SharePoint Being Prepped For Rich Media Content
October 4, 2013
According to PR Newswire, a very important event will take place on September 26, 2013: “Equilibrium And Metalogix To Discuss How To Optimize SharePoint For Rich Media.” Executives from each of the above companies will host a webinar called,” “Enhancing SharePoint to Manage Large Files including Rich Media Content.” The presenters will be Sean Barger, Founder, and Laura Clemons, VP Product Management, from Equilibrium and Trevor Hellebuyck, CTO of Metalogix. The group will describe the newest solutions for making SharePoint capable to work with rich media, including scalability, management of large digital media asset libraries, mobility, audio, video, and CAT storage/distribution.
Here is a more detailed list of the topics:
“During the event, the presenters will discuss how the combination of Equilibrium’s MediaRich ECM for SharePoint and Metalogix StoragePoint can improve any Microsoft SharePoint deployment without requiring modifications. Attendees will also learn:
- Best practices for management of large files in SharePoint
- How to overcome common issues, such as slow uploads/downloads and time-outs
- How to optimize SharePoint for video playback”
Rich media is the next phase of content management as documentation moves away from basic paper replication. It is important to be able to search these content types, as Arnold IT’s Steve Arnold has mentioned, because as the content changes search needs to become richer and more thorough to meet the demands.
Whitney Grace, October 4, 2013
SharePoint Deployment Makes Users Angry
October 3, 2013
A simple rule of thumb is that when a program is hard to deploy it makes users angry. Bad news for Microsoft, says CBR Online, because “Users Struggle To Implement Microsoft’s SharePoint 2013.” What does SharePoint 2013 do differently than any of its other versions? It is not surprising that the issues deal with security and Cloud technology. It is the same old routine we have heard before. What is even more depressing are the numbers from an AIIM survey: 28% of SharePoint users have stalled their deployment, and one-third are having troubling implementing it. Even more depressing is that 43% will not even use the Cloud to store information and only 6% of users claim to have had success.
Does Microsoft feel the pain yet?
“AIIM President John Mancini said: ‘There are many benefits to tapping into the power of SharePoint 2013, specifically the mobile and social aspects, yet as our research indicates, many business and IT leaders are wary of security issues around cloud technology. While using SharePoint can help companies of any size, as a collaborative platform and even a records management tool, it’s clear from our research that, based on a variety of factors, deployments and adoption of the technology has not reached its original goals.’ “
Content management is only as useful as the program storing it, as Stephen Arnold of Arnold IT, has explained many times. If the software does not do what it is supposed to then it slows productivity and frustrates users. This does not come as a surprise from a Microsoft product. The advice that should be followed is to wait a few months, until Microsoft fixes the bugs.
Whitney Grace, October 3, 2013
Microsoft Decides It Is Time To Improve SharePoint Cloud
September 30, 2013
After a long while, Microsoft will update SharePoint Cloud. CRN tells us in the article, “Microsoft Beefs Up Cloud SharePoint With More Storage, Better Management,” that SharePoint Cloud’s upgrade comes as an investment on Microsoft’s part, because it is an important name on its sixteen-billon dollar business list. Microsoft is increasing the file upload size on the Cloud-based storage from 250 MB to 2 GB per file. Also users can now store .exe and .dll files on the Cloud just like they can on a server-based SharePoint installation. The goal is to eliminate sync problems SharePoint users have. Deleted items will stay in the recycle bin for a total of ninety days, instead of thirty.
“With all these changes, Microsoft is closing a gap between SharePoint Online and the on-premise version and opening up SharePoint Online to more users, Matt Scherocman, president of Interlink Cloud Advisors, a Cincinnati-based Microsoft, told CRN.”
Microsoft is giving its users more liberty and flexibility to work across multiple devices. To remain competitive this is the advantage it needs to remain a big league player. Stephen E Arnold of Arnold IT is curious how Microsoft will handle the search aspect of the Cloud. Will it be deployed across the server and the Cloud-based installation? What about security issues if that is the case? The updates are necessary, but it is important to not forget findability.
Whitney Grace, September 30, 2013
Improved SharePoint Migration with Metalogix
September 30, 2013
It is big business to improve on the SharePoint infrastructure, and countless companies specialize in add-ons and customization. Metalogix throws their name into the ring. Read more in the story, “Improved SharePoint Migration with Metalogix Content Matrix 6.2.”
