What is Windows SharePoint Services (WSS)? Everything You Need to Know!

What is Windows SharePoint Services (WSS)?

The Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) is an upgraded version of Windows SharePoint Team Services, a free add-on to Windows Server 2003. It is an online platform for creating a collaborative and sharing environment for creating, locating, and sharing files to enhance productivity and achieve business goals.

WSS has diverse features for individuals, small teams, organizations, and projects, including meeting sub-site, document workspace, contacts, discussion board, and project collaboration. It helps in improving team performance and streamlining business information.

Windows SharePoint Services vs. Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

Despite being an old technology, most people still don’t have clarity about what is the difference between Windows SharePoint Services and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS).

WSS is a web-based platform designed on ASP.NET and used for developing and deploying all SharePoint products, technologies, and applications. It makes data locating, sharing, and storing easier with SQL Server or MSDE database.

Whereas the MOSS works on Windows SharePoint Services helping Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server for assessing sites, libraries, templates, etc.

Windows SharePoint Services Terms Explanation

Here are some important WSS features that make it an essential add-on to Windows Server 2003:

• Alerts

This feature notifies users about any changes, additions, or removals done on any SharePoint site.

• Audiences

Group of people having the right to access and use WSS. Permissions are granted to users through Active Directory.

• Document Workspaces

Also referred to as a page, a site, or a portal, document workspaces contain tasks, libraries, links, and other shared components.

• Libraries

Shared storage databases to save, store, and share documents, forms, pictures, and other important data.

• Discussions

Forums for document or wiki discussions.

• Lists

It can be any information, including tasks, issues, links, events, contacts, and announcements, displayed on a site.

• Site

Linked pages that combine together to make a site.

• My Site

A single-page portal made for a user’s personal use, containing personal links, sites, tasks, data, etc. It consists of both private and personal views.

• Site Templates

Pre-designed pages and pre-defined architecture to easily create a new site.

• Site Groups

A security group having permission to read or write in a SharePoint portal.

• Subsites

A subdirectory of a site with its own independent administration having browsing and authoring permissions.

• Web Parts

Customizable Web parts or modules that combine to build a SharePoint page.

• Surveys

It enables SharePoint users to respond to questions the survey’s creator generates.

Conclusion

Windows SharePoint Services is available with every Windows Server license, and you can download it free. Despite being a free add-on, you can download it as great support for businesses to manage, share, and control data in a collaborative environment to make collaboration, teamwork, and data storage easier for businesses.