SharePoint Online allows groups to share and collaborate on working documents from anywhere and on a range of devices, interchangeably using online versions of Office applications and the versions installed on their computers.

However, SharePoint is not recommended for archive storage of files, and groups looking to transfer existing files into SharePoint are strongly urged to first audit their files and prune out old and no-longer-needed content.

Management of access permissions in SharePoint can quickly become complex and difficult to track. Any group planning to share content outside the group must be prepared to spend time on training and on regularly monitoring the sharing of files.

Note that support for the use of SharePoint in the University is currently limited.

• Multiple people can edit a document at the same time
• Can be accessed from anywhere, from any device
• Version control

• Need to have a Microsoft account to use it
• Management of access permissions can be complex, and mistakes are easy to make
• No ransomware protection
• Support is limited

Further information and how to get access

You can find more information on the different types of sites available and the form to request a new site by visiting the Microsoft SharePoint Online page.

For any further queries regarding SharePoint, please contact the Department’s SharePoint support team.