SharePoint 2010 Composites gives you the capability to assemble, connect, and configure collaborative business solutions. From sites to more complex business applications, you can respond quickly to specific business needs with a custom solution.

You don’t need to be a programmer (although it is helpful) to use the building blocks in SharePoint 2010. Even without using code, you can create highly customized business solutions in a matter of minutes. For example, you can share Microsoft Visio diagrams and Microsoft Access databases easily and quickly. You can also use Microsoft SharePoint Designer and Microsoft InfoPath to design solutions based on workflows and forms that you currently have in use at your organization.

Despite what you might think of developing coded solutions, you will be surprised by how many no-code solutions you can develop to solve your business challenges.

Many organizations have data stored away in sources and systems that are difficult to access. This data has value, but you might need to log on to each system individually to get at the information. This is not only time consuming but also inefficient. With SharePoint 2010 Composites, you are finally able to connect to these resources and work with the data as if the information resided within the SharePoint environment. You can enable full Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) capabilities on the data along with integrating it into SharePoint’s powerful search engine. No matter where the data is located you can work with it to develop business solutions or to assist you in making the best decisions for your problems.

You also have the option to work with the data online or offline through Microsoft SharePoint Workspaces. Once you have a chance to reconnect to your network, your changes can be uploaded automatically.

In many organizations, there are several hundreds of Access databases and Excel spreadsheets that are in use for various reasons. Typically, there are several instances of databases and spreadsheets that are duplicates of others. Due to the nature of the software, these databases and worksheets tend to be decentralized, with each department or division maintaining the information in “silos.” With SharePoint 2010 you are able to centralize these data sources and deploy them as a shared solution so that not only is the originating department able to use the information, but the rest of your organization is able to, as well.

Security is always an issue when it comes to an organization’s information resources. Thanks to SharePoint’s powerful security measures, you can secure your information down to the item level. This means that you can determine not only what information is available but also who can access the information.

With SharePoint 2010 Composites, just about anyone within your organization will be able to develop business solutions. But although this is a great benefit, it can also become a liability really fast. Suppose that someone decides to create a solution that will access hundreds of spreadsheets and databases and display them by using Visio Services. This solution, while helpful, can be a serious drain on resources. Also, while this solution is running the rest of your organization could suffer from slow response times from the SharePoint platform.

Sandboxed solutions give you the ability to create a controlled environment within SharePoint in which you can use to test out new solutions. You can control various factors such as resource throttling, time to execute, and code checking (to name a few). Through a sandboxed solution, you can avoid over burdening your resources. You are also able to encourage innovation without risking the health of the overall SharePoint environment.

With End-User solutions your IT department can now dedicate more of its time to higher priorities, while at the same time giving you the opportunity to come up with the solutions that you need for your specific scenario.