Information Leadership achieves Microsoft SharePoint Elite status

New Zealand company Information Leadership has become the world’s second Microsoft partner to achieve SharePoint Elite status, and the first to receive this accreditation on the 2010 version of the software, which is used to develop information and knowledge management systems. The company has also released a breakthrough bespoke extension to SharePoint to help public sector organisations meet New Zealand’s stringent Public Records Act requirements.

Information Leadership has achieved elite status in the information architecture and end-user engagement components of SharePoint, reflecting the company’s expertise in both the design of SharePoint solutions and the effective adoption of new systems.

“Achieving elite status in these areas demonstrates that our SharePoint solutions meet the highest threshold in terms of being fit for purpose for individual organisations, and are able to be used effectively, so that customers realise the full benefits of their investment,” says Sarah Heal, Director, Information Leadership.

To qualify for the elite certification, providers need to be registered in the Microsoft Partner Network and take at least six staff through a rigorous examination, focusing on best practice in SharePoint.

Demonstrating Information Leadership’s SharePoint capability, the company is today releasing Enterprise Retention & Disposal Manager, an extension to SharePoint which helps organisations to effectively manage their information in accordance with the Public Records Act (PRA). The Act, passed in 2005, requires public organisations and local authorities to meet strict criteria for maintaining their records.

“Enterprise Retention & Disposal Manager provides organisations with a powerful engine they can use to ensure information is kept or destroyed where appropriate, based on the specific requirements of the PRA. As well as helping organisations to be compliant with the legislation, it offers the potential for real productivity gains by enabling large volumes of electronic information to be managed much more efficiently,” says Ms. Heal.

PRA audits began in mid-2010, and Information Leadership has had strong interest in a tailored SharePoint solution to meet compliance needs. The launch of Enterprise Retention & Disposal Manager follows successful pilot deployments in the education sector, which is being followed by deployments in other sectors, including science, health, central and local government.

Kylie Welch, Records Manager of Whitireia Polytechnic, where Enterprise Retention & Disposal Manager was piloted, says the new SharePoint extension will play a vital role in the organisation’s record keeping.

“It will keep us in line with the PRA. If Archives NZ wants to come and look at what we are doing, they will see that all the records management rules of the Act have been applied. e-documents are normally a beast to manage, but Enterprise Retention & Disposal Manager brings all retention and disposal decisions and actions to my attention, so it’s a fantastic tool,” she says.

The new SharePoint extension builds on Information Leadership’s market leading iWorkplace system, a methodology for driving productivity and record keeping compliance used by over 30 public sector organisations. Its development involved close collaboration between Information Leadership’s recordkeeping experts and SharePoint Elite technical staff.

“This development process ensured that the SharePoint solution would meet ‘real world’ recordkeeping needs in a way that is straightforward and cost effective for any organisation. We are proud of the product and how enthusiastically a wide range of government agencies are adopting it – it is meeting a real need in the market at a price that is highly competitive,” says Ms Heal.