Another Rage About FrontPage

Today, Microsoft upped the PR noise around Office FrontPage 2003, the Web publisher and site management application being separated from the Office suite. In a press release, Microsoft touted FrontPage 2003’s capability to create SharePoint Portal--and also Windows SharePoint Services--Websites. As stated in an earlier Weblog, I believe Microsoft has made a mistake in its repositioning of FrontPage as an enterprise product.

The new version, like its predecessors, is an ideal product for small- and medium-businesses to create and manage Websites. FrontPage 2003 is just as easy to use as earlier versions. But Microsoft’s messaging around SharePoint would indicate otherwise. That’s a mistake that could cost Microsoft customers and prevent new SMBs from considering the product. Microsoft’s unbundling FrontPage from Office—version 2003 only will be available for separate purchase--diminishes the productivity suite’s value, particularly for SMBs.

Consider this: Microsoft estimates that, worldwide, there are 45 million SMBs, or companies under 1,000 employees. Around 31 million SMBs have employees under 10 employees. Research that Jupiter Research plans to release this week will show that a surprising number of these smaller SMBs do not use productivity suites. But they do have Web presence, making FrontPage a good upsell product for Office. But Microsoft's repositioning of FrontPage could miss this opportunity.

My greater concern is Microsoft’s overemphasis of the value of SharePoint Portal Server and Windows SharePoint Services. While sharing similar names, the two products offer different functions. SharePoint Portal Server is used for creating business portals for company Intranets. Windows SharePoint Services enables the creation of collaborative online workspaces, where employees can work on the same documents. Microsoft apparently sees FrontPage 2003 as the ideal tool for creating both kinds of SharePoint sites.

But companies should carefully consider the hidden cost of using SharePoint, particularly the collaborative services. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has touted SharePoint Services as a convenient replacement of typical network file shares. He’s right: SharePoint is much easier to use than typical file shares. But there also is a hidden Microsoft lock and key, in that SharePoint sites are not accessible from any PC client the way typical file shares are. Non-Windows clients could have big problems with SharePoint Services. Companies solely using Windows and other Microsoft products will fine SharePoint Services to be an outstanding replacement for typical file shares. But the majority of companies with more heterogeneous infrastructures should consider the wider implications of adopting the collaboration technology.

Posted by Joe Wilcox at July 14, 2003 08:13 AM