Microsoft has released the new SharePoint 2016, the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) version and announced the final version will be generally available May 4.
Some perspective: CMSWire claims Microsoft “shakes up its strategy.” Though I do not agree that MS has shaken-up anything with this release, the emphasis on cloud and mobile is undeniable. In fact, this release is very underwhelming and entirely predictable.
Actually, Microsoft has ignored functionality that I was sure they would improve. SharePoint barely addresses or ignores main weaknesses around usability and underwhelming functionality (nothing is best-of-breed except TeamSites). MS has focused on its long-term sales and marketing strategy, and delivered accordingly, but largely ignored the end user and SharePoint administrators (at least from the content management perspective), not the least of which is making it easy to customize the design and information architecture without it breaking.
This is a telling quote from a Microsoft MVP Oliver Wirkus: “Somehow SharePoint 2016 reminds me of Windows 10. Definitely Windows 10 is a great OS and I believe it is the best Windows Microsoft has ever created, but to me it does not feel as if it’s matured completely. That is true for SharePoint 2016 as well.” This is from a Microsoft MVP who makes a living off of SharePoint, and is one of the biggest fans and champions thereof. Very telling.
We will continue to work with SharePoint and use Office 365, but I’m disappointed in how little the social and content management functionality product has evolved from since the last release four years ago.
See Microsoft’s announcement on their new blog.