Bamboo Solution's Bundles Extend SharePoint Functionality

Bamboo Solutions is probably a familiar name to the IT staffs at enterprises running SharePoint. The company made headlines in couple of months ago when it released information on how to run SharePoint on a Vista box, but it's also one of the best known and most successful vendors of plug-in modules intended to enhance SharePoint's base functionality.With more than 30 options, however, it can be a bit confusing to pick and choose what modules will provide the most value. To address this, Bamboo has recently bundled together three sets of the modules -- they call them Web Parts -- into packages directed at supporting certain needs: the Bamboo Project Management Suite, the Bamboo Administration Suite, and the Bamboo Ultimate Suite.

The Bamboo Project Management Suite features 15 different Web Parts specifically designed to keep projects on track and on schedule, including multiple calendaring and alert tools. In addition to these current offerings, a handful of new Web Parts will be added for free to the suite once they're released, including SharePoint Project Portfolio Dashboard and Task Master. Bamboo has historically had an ambitious release schedule, so it's fair to assume that users won't have to wait long.

The Bamboo Administration Suite includes a number of modules specifically focused on helping SharePoint admins manage their user base. These include a number of alert and password management tools, as well as Web Parts for user profile and account management. Like the Project Management Suite, other Web Part modules will be added once they're released, including the Site Management Solution Accelerator.

The Bamboo Ultimate Suite bundles just about everything that Bamboo offers, totaling about three dozen modules. This includes modules dedicated to supporting business intelligence, the administration tools included in the Administration Suite, as well as those included in the Project Management Suite.

Bamboo doesn't publish pricing on its Web site but it appears that each of these bundled suites are offered with a substantial discount. For an IT shop running SharePoint, they're certainly worth investigating.