There is no right way to implement it because the very concept is flawed.
It's as portable as it needs to be. You can logon to any machine on your network or that can get to your network and work on your documents, that's as portable as anything needs.
If they went to HTTP then they'd have to go through a browser and the UI would revert to Word5 (web based UI is nearly identical to Win3.1, which was aweful). A giant leap backwards to accomplish nothing of any use.
WINS is ancient history, they've all worked on TCPIP since at least 1998.
Don't need any more portability than that, it's a WINDOWS application.
It's not going to change how anybody does business. There is no savings.
You don't know what portable means do you? portable does not mean you can do it from many places, portable means it ports to other environments. You're statement should read "You can login to any windows machine on your network", its not portable.
Don't need any more portability than that, it's a WINDOWS application.
Please understand that in IT portability does not mean you can run it from any windows machine you choose..
It's not going to change how anybody does business. There is no savings.
How much time to put in an upgrade on 1000 desktops? how much time to put in in on two serves?