So Far

I

Iakov

The more simple questions I ask now, the fewer I will have in future, so
bear with me.

My primary interest is web-enabled forms. I have learned that InfoPath was
designed specifically for forms and works well within Microsoft Office
suites, and so I am learning from a Trial version. So far so good, except
its limited Date and Time features.

The forms work fine on SharePoint Services 2.0 and 3.0, but I need InfoPath
Forms Services to use web-enabled forms, and so I have researched Office
Forms Server 2007 and SharePoint Server 2007. SharePoint Server Standard
2007 and Office Forms 2007 are both around $4400. Microsoft didn't have a
suggested price for Enterprise and referred me to resellers. Enterprise 2007
is $58,000 at CDW. $58,000? Plus CALS!

Microsoft's SharePoint versions comparision sheet lists Forms Server and
Enterprise as the only ones supporting "Business Process and Forms.''
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/formsserver/HA101978031033.aspx
Now, my big questions:


QUESTION 1: Are you forms designers mostly using SharePoint Enterprise at
$58,000 per server license OR Office Forms Server @ $4400?

SharePoint Server by far seems the more popular; I read about it everywhere,
but I can't believe you are all using the Enterprise edition at $58,000. Is
there no forms development on SharePoint Standard edition? Some of us in the
small to medium business space balk @ $58,000 and so I know where I am going
- Forms Server.

QUESTION 2: Has anyone used Forms Server? What's your impression?

Thank you!
 
S

S.Y.M. Wong-A-Ton

If I were you, I'd just pick up the phone and call Microsoft, because the
licensing story is a complicated one.

The basic idea is that SharePoint consists of several components and
InfoPath Forms Services is just one of them. I think it comes with the
Enterprise CAL of MOSS. If you only require browser-enabled forms, and none
of the other components of MOSS, then Forms Server is the one for you. The
trick is to think ahead, as in, what would I be requiring in the near future?
I've used both and not found differences between Forms Server and Forms
Services in MOSS, but if I were you, I'd check with Microsoft just to be
sure.

As a side note: I do not spend the money in the company; I just use what's
available.
 
I

Iakov

If I were you, I'd just pick up the phone and call Microsoft, because the
licensing story is a complicated one.
Click to expand...
They gave me the $4400 price for Forms Server and SharePoint Standard, but
referred me to resellers. I called only one, CDW, to get an idea of the
cost, and their price for an Open license of Enterprise was $58,000.
The basic idea is that SharePoint consists of several components and
InfoPath Forms Services is just one of them.
Click to expand...
InfoPath Forms Services comes only with Office Forms Server and SharePoint
Enterprise. See the link in my post.
The trick is to think ahead, as in, what would I be requiring in the near future?
Click to expand...
Yes, but the price options of $4400 or $58,000 limit my "thinking ahead."
I've used both and not found differences between Forms Server and Forms
Services in MOSS, but if I were you, I'd check with Microsoft just to be
sure.
Click to expand...
Nothing beats talking to actual users of a product. When one talks to
Microsoft, it is not to a member of the SharePoint development team. It's
to a sales person, and they only convey what the documentation says. That's
why despite my Web reading and calling Microsoft and a couple of resellers,
I still prefer to ask folks who have had hands-on experience.
As a side note: I do not spend the money in the company; I just use what's
available.
Click to expand...
I am with a consulting firm. We need to know prices and features before we
recommend a solution to a customer.


Thanks for your input. Much appreciated.
 
S

S.Y.M. Wong-A-Ton

My apologies; I was not aware that you had already contacted Microsoft.

It does not make sense to me, though, that you'd ask the question what other
people were using while choosing between $4400 and $58000 was already obvious
for your situation. And I'm not sure whether you would have got a different
answer, if you asked your question to a SharePoint team member instead of a
sales rep, since most team members have their own specific part(s) of a
product they work on and InfoPath Forms Services in particular is split
across two teams, InfoPath and SharePoint, which makes finding the right
person to give you an answer even more difficult.

I understand your need to know prices before making a recommendation to
customers; we do too! :) I only wanted to make the context of my answers
clear, which is that I only use the products and give advice on their usage,
and that other people make decisions about what things will cost and how much
to spend.

Thanks for listing your findings. I'm sure this information will help other
people in the group when deciding between Forms Server and IFS in MOSS.
 
I

Iakov

I think for web forms which will be exposed to the internet it gets a bit
spendy.
Click to expand...
Tell me about it. My introduction to Infopath is the result of a client who
needs to improve on a very inefficient process. I love what I've seen of
InfoPath, especially its integration into SharePoint Services and other
Office product, but they are a small business and $4400 is a bit much, on
top of the new server and new IT infrstructure.
The Database Accelerator has a Forms Server component included which may
work for you. It is much cheaper and has many other tools and advantages.
Click to expand...
This is what I was hoping for - experienced forms designers to offer
alternatives to what I've learned so far. Thanks a lot for mentioning
Database Accelerator. I have never heard of it, but I'm off to research it.
 
I

Iakov

S.Y.M. Wong-A-Ton said:
My apologies; I was not aware that you had already contacted Microsoft.

It does not make sense to me, though, that you'd ask the question what other
people were using while choosing between $4400 and $58000 was already obvious
for your situation.
Click to expand...
See Clay Fox's response. He mentioned Database Accelerator. That's the
kind of response I was seeking: For the experienced folks to offer
alternatives to what I have learned so far. I am aware of Office Forms
Server and SharePoint Server Enterprise for web-enabled forms. I am going to
look into Database Accelerator.

Do you know of another product that supports InfoPath Forms Services for
web-enabled forms?






And I'm not sure whether you would have got a different
 
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