Comparing Project Server and TeamDirection Project 2007

And this would be elephant number two in the room. While I could blithely write how we do this and how project server does that and we both do the online web-based project thing in perfect harmony....

I would be lying.

OK, I admit it. TeamDirection Plus 2007 is providing a nice, simple way to connect your MS Project projects to MS SharePoint. Project Server does it by requiring several components, lots of consulting time and training. We do it by selling TeamDirection Project Plus 2007 for $549.

For that price you get:

1. A desktop app your project manager can install and start sharing tasks in 5 minutes or less.
2. A flexible bidirectional synchronization that updates data from MS Project to SharePoint, and from SharePoint to MS Project with one click.
   
3. The ability to not only share entire projects, but parts of a project. Have a project with 1,000 tasks but only want to share 100 of them? We can do that.
4. Rich integration with a great project conceptualization-- Mindjet MindManager-- and a cutting edge collaboration tool-- MS Groove 2007.
5. Multiple project view letting you see many projects at once in a grid and gantt. And foldering to let your organize your projects.
   
6. A nice UI, integrated Instant Messaging, Resource that can not only be assigned to tasks but also inherit their permissions from SharePoint or Groove, simple costing and more...
   

Normally I wouldn't point out in my blog where we compete with Microsoft-- I am in Seattle after all. But really, there's lots of companies that both compete and partner with them. We are no different. For instance, as I mentioned, we also talk to MS Groove 2007-- one of the first companies to do so. We've leveraged our rich history with Groove and its Project Edition and created an excellent solution for the next generation.

In fact, I can make a claim: TeamDirection Project 2007 is the only project application in the world that lets you share MS Project plans with SharePoint and Groove. Hopefully that makes the SharePoint and Groove groups at Microsoft happy. I even think it will make members of the Project team happy because it gives smaller companies-- and departments within large companies-- more flexibility and power for project managers to use the richness of MS Project and the distribution of SharePoint and Groove.

And if they see a grumpy member from the Project Server team, tell him or her its ok to share.