Comparison Between Microsoft Project Server and IBN Project Management

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The Instant Business Network Software™ (IBN) takes the best and most important features that are commonly found in 2 to 4 DIFFERENT Microsoft server products and makes them available in a fully integrated solution that can be rapidly installed. Plus, it has other features not even found in any of these products.

Comparison of Deployment Time, Costs and Complexity

In addition to the combined features and integrated IBN platform, our customers know that both the costs of licensing and the time/process to actually get a "working" solution into production is unparalleled. Finally, all of the data, information, relationships and ability to measure and report on this data is all in the same system versus several different systems.

• Multiple Server/Product Installs, Multiple User Training, Do it Yourself Integration, Increased Costs, and an extended period of time before you gain any business value
• Purchase several server products (3 if you want messaging), and then find another set of vendors to handle issues, time tracking, and db/record management
• Purchase separate client access licenses for EACH user and EACH server and EACH Product and watch your costs and complexity go up
• Make sure you have access to expensive specialists or in-house experts and have their time to install configure and setup as each server will need to be installed and configured separately (complex)
• Be prepared to work hard on defining requirements, process, end-user training processes, and a whole litany of other types of "integration/process planning"
• Now, if you want to "connect everything up, add reporting functionality, actually have these systems integrate and collate project, issues, file relationships, and integrated business communications its time to bring in the development staff to perform Integration and testing of integration.
• Finally, if you have made it through all of this, its time to coordinate your rollout, training, operational procedures, and everything else.

Comparison Between MS Project Server and IBN Project Management Software

Microsoft Office Project Server and the Mediachase Instant Business Network Project Management Software serve similar purposes.  Both are professional and enterprise level web based project management collaboration servers that offer a centralized database and overview for a project manager to gloss over quickly and efficiently.  MS Project Server and the IBN PM both offer the standard business collaboration and reporting tools that a large organization needs to ensure that oversight encompasses the entire life of any given project.  Moreover, Microsoft Project and the IBN PM offer businesses a way to create repeatable project templates that employ the best practices any company or organization needs to maximize resources and efficiency.  However, as we guide you through the capabilities of both the latest version of Project Server, Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, you will see that the IBN PM offers much more for much less with greater flexibility and pricing; in essence, the IBN PM is a powerful alternative to Microsoft Project 2007 for any office environment  that requires meticulous management of any plan, project, or common task.

According to Microsoft, Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, in conjunction with Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 and Microsoft Office Project Web Access, provide major benefits for a company looking to improve its business processes.  They include: enhancing business intelligence, easily collaboration and coordination, effective resource management, soup to nuts project management, management of simple and complex tasks, repeatable templates and processes, effective resource planning for training, tutorials and strategic hiring, higher returns on technological and resource investments, and expandability.

To gain all those benefits of Microsoft’s Project Software, expect to buy into complex licensing requirements, trickier installation, and training on top of that investment.  You can buy Microsoft Project and a complete infrastructure or you can consider an less expensive, streamlined alternative.

Unlike Project Server and other Microsoft-related technologies, such as SharePoint, IBN PM does offer the same major benefits, along with the same level of integration with common Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and MS Project).  With instant, secure messaging from your Desktop, get convenient, real-time communication from anyone involved with your project, rather than solely relying on the web portal to exchange information.   Rather than fuss around with Microsoft Windows SharePoint services to access additional “advanced collaboration functionality,” get all the advanced functionality rolled into one convenient IBN PM Package.   And if you don’t want to deal with SQL 2000 or 2005 or your own server environment, unlike Microsoft, we have a SaaS (Software as a Service) option with the On-Demand IBN packages that give you full-on project management and collaboration without having to install any software on your business side.

Give the Mediachase Instant Business Network Project Management and Collaboration software a test drive.  Download a free trial, email us at sales@mediachase.com or call us at US +1 323-988-1071.  Check out the IBN PM for 30 days and see how you can save money, time, and resources compared to Microsoft Project Server 2007 and earlier versions (2000, 2002, and 2003).

See also:

• IBN Project Management Software Features
• IBN Project Management Software Overview
• IBN Help Desk Software Features