Administrative Options in SharePoint 2013
August 16, 2012
The blog world is buzzing with analysis of the public preview of SharePoint 2013. The Cloudshare Community Blog specifically breaks down the issues of administrative options in their post, “Administration Options in SharePoint 2013 with CloudShare!”
There are many things to show with SharePoint 2013, but I have decided to start with a basic one: how to administer the platform. In this article I will show you the available approaches you have to handle administrative tasks for SharePoint 2013. These approaches are essentially the same as in SharePoint 2010 with one big exception: you are not supposed to use (or even see!) the Stsadm command line tool that is now considered as deprecated.
It seems at this point the SharePoint world would be tired of the concept of customization, but apparently not yet. It seems like for every efficiency issue in SharePoint, the answer is customization. This is of course despite the fact that Microsoft does not want customers customizing SharePoint 2013. But how could a user possibly get around it, as SharePoint is still far from perfect?
The answer lies in smart third party solutions that can be added to an existing SharePoint infrastructure. A product like Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise can streamline processes with its intuitive interface, specifically designed to meet users’ needs where SharePoint lags. Additionally, Fabasoft Mindbreeze releases smart and frequent updates, preventing the drama and hassle of huge and infrequent overhauls.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 16, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Increase Company Productivity with Streamlined Project Management
August 15, 2012
Tim Cermak discusses project management for the upcoming SharePoint release in his CMSWire.com post, “Project Management Today: How SharePoint 2013 Can Help.” Cermak explains some of today’s challenges with workflow:
Companies today face the challenge of determining what is happening both within their organization and externally in their marketplace. Information such as who is working on what and the progress of directives is fundamental and yet it is often elusive. The only way for companies to improve their business is to know what is happening, who is doing the work and what the outcome really is. People need to easily be able to collaborate on jobs and with colleagues, communicate with many people, and easily report the facts.
The author shares tips for all departments in an organization to work as a team to become a more successful company. To help drive your employees to increased productivity and collaboration, consider adding a comprehensive third party solution. Mindbreeze offers a lean suite of products that can add rich value to your workflow processes. Look to gain each employee two weeks per year through focused finding of data (IDC Studies) with Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise. Read more at http://www.mindbreeze.com/.
Philip West, August 15, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Aras Offers New Innovations for Global Enterprises
August 15, 2012
One of the leaders in product lifecycle management innovation, Aras, recently announced its latest offering, the CATIO V5 connector PDM workbench. A recent Virtual Strategy Magazine article, “Aras Announces Latest Release of CATIA V5 Connector for Complex Global Design Environments”, explains how the CATIA V5 connector is intended to drive product development.
As the article explains,
“For global companies that have large, complex assemblies the CATIA V5 connector for Aras provides a highly scalable and secure PLM platform for digital product development. The CATIA V5 connector leverages the unified CAD data model in the Aras CAD Integration Platform which includes high performance multi-file check-out. Parallel asynchronous streaming technology moves sets of files across the WAN significantly faster than previously possible with other PLM systems.”
While Aras’s latest innovation is great news for ‘global companies’ there are still quite a few small and midsized enterprises (SME) just learning about PLM and how it can help their companies. For those not quite to the global level of doing business we recommend Inforbix, a PLM provider capable of handling global enterprises yet determined to make PLM accessible to all. As their Website states, “…Most small companies cannot invest in data management systems. This is where Inforbix can help. Inforbix provides an easy and efficient way to share product data and other related information. Inforbix is easy and intuitive to use; it deploys cloud technology that enables secure company wide data availability.”
Catherine Lamsfuss, August 15, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
The Long Wait for SharePoint 2013
August 14, 2012
Microsoft has hyped the release of SharePoint 2013, with many enterprise junkies highly anticipating the public availability of the revamped product. ClearBox Consulting takes on the question of whether or not the new SharePoint is worth the hype, and the long wait, in, “Is SharePoint 2013 worth waiting for?”
While the author has many positives to highlight, he does have this to say in reference to the negatives:
By SharePoint 2010 the main challenges for an intranet manager had become governance and user adoption. Governance has definitely been improved, but adoption has been less substantially addressed. For example, the user experience for content owners is still over-fiddly and at the moment the mobile experience is well below what will be needed over the next 2-3 years. Moreover, the new version has done little to reduce the complexity involved in producing and managing a SharePoint-based intranet for business owners of sites and content.
