Microsoft SharePoint portal server is a scalable, enterprise portal server that is built on Windows SharePoint Services. Enterprises and small businesses can use SharePoint Portal Server 2003 to aggregate Windows SharePoint Services sites, information, and applications in an organisation to a single portal. Because SharePoint Portal Server 2003 requires Windows SharePoint Services, all features of Windows SharePoint Services are available in SharePoint Portal Server 2003.
SharePoint Portal Server 2003 is an advanced version of Windows SharePoint Services, which is a collection of services that one can use to share information, collaborate with other users on documents, and create lists and Web Part pages. It can also be used as a development platform to create collaboration applications and information-sharing applications & helps to implement document management, search, subscriptions, and in-line discussions into your document management and collaboration processes. SharePoint Portal server 2003 offers a good basis to build and extend intranet portals. The advanced features are:
*My Site, with personal views and with public views
*Information targeted to specific audiences
*Index functionality and search functionality across file shares, across Web servers, across Microsoft *Exchange Public Folders, across Lotus Notes, and across Windows SharePoint Services sites
*Alerts that notify you when changes are made to relevant information, documents, or programs
*Single sign-on functionality for enterprise application integration solution
*Integration with Microsoft BizTalk Server