The article begins:
“Metalogix has released Content Matrix 6.2, featuring a new tool for administrators to allow site and site collection owners, as well as power users, to tag, classify and organize SharePoint content. Metalogix says Content Matrix 6.2 offers an easier way for organizations to keep content organized as they migrate to SharePoint 2013 or Office 365.”
So organization and ease of migration are goals for the Metalogix product, but some say that these are problems that SharePoint users should not have to overcome. Stephen E. Arnold, one of the leading search expert with 30 years of experience, keeps an eye on SharePoint news on his Web presence, Beyond Search.
He asks the question:
“Does any of the enterprise software work without legions of technical experts applying bandages 24×7? Of the hundreds of thousands of apps, how many are in for the long haul?”
For now SharePoint augmentation and customization is big business, and there are plenty of options on the market. We will follow Arnold and see what comes down the pipe for SharePoint.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 30, 2013
SharePoint Training Makes A Novice An Expert
September 29, 2013
Stephen Arnold, the noted search expert of Arnold IT, alerted me to PR Web’s news on trainings: “SharePoint Solutions Announces New SharePoint Training Classes In Nashville.” The different types of experience you have under your belt make all the difference between failure and success. Arnold notes that with the proper training the chances of success are increased, so it might be a good idea for those in or near the Nashville area to sign up for the classes. If one cannot make it to Nashville, the classes are offered live online.
SharePoint Solutions will be teaching the sessions, with the first beginning September 24. Training sessions have been scheduled for September, October, and November.
“ ‘Our courses provide students with practical hands-on training from instructors who are not only experts in SharePoint, but also experts in communicating technical information in a helpful, easy-to-understand manner,’ said Randy Moody, sales and marketing representative for SharePoint Solutions.”
The classes cover a variety of topics that include an introduction to SharePoint, basic business intelligence training, and trainings involving InfoPath. Becoming an expert in anything, such as Arnold with search, takes time to learn the fundamentals. SharePoint Solution’s courses are the basic tools to get you started on becoming a SharePoint expert.
Whitney Grace, September 29, 2013
Rethink SharePoint Authentications
September 27, 2013
Microsoft’s recent SharePoint security bulletin left a few developers shaking in their the code. According to Threat Post’s article, “SharePoint Fixes Priority For September 2013 Patch Tuesday,” online SharePoint installations are vulnerable to thirteen critical threats and Microsoft only patched ten of them. The threats lead to remote code execution on the collaboration server. Nearly all versions of SharePoint are affected and any installation that has disabled the user highest risk.
The CVE-2013-1330 bug is the worst threat. It is a remote code execution that gives the attacker privileges in the context of W3WP service account, but it requires authentication to gain access. If that feature is turned off, your SharePoint installation is a delightful smorgasbord of hacked information.
Some are surprised about Microsoft’s alarm and user ignorance:
“ ‘It’s interesting that Microsoft prioritized the SharePoint bulletin as highly as they did. In theory, the vulnerability requires authentication. Given the frequency with which people disable SharePoint authentication and the ease of access to documentation on that process, the priority needs to be that high,’ said Tyler Reguly, technical manager of security research and development at Tripwire. ‘People know their computers and email need good passwords. It boggles my mind that we see so many SharePoint deployments in anonymous mode. ‘”
I have been told multiple times by online expert Stephen E Arnold of Arnold IT to always take security risks seriously and find a solution quickly or private information will be stolen faster than a Google search.
Whitney Grace, September 27, 2013
SharePoint Not on the Radar
September 26, 2013
Microsoft recently updated its SharePoint Cloud services to include more options that allow more flexibility for mobile users. While the PR for this update has been well received, “AIIM Research Indicates SharePoint Has A ‘Cloudy’ Future” says PRWeb. This reminds me of something Stephen E Arnold of Arnold IT notes in many of reports about how upgrades may be good, but they do not solve the underlying problems, such as implementation and security.
AIIM conducted a survey and found that only 6% of its respondents found their deployments successful, while 43% are struggling with implementing SharePoint, and another 28% say that progress has stalled in their SharePoint projects. That only touches the shallow end of the SharePoint pool. Many companies are also running multiple versions of the software, which can only lead to compatibility issues.
