Can You Manage Email with SharePoint?
September 21, 2011
Microsoft’s architecture makes use of function-specific servers. There are servers for SharePoint, SQL Server, customer relationship management, accounting, and so on. Large Microsoft-centric deployments use multiple specialized Microsoft servers. Smaller firms may use SharePoint and a special-purpose server such as Microsoft Windows Small Business Server http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/windows-small-business-server/default.aspx. Microsoft certified professionals advise and implement best practices for handling performance and scaling. Search Technologies provides advisory and engineering services to organizations wanting to optimize enterprise search systems such as Microsoft Fast Search Server as well as other vendors’ search solutions.
I read an article in CMSWire which presented an idea I had not previously considered. The author of “Case Study: SharePoint as an E-mail Management System” http://www.cmswire.com/cms/information-management/case-study-sharepoint-as-an-email-management-solution-012308.php advanced an interesting approach to email.
Microsoft provides Exchange Server, robust clients, and a number of methods to leverage email, which along with search is one of the most widely used online applications. The method disclosed in the article gives a SharePoint user access to a user friendly way to have email appear in search results. The article asserts that most e-mail is archived in digital storage while leaving a stub in Outlook.
The solution referenced in the article suggested writing a program that would interact with Outlook, but also tag the content with metadata to facilitate the profiling and retrieval program. The solution was implemented in the Handshake http://www.unitysystems.info/2009/08/10/the-handshake/ enterprise content management system.
My reaction to this approach is that the author solved a situation specific problem. However, such a solution introduces several potential warning lights. First, if a bug exists in the original program, one runs the risk of creating a situation which would be confusing to a user exists. A more serious issue could compromise the integrity of the email content itself. But the largest issue is that the write up did not discuss any security measures taken to verify that only authorized individuals would see or could know about the existence of emails on a specific topic.
The Search Technologies approach to unique client requirements such as the one described in the CMSWire article is to implement the rigorous information collection, project planning, and requirements statement. As part of that work, the Search Technologies’ team and the client discuss such key issues as features, performance, and security.
Armed with this work plan, Search Technologies then identifies the options for addressing the clients’ need. In many cases, we use Microsoft-developed or Microsoft-certified solutions. If original scripts or code is required, Search Technologies works tests the code prior to making it available to the client. After the client reviews the code, then Search Technologies implements the solution.
For integrating SharePoint content, Search Technologies would rely upon its proven methodology, tapping the experience of hundreds of content centric and search related projects to determine how to meet a client’s need. What reduces the cost of extending a SharePoint system is using proven engineering principles. A misstep increases costs and can compromise the client’s information. Search Technologies delivers value because it implements a system and method that delivers results in a cost effective manner. Search Technologies focuses on working through an issue, not working around one.
Iain Fletcher, September 21, 2011
ACIS Shoulders into the SharePoint Search Market
August 8, 2011
According to the PRWeb article “ACIS Extends Enterprise Search Services into the Cloud — Opportunities for Cutting Costs While Increasing Quality of Search,” ACIS (ACIS Consulting Inc.) recently announced the introduction of its Cloud-based Enterprise Search Service (EsaaS). ACIS asserts that it is “one of the most experienced Microsoft Fast Enterprise Search technology developers and systems integrators.)
The new EsaaS system, according to our source:
…is a complete solution plus services package that includes a cloud-based IT infrastructure, a highly advanced enterprise search platform, professional consulting and management services that tie it all together.
Clients can look forward to reduced costs as well as a noticeable improvement in search experience which in turn improves overall their customer satisfaction. As more and more enterprises realize the importance of the cloud, ACIS believes that the cloud working side by side with their technology can better meet the needs of customers. Efrem Habteselassie, principal at ACIS Consulting made the following statement:
This is why we are launching this ESaaS service offering – to combine the benefits associated with cloud computing with our world-class experts to offer the first complete Enterprise Search as a Service package.
Seems like the beginning of a beautiful and lucrative relationship. The challenge, of course, will be differentiating the ACIS solution from Microsoft’s own solutions, industrial strength solution providers like Exalead, and the dozens of Certified Gold firms offering similar services. ACIS does have some interesting acronyms.
April Holmes, August 8, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com, publishers of The New Landscape of Enterprise Search
SharePoint: Is The Dorian Gray Effect in Play?
June 21, 2011
“Is the SharePoint Community Past Its Prime?” sparked some discussion at Search Technologies. Our firm works with a number of search and content processing systems. We find that no single system is perfect and that most search systems can deliver significant return on investment to their licensees.
The article by the SharePoint Hillbilly raised several questions. Although the author’s focus was on Microsoft SharePoint, the implications of the author’s argument resonate across the search landscape.