It is no mystery that regardless of the changes that are made to SharePoint, it is a huge product that requires a lot of time, attention, and customization. So for many smaller organizations, a smarter, more efficient third party solution may be a better choice. A product like Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise can work as a standalone enterprise search solution, or as an enhancement to an existing SharePoint infrastructure. Used either way, customers will marvel as the intuitive interface and increased productivity of Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 14, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Shifts in Industry to Be Discussed at PLM Road Map 2012
August 14, 2012
One of the most attended annual product lifecycle management (PLM) conferences is CIMData’s PLM Road Map. The 2012 PLM Road Map will be featuring Head of Operations for the EADS PLM Harmonization Center, Tristan Gegaden, as the keynote speaker according to the MCAD Café article, “Tristan Gegaden, Head of Operations for the EADS PLM Harmonization Center to Keynote at CIMdata’s PLM Road Map™ 2012”.
It is predicted that Gegaden will be discussing the current PLM culture of global enterprises which is described in the article as:
“While looking for new areas of productivity, competitiveness, and innovation, EADS—the European Aeronautic Defense & Space Company—identified in early 2007 the need to raise PLM to the strategic level of the Group. This change in emphasis was necessary both to avoid any industrial disaster and to accelerate adoption of the new paradigm of increasing collaboration between dispersed engineering, manufacturing, and services locations. From that point forward PLM has been regarded as a strategic asset for EADS, an asset that is firmly rooted at the core of a lean industrial system.”
This new paradigm that is increasingly being recognized by PLM providers is also bringing the focus of PLM back to data management. New data management solutions are being developed by established leaders such as CIMData and newcomers like Inforbix which describes its solutions as “Inforbix apps are integrated cloud solutions for manufacturing companies that tackle everyday tasks such as finding, reusing, and sharing product data without the overhead of traditional data management systems.”
We look for PLM Road Map 2012 to be an exciting conference with many hot topics covered.
Catherine Lamsfuss, August 14, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
IntelTrax Top Stories: August 3 to August 9
August 13, 2012
This week, the IntelTrax blog delivered some informative posts that discuss the issues surrounding big data analytics technology in today’s workforce.
While many articles discuss the prevalence of analytics technology in various industries, “Troubling News for the Analytics Needy” looks at those that are not using it.
A recent survey found:
“Fifty-six percent of respondents indicated they will not be deploying big data analytics applications even beyond 2013, the survey of 255 IT professionals found. Half of those surveyed were data storage professionals at the analyst level; the other half comprised IT managers, vice presidents and CIOs…Survey respondents with no plans to roll out Hadoop or other big data analytics software said doing so requires a specific business case, and in most instances they didn’t see a need for it, according to Marco Coulter, managing director of TheInfoPro’s Cloud Computing Practice.”
Another interesting piece is “Big Data Law Might Be Changing.” It discusses the fear that many have of data analytics technology falling into the wrong hands. One suggestion has been to grant the legal right to accessing personal information of third parties as a way to incentivize transparency.
Writer Patrick Roland concludes:
“This is promising news for a population concerned with the potentially invasive nature of data mining and analytics. After last year’s surprising Supreme Court ruling that basically let Vermont sales reps mine doctors’ patient lists, we are pleased to see reasonable thought return to the table. We can only hope they further find ways that help us utilize this strong technology, while still keeping wrongdoers away.”
One industry that is already seeing lucrative returns on its investment in data analytics technology is Wall Street Investors. “Big Data Promises Big Returns for Stock Investors”
references an article that discusses why savvy stock traders should pay attention to the latest analytics technology.
The article states:
“At the heart of the feed from ORATS is the use of “implied dividends” – the dividend levels implied by prices within the options markets. In the case of equities that have both dividends and exchange-traded options on their stock, the dividend price is a major component in the calculation that traders use to compute a fair price for those options. ORATS runs that calculation backwards to compute “implied dividends”, a measure that reveals the broad consensus of all players in the options market about how much a company will pay as a dividend along the entire option expiration calendar”.
All three of these stories provide different avenues to get to the same conclusion. Investing in data analytics technology is an integral way for companies to make the most out of the unstructured data that is being put out on a daily basis. It is important that you find a reputable company with affordable solutions like Digital Reasoning.
Jasmine Ashton, August 13, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
To Customize or not to Customize SharePoint
August 13, 2012
Chris Wright discusses the look and feel of SharePoint in his recent CMSWire.com post, “Microsoft Doesn’t Advise You Customize SharePoint 2013.” The author points out that many users get caught up in the “look and feel” of the system when working on SharePoint projects. Wright explains that the vast majority of projects he’s been involved with have had a significant branding and UI element.
He goes on to say this:
In my previously mentioned piece I argued that time spent on such endeavors would be better spent looking at functionality and content. Jeff seems to be advocating a slightly different view, though one that reaches the same conclusions. He is focusing on the importance of providing a stable performant solution, and appears concerned that custom code can be the quickest route to undermining this.
