SharePoint is a heavily browser-based experience. At times, that makes for a strange disconnect with one’s desktop-based experience. The most egregious example is that of email. To get an email into SharePoint, you have to extract the message, such as by dragging and dropping it onto your desktop. That makes an .msg file. Then, in SharePoint, you browse your computer to find the .msg file, you point at it, and it’s uploaded to SharePoint. Then you may wish to enter in metadata, such as who the sender is.

Colligo has a useful set of tools that enhance the SharePoint experience. The latest version, 4.0, has some interesting features:

• Contributor Uploader for Outlook. Lets you seamlessly transfer emails between Outlook and SharePoint.
• Attachment Manager. Lets you upload attachments seamlessly to SharePoint. The file is replaced, in the email, by a link. The document, now in SharePoint, can now be worked on by a group of people. That’s very useful.
• Contributor File Manager. This lets you use Windows Explorer to browse not just your desktop, but also the SharePoint workspace. Right clicking an item lets you do SharePointy things.

Normally, Colligo sells its Contributor suite in a bundle. Quantity one pricing for this is $179/seat for a perpetual license. Optional annual maintenance is 25%. Quantity one pricing for Contributor Uploader alone is $75/seat; Contributor File Manager alone is $125/seat. Volume discounts apply.

… David Ferris