The jumping off point for the article was an analysis of Microsoft’s role in the SharePoint community. In this case, “community” refers to the developers (certified and uncertified) who manage SharePoint installations, develop add-ins and add-ons for SharePoint, or support SharePoint implementations with management or engineering services.
With the rapid uptake of SharePoint, the SharePoint community has grown rapidly. Growth brings both challenges and opportunities. Among the challenges the SharePoint community faces are:
- Ego collisions
- Conference exhaustion
- Microsoft.
The issue in the article is not that SharePoint is unique. In our experience, user groups have been an important part of most major software companies marketing. The Dorian Gray effect is that the user group ages rapidly, often passing through a complete life cycle quickly and then fades away. I suppose there are some stalwarts from the DEC 20 user group that once met every month in Washington, DC, but the action has shifted.
The question becomes, “How can a community of those actively involved in a particular enterprise system maintain the freshness and excitement of the pre-gray hair stage of life. The answer is, “User groups cannot.”
The community begins with a handful of people, expands, and then shrinks. Email, LinkedIn, and other types of communication methods make it possible for those who want to be involved and stay connected can. However, the buzz of the face-to-face meetings, coding sessions, and heated arguments about the best way to accomplish a specific task mellow and often fade away.
The author says:
I want the SharePoint community to stay strong and inviting and growing. I don’t want the cracks I see to start causing division and fracture the community. I don’t want to see SharePoint Sundays pop-up because they don’t want to be associated with those Saturday guys. So I blog… I shout to the wind… and have a SharePint… or three…
We agree. However, the task is not to preserve the community around SharePoint, Autonomy IDOL, or Exalead CloudView, among others. The job is to recognize that individuals, consulting firms, third party developers, and even the “owner” of the enterprise software system form an interdependent ecosystem. The “community” is one part of that ecosystem.
At Search Technologies, we participate in multiple user groups. Some are relatively small and fast growing. Others are mature and shrinking. Our professionals are encouraged to participate, and we make an effort to monitor many groups which we are unable to attend.
The reason is simple: We think that the knowledge we gain from these interactions makes us better and more informed problem solvers. Furthermore, we think that our active participation in user groups contributes to our success. Some software systems fade away, but the value of the personal relationships continues.
Point your browser at www.searchtechnologies.com to learn more about our company and our services. We can help companies gain a business advantage from search applications. Alternatively, look for us at your next user group event, on LinkedIn, or at a conference.
There is no Dorian Gray effect if you remain active. Time is reversed with engagement and continuous learning.
Iain Fletcher, June 21, 2011
Search Technologies
Clearwell to the Cloud, Microsoft Style?
January 17, 2011
The EWeek Storage Station blog warns us that “Clearwell Now Enabling E-Discovery in Microsoft Cloud.” Cloud storage is one of the latest trends going around, but if you have sensitive information stored on it (like where you hid Jimmy Hoffa’s body or the fable Amber Room stolen by German soldiers) you should take it off.
“Clearwell Systems, which specializes in finding necessary data for litigation and audit purposes, announced this week that the latest version of its e-discovery platform now allows customers to discover information in emails and SharePoint docs from Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite.”
Companies like Clearwell are using software to track and collect cloud data through ediscovery processes that can be easily gathered for legal purposes. Cloud computing is a growing marketplace, so there are millions of potential files that contain information to help in investigations. Clearwell is one of the first companies in this new market, so congratulations are in order for them.
Whitney Grace, January 17, 2011
Freebie
Tollfree Offers SharePoint Quick Start
December 24, 2010
Before you can do a Fast search, you have to get SharePoint up and running. If you are in a hurry, there’s another vendor offering to turbo charge your SharePoint deployment.
Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is a key business collaboration tool that allows users to easily share information with one another as well manage documents and reports. The recent announcement “Tollfree Launches Fixed Price SharePoint 2010 ‘Quick Start’ Package” from the Cambridge Network website gives details about a new less expensive SharePoint package.
Companies using Microsoft SharePoint 2010 can run into huge costs especially if outside consultants are needed to properly setup the system. “Tollfree Networks fixed price SharePoint 2010 Quick Start solution is the answer to overcome this barrier as our costs give clients good value for money and, with a short time to implementation.” Companies get the valuable Microsoft SharePoint at a reduced and pre determined price. If Tollfree’s less expensive Quick Start package becomes a household name other SharePoint sellers could be forced to overhaul their own prices. Microsoft SharePoint is becoming a familiar face and it’s only a matter of time before the pricing follows suits.
With complexity looming as one of the key marketing points for cloud solutions, will SharePoint quick starts, fast take offs, and speedy deployment keep Microsoft’s grip on the enterprise firm? People using SharePoint want to search now, not later.
