SharePoint is a web-based collaborative platform that integrates with Microsoft Office. Launched in 2001, SharePoint is primarily sold as a document management and storage system, but the product is highly configurable and its usage varies substantially among organisations.

Microsoft’s hosted SharePoint is typically bundled in Microsoft 365 subscriptions but can be licensed separately. SharePoint Online has the advantage of not needing to maintain one’s own servers, but as a result, lacks the customisation options of a self-hosted installation of SharePoint.

It is limited to a core set of collaboration, file hosting, and document and content management scenarios, and is updated on a frequent basis, but is typically comparable with SharePoint Enterprise. Currently, additional capabilities include:

• Support for SharePoint Framework extensions
• New “Modern” (Responsive) SharePoint UX (partially included in 2016 – Feature Pack 1)
• Yammer Integration & Office 365 Groups
• Integration with Outlook Web App
• Newer versions of Online Office Document Editor Tools
• Removal of various file size/number limitations
• Apps Concept

Missing capabilities include:

• Some search & UI customizations
• Many web publishing capabilities
• Service Application administration options
• Many customisation/solution types will not run
• No ability to read error (ULS) logs
• No ability to share a Site Page (ASPX) to external anonymous visitors; only documents (Word, Excel, Picture, …) may be shared as such
• Microsoft lists changes in SharePoint Online on its Office Roadmap.

SharePoint Online is available in all Microsoft 365 Plans