprise CALs are required to access certain features. See the Guide to Microsoft Server Licensing for specific licensing details.

Which Versions of This Software Are Available?

You can choose to download the current version or the previous version of this software. You can find out which version is the current one on the Current Versions of Microsoft Products page. In addition, you can download the software in any language that's available.

Benefits for Organizations

If you have system administration experience, you can use SharePoint Server to:

• Create an intranet portal for your organization to share information
• Manage and edit documents among multiple users and offices
• Develop a public-facing website

Major Capabilities

• Collaboration: You can create content from their preferred web browser or from desktop applications such as Microsoft Word. Automated versioning and workflows, document check-out, and sophisticated access controls help teams work on shared documents with minimal confusion and misunderstanding.
• Enterprise Content Management: Users within your organization can manage their content on a single unified platform for the entire content life cycle — from creation through editing, collaboration, and approval, to long-term retention or final expiration. SharePoint can also help implement and automate compliance with information management and data security policies.
• Enterprise Search: The search infrastructure combines federated search, relevance, refinement, and social cues to speed up search and help people find the information and contacts they need.
• Portals: You can build and maintain multiple content portals on a single SharePoint installation, with each portal customized for a particular business activity or organizational stakeholder. For example, you can build an enterprise intranet portal for all employees and a divisional portal site for particular departments.

SharePoint Server Foundation

SharePoint Foundation is a collaboration platform and foundation for building web applications. It is available free of charge from Microsoft. All of the features in SharePoint Foundation are also available in SharePoint Server.

Obtaining This Product

Installing this product requires you to download the software from the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) and enter a license key. You can download any available version or language for your product.

The license key allows you to install the product on as many computers as you have received licenses for. This quantity is specified in the email you receive from TechSoup after you request this product.

Expect two emails:

1. When your donation request has been approved, TechSoup will send a message to your organization email address. This email will confirm the number of licenses you have requested and provide information about how to use the VLSC once Microsoft accepts your license agreement. Make sure the email address in your organization details is up to date by visiting your account .
2. Microsoft will send an email welcoming your organization to the VLSC. This email will indicate that Microsoft has accepted your license agreement. After you receive this email, you'll be able to follow the steps in the first email you received from TechSoup to obtain your donation through the VLSC.

Software Assurance

Under the Software Assurance program, you have the right to install any new release of products covered in the agreement during the term of your coverage.

Requirements

• SharePoint system requirements can vary according to such factors as system configuration and options in use. See Hardware and software requirements for SharePoint for a detailed list of requirements.