Here’s an article just published in ComputerWorldUK. It’s quite interesting due to an observation that they make. Here’s an excerpt:

Microsoft SharePoint, also known as Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies, is a collection of products and software elements that includes, among a growing selection of components, web browser based collaboration functions, process management modules, search modules and a document-management platform. SharePoint can be used to host web sites that access shared workspaces, information stores and documents, as well as host defined applications such as wikis and blogs. All users can manipulate proprietary controls called "web parts" or interact with pieces of content such as lists and document libraries.

Despite – or maybe even because of – that nebulousness, SharePoint is a brilliant success, for a couple of reasons. In a way, it’s Microsoft’s answer to GNU/Linux: cheap and simple enough for departments to install without needing to ask permission, it has proliferated almost unnoticed through enterprises to such an extent that last year SharePoint Sales were $1.3 billion. But as well as being one of Microsoft’s few new billion-dollar hits, it has one other key characteristic, hinted at in the Wikipedia entry above: it offers an effortless way for people to put content in to the system, but makes it very hard to get it out because of its proprietary lock-in.

Proprietry lock-in? I’ve never found any real issue getting anything out of SharePoint. Lists can export to Excel and document libraries have explorer view. You have API’s and Web services as well! I’d like them to elaborate on what exactly they mean. Looking at the GoogleSites page found here, it certainly doesn’t appear to be a SharePoint contender. Is this the case of a journalist stirring the pot to get some site traffic? Looks like a few other people have responded to his claims.