And how is SharePoint Cloud security viewed?
“ ‘There are many benefits to tapping into the power of SharePoint 2013, specifically the mobile and social aspects, yet as our research indicates, many business and IT leaders are wary of security issues around cloud technology,’ said AIIM President John Mancini. ‘While using SharePoint can help companies of any size, as a collaborative platform and even a records management tool, it’s clear from our research that, based on a variety of factors, deployments and adoption of the technology has not reached its original goals.’”
SharePoint is a viable solution, but behind the shiny labels and screensaver there are many, many problems.
Whitney Grace, September 26, 2013
SharePoint Search: An Open Source Widget
September 15, 2013
If you have SharePoint responsibilities, you know how fabulous Microsoft’s Swiss Army knife solution is. Let me explain. The “fabulousness” applies to consultants, integrators, and “experts” who can make the rusty blade cut better than it does once the system is installed.
I learned about “SharePoint 2013 Search Query Tool” from one of the ArnoldIT SharePoint experts. You can download tool to test out and debug search queries against the SharePoint 2013 REST API. The tool does not help improve either the system or the user queries, but I find this software interesting for three reasons:
After years of Microsoft innovation, there are still issues with getting relevant results. Ergo the open source tool.
SharePoint does not provide a native administrative function to perform this type of testing.
Open source may be edging toward SharePoint. If the baby steps mature, will an open source snap in to replace the wild and crazy Fast Search & Transfer technology pop into being?
Stephen E Arnold, one of the world’s leading experts in information retrieval said:
Fast Search is on a technical par with SharePoint. The idea that two flawed systems can cope with changing user needs, Big Data, and unexpected system interactions is making SharePoint software which boosts costs. Change may be forced on Microsoft and without warning.
Worth thinking about and checking out the free widget.
Stuart Schram
Microsoft Sharepoint Found Strong, But Lacking in Key Functions
September 15, 2013
In the article titled Is Semantic Search the Solution to Information Retrieval in Sharepoint? on CMS Wire, a survey taken by a UK firm is under discussion. The survey reveals that up to half of Sharepoint users have trouble with finding internal information or getting the full support for the business in which Sharepoint is being deployed. The article does stress that the survey does not specifically ask what version of Sharepoint the respondents use. The article explains,
“The research points out that SharePoint is primarily an enterprise collaboration platform and not a search tool… It also shows that many information professionals believe they are getting less out of SharePoint enterprise search functions than their peers. Even worse, a quarter of SharePoint users believe that the SharePoint search function is offering them access to less than half the information contained in the enterprise. It also shows that most users think that information workers in other enterprises have better search capabilities.”
With nearly 100 million users globally, and 78% of Fortune 500 companies using Sharepoint, the research suggests that the search function was the most problematic.
Chelsea Kerwin, September 15, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Research before You Start a SharePoint Architecture
September 9, 2013
When the preprogrammed “help” function on Microsoft’s software does not work, the next place users turn to is Microsoft’s Technet. Technet is Microsoft’s official help Web site that has more useful information and gets into the nuts and bolts of the software. It takes a bit of computer savvy to understand some of the information on Technet, but it was written in mind for the beginner. We have been thinking about SharePoint search a lot lately, but one cannot search SharePoint without a system setup, right? We felt it was best to inform our readers on how to get started on working on a SharePoint architecture, so we found “Plan Enterprise Search Architecture In SharePoint Server 2013” on Technet.
Here is how you can use the article to your benefit:
“Before you set up your enterprise search architecture, there are quite a few things that require careful planning. Step by step, we’ll help you to plan a small, a medium, or a large-size enterprise search architecture. Are you familiar with the components of the search system in SharePoint 2013, and how they interact? By reading Overview of search in SharePoint Server 2013 and Search architectures for SharePoint Server 2013 before you get going, you’ll become familiar with search architecture, search components, search databases, and the search topology.”
Even if Microsoft causes headaches, having information directly from the software source is often the best place to start for planning projects. Who knows software better than the developer? The article may not have all the information you need, but thanks to the Internet there are other sources available. More SharePoint tips, tricks, and news are available at ArnoldIT.
Whitney Grace, September 09, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
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