Sharing Information - Sustainable Enterprise Architecture - page 147

Figure 6.11 This portal example was created using Microsoft's SharePoint
system for the fi ctional Contoso corporation.
a test portal using a FOSS solution such as DotNetNuke. This will enable
users to provide input on desirable content, interface layout, and content
organization while IT support staff members develop policies and proto-
cols for document storage, archival, and information aggregation.
Portals can include many different features, with new functionality
easily added through portlet development and database integration. A few
of the more common features of enterprise portals include the following.
• Collaborative technologies. Enterprise portal solutions include
many of the collaborative tools detailed earlier in this chapter. Dis-
cussion boards, forums, Web logs, wikis, chatrooms, polls, and mes-
saging components may all be found within an enterprise portal.
• Personalization. Personal information, contact details, and links
to managers' and subordinates' own portal sites allow the user sites
of a portal to replace operational charts and phone lists, which are
often out of date by the time they are distributed. This information
can also serve to aid in virtual team building, particularly when
cultural differences separate individual team members. Information
on background, training, education, and other details presented on
the public side of a user's site can aid in gaining a more personal level
of trust for other team members. Users can also arrange many items