SharePoint Server 2016 reached its “release-to-manufacturing” (RTM) milestone yesterday.
The server currently runs on Windows Server 2012 R2, although it’s also intended for the future Windows Server 2016, which isn’t available yet. The emphasis of this release of SharePoint Server is on hybrid-computing setups, particularly in search. It also enhances data security and compliance maintenance, and improved access to mobile applications. A number of the new features are already available in SharePoint Online.
Microsoft officials explained last year that SharePoint Server 2016 will not be the last version, and that more versions are planned “for the foreseeable future,” officials said. The general manager of the Sharepoint Product Management Team, Seth Patton said his team is determined to make Sharepoint easy to master, remarking that “This year, we will release significant new innovations spanning user experiences, document collaboration, mobile enhancements and platform improvements that will redefine modern content collaboration.”
It is improbable that Microsoft will say much about SharePoint 2016 at this point, but it is highly likely the service will dramatically change. If your organization uses the current SharePoint version to manage your content and communications, then be on the lookout for upcoming updates and notify your team that the entire product is about to receive a huge overhaul.