An add-on software product that helps SharePoint 2007 users collaborate more effectively with individuals outside their organizations, Extranet Collaboration Manager for SharePoint 2007, is featured in a Microsoft Office System Customer Solution Case Study about A.T. Kearney Procurement & Analytic Solutions. Extranet Collaboration Manager for SharePoint 2007 was created by a national leader in Microsoft SharePoint training, consulting and add-on software, SharePoint Solutions.

A unit of the global consulting firm A.T. Kearney, A.T. Kearney Procurement & Analytic Solutions, is a leading provider of technology solutions for procurement challenges. While deploying a series of Web-based tools for clients, the unit identified the need for a more effective collaboration mechanism between its consultants and clients. This led to the establishment of a client extranet based on technologies from Microsoft® and SharePoint Solutions, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.

A.T. Kearney Procurement & Analytic Solutions needed to deliver results to clients faster; increase the breadth and usefulness of those results; and make them more accessible in order to maintain competitiveness. It initially deployed eRoom collaboration software but found that eRoom lacked many of the advanced collaboration features required by sophisticated collaboration users, such as wikis, threaded discussions, blogs and other next-Web technologies.

By adopting an extranet solution based on the 2007 Microsoft® Office system, including Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007, A.T. Kearney Procurement & Analytic Solutions addressed its collaboration need. To streamline and enhance manage¬ment of the extranet, the unit turned to Extranet Collaboration Manager for SharePoint 2007, which facilitated the deployment and user management of the extranet client sites. ...