The article may be worth the read to help you stay on track with SharePoint goals and priorities. You may also consider investing in a third party solution that provides a rich SharePoint experience with a user-friendly interface out-of-the-box. One we like is Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise. Mindbreeze Enterprise Search lets you “be well informed – quickly and accurately. The data often lies distributed across numerous sources. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise gains each employee two weeks per year through focused finding of data (IDC Studies). An invaluable competitive advantage in business as well as providing employee satisfaction.”
Philip West, August 13, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
PTC Acquires SLM Winner for Broader Coverage of Service
August 13, 2012
There has been a renewed interest in customer service of late across many industries leading to an increase in data management solutions targeting the service oriented aspects of enterprises. The latest proof that this is the direction companies are shifting their priorities is PTC’s acquisition of Atlanta based Servigistics, a profitable provider of software which manages service contracts and the like, according to the recent Boston Business Journal article, “PTC to acquire service management firm Servigistics for $220M”.
PTC president and CEO, Jim Heppelmann, was quoted as saying,
“Over the past few years, Servigistics has earned a reputation for innovation in helping companies maximize their global service businesses through increased profitability, cash flow, and customer loyalty. Their customers are at the leading edge of a global trend to take service from a cost center to a profit center, and SLM technology has been a critical driver. This acquisition should make clear just how serious PTC is about helping its customers achieve lasting service advantage.”
Heppelmann couldn’t be more correct in his assessment of Servigistics which has allowed for their impressive success. Product lifecycle management (PLM) as PTC offers and Service lifecycle management (SLM) as Servigistics offers, is no longer just about making life easier for engineers and IT team members. There is a growing understanding that industries across the board need new data management solutions to cut costs and raise revenues. Smart PLM providers are cashing in on the opportunity.
Catherine Lamsfuss, August 8, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Open Source Options for Collaboration in SharePoint
August 10, 2012
In “Open Source Tools Level SharePoint 2010 Collaboration Playing Field,” Shawn Shell discusses collaboration options in the SharePoint community.
Shell has this to say:
But while there are many available tools that can expand SharePoint’s collaboration capabilities and fill the gaps in its out-of-the-box functionality, some organizations simply can’t afford them because of budget constraints. As a result, many often find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. The good news is that one of the strongest dimensions of the SharePoint universe is a surprisingly robust open source community. It comprises individuals, user organizations and even ISVs that provide tools and utilities that are reasonable alternatives to commercially licensed add-on products.
The author also comments on collaboration alternatives for employees, such as the Community Kit for SharePoint (CKS) and the Learning Management System (LMS). However, Shell also states that it is important to read the documentation of these two projects very carefully because they are handled by separate teams. The read may be worth it if you’ve been looking for possible fixes to SharePoint’s capability gaps.
Collaboration capabilities are imperative as businesses get social. To tap into the new possibilities, consider a third party solution to complete your enterprise search system. We like Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Managing director Michael Hadrian explains the Mindbreeze solution:
Fabasoft Folio Cloud enables quick, secure and mobile collaboration both internally and between international companies. Business processes with customers and partners cannot be realized any quicker or more cost effectively…This enables worldwide connected collaboration and secure data exchange in protected team rooms.
For a complete search solution with the power of information pairing, check out the full suite of solutions at Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Philip West, August 10, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Oracle Report Exposes Gaps in Data Management Solutions
August 10, 2012
It might be easy to assume that since big data has received so much attention of late and big data analytics solutions are popping out of the woodwork companies across all industries would be sitting pretty when it comes to data management. A recent Oracle survey described in the Information Week article, “Oracle Big Data Study Shows Longtime Pain”, tells quite a different story.
As the article explains,
“The study’s report-card-style scorecard revealed that only 8% of respondents gave their organization an A grade and 32% a B on ‘preparedness for a data deluge.’ Meanwhile, 48% of respondents gave their organization a C or below on ‘translating information into actionable information,’ 47% said they deserved a C or less on ‘distributing timely information,’ and 39% said they deserved a C or less on ‘reporting on information.’”
These scores and the situations and conditions they represent should be an eye-opener to the PLM industry. Traditional data management solutions are not cutting it anymore and new data management systems are either not reaching companies or they are not implemented correctly. One solution that we support is Inforbix which offers “tools (we call them product apps) that help people quickly and easily aggregate, access, find, and expose data in their company.” We are convinced that Inforbix is one of the PLM solutions on the market that ‘get’ what today’s PLM consumers need and then provide it.
Catherine Lamsfuss, August 10, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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