IT Hire Wire

Software development has a long history of change. Whatever the latest and greatest programming language and application development environment is today is sure to be obsolete within 2 years. When it comes to Enterprise Software there’s been no more significant platform release in recent years than Microsoft Sharepoint. In April I sat down with Mark Vogt, a Senior IT Consultant and Sharepoint architect in the Chicago area to discuss Sharepoint, the future of knowledge sharing, and his experience working with Hudson as an IT contractor.

Q: So, Mark I got to know your work first hand as a software architect and developer on our Sharepoint Intranet project here at Hudson. How did you come into contact with Hudson?

A: My relationship with Hudson started in 2005 working as an IT contractor on an 8 month assignment with General Growth Partners. As is typical with good contract jobs, it became a permanent gig for me when my contract ended. After another full-time engagement at OfficeMax doing a highly involved Sharepoint implementation, I kept in good contact with Todd Harootyan, my Hudson recruiter. Todd knew that Hudson was embarking on a Sharepoint implementation internally and needed a senior consultant to get them over the hump. So, here I am today helping you guys build out YOUR Sharepoint Intranet.

Q: It’s great having your expertise here Mark, believe me! I’m curious, how did you get so involved with Sharepoint?

A: I have always enjoyed large Enterprise implementations. I spent a few years as a Plumtree consultant going through some long and painful projects. When mid-2000 rolled around, I saw that Microsoft was dipping its toe into the Enterprise Portal space and I began to investigate Sharepoint. I began to see first hand that large and small organizations were embracing Sharepoint because of its low price tag (free at the time), and fast-developing feature set.

Q: What is the advantage that Sharepoint has over some legacy portal development platforms?

A: The BEST part of it is the high chance for success that a Sharepoint implementation has right out of the box. Sharepoint developers are highly satisfied because of how robust the software has become in a few short years. With some thoughtful configuration, the system meets 60-70% of an organization’s needs right out of the box. Plus, the development, support, and third party control communities are hugely helpful whenever you hit a roadblock.

Q: Is Sharepoint the future of Microsoft?

A: Well, $1 Billion in revenue for Microsoft and 17,000 clients is a pretty impressive install base. I’m convinced it’s the next generation platform that will be here for the long haul. As the enterprise has moved away from the PC client (Outlook) to the Web Browser as the center of the universe, Sharepoint is positioned perfectly. It is no surprise that we’ve heard Sharepoint mentioned as the centerpiece of Microsoft’s Cloud Computing strategy.

Q: Do you have any advice for IT talent with regards to Sharepoint?

A: Hitch on to the Sharepoint wagon! This platform will provide excellent learning opportunities and job prospects for the foreseeable future. Once you conquer development become more of a consultant by moving your skillset up the value chain. Every Sharepoint team currently needs people who can help with needs assessment, requirements definition, systems architecture, and training to better map their Sharepoint solution to the needs of the business.

Stay tuned for our next entry where we’ll give you a peek at the Sharepoint Intranet Mark helped Hudson to build.

Tags: IT Contracting, Microsoft, Sharepoint

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