April Holmes, December 24, 2010
Freebie
Exalead CloudView Joins the US Army
November 22, 2010
In an effort to increase both efficiency and productivity, the U.S. Army’s Combined Arms Center (CAC) has selected Exalead CloudView as the new search engine in concert with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server. According to Dassault Systemes: U.S. Army Combined Arms Center Implements Exalead CloudView to Access Critical Military Information,
“This announcement is another illustration of the continuous commitment of Exalead to the government sector, where 100 percent accurate, comprehensive, secure and instant access to huge volume of both structured and non structured information is required.”
Exalead, acquired by Dassault Systemes in June 2010, is the front running search-based application provider to both the public and private sectors. The faceted navigation, improved speed and effectiveness of searches, multiple security controls and integration readiness are just a few of the reasons the CAC has chosen Exalead CloudView as its primary search engine. The CAC provides the US Army with access to thousands of documents, spanning decades. Users often logged hours searching for documents within the SharePoint Server, yet with the addition of the Exalead application these same searches can be executed in seconds.
This earns some decided congratulations for Exalead, who is carving out a niche among both security stringent government applications and Microsoft SharePoint users looking for a boost. Further opportunities with both markets should be inevitable in the future.
Sarah Rogers, November 22, 2010
Freebie
MetaVis: Another SharePoint Helper
October 19, 2010
SharePoint, SharePoint, my kingdom for a working SharePoint. Apologies to Little Willie. Last week I was surrounded by various shifty types for three days. Those law enforcement and intelligence conferences are darned interesting. I never know who is like to burst out with a SharePoint solution and who will dig into the exotica of Linux.
I did learn that one happy intelligence outfit outside the US was making SharePoint work like a humming Singer sewing machine. The trick, I think I understood, was to use a product from MetaVis. I had heard of the company and its taxonomy solution, but I did not know too much about it. With a word of encouragement from a government official, I did some checking.
The basics are:
MetaVis Technologies is a Microsoft Gold Certified ISV that develops packaged software solutions to help organize SharePoint environments for improved search, findability and e-discovery. MetaVis takes the complexity out of designing, deploying and managing content within SharePoint by offering reusable taxonomies, metadata management and migration software and services. The benefit is an organized SharePoint environment that is easily understood and well documented. The company believes that taxonomy management within SharePoint should not be complicated to implement and use. MetaVis products are based on intuitive, graphical interfaces that are easy to use and easy to install. Drag and drop features allow information architects to design SharePoint metadata models and reuse them saving valuable time and resources. As a result, MetaVis products improve search optimization, consistency, content migration, and workflows across corporate SharePoint sites.
The idea is that Microsoft’s native SharePoint is not the tiara that a corporate princess is likely to wear to a shareholde4r meeting. To fix that highly visible problem, a third party solution is required.
The company’s newest product is a “cloud classifier”:
The new product allows SharePoint 2010 users to tag and classify multiple items directly from the SharePoint user interface. By integrating directly into the SharePoint Web Interface, Cloud Classifier appears seamlessly in the SharePoint ribbon… SharePoint 2010 provides tagging and classification technology but is limited to individual items…MetaVis Cloud Classifier allows users to select multiple documents from SharePoint sites, libraries, lists or search results and classify in bulk. Users can also create templates to help classify content for specific projects or activities further simplifying the process. By making classification easy for the user, content becomes more findable and accessible.
The company offers word lists, taxonomy and classification tools, and glue code to make SharePoint work. The company offers some videos that make clear the features and functions of the firm’s different software solutions. You can access these at this MetaVis location.
There is little doubt that SharePoint supports a thriving ecosystem. Now what about Alfresco?
Stephen E Arnold, October 18, 2010
Freebie
Microsoft SharePoint Videos
October 13, 2010
A reader sent me a link and it pointed to a framed page on StumbleUpon.com. For the life of me, I can’t figure out who wrote what, when, and why. Here’s the StumbleUpon link.
When I shaved the url, I got a 404, so you are on your own. What interested my reader a lot and me not so much were two new videos in an article called “Microsoft’s Internet business Vision: SharePoint for Internet Sites & Fast Search.”
The two videos which I watched as I was writing this post are:
- Microsoft’s Internet Business Platform Vision Part 1. This is a seven minute video featuring a person in the Technology Solutions DPMG unit. I don’t know what the acronym means. The video is a voice over PowerPoint. The first video explained market trends.
- Microsoft’s Internet Business Platform Vision Part 2. The second video includes a nifty graphic about Redmond’s business vision. The diagram shows an “integrated platform”. Yes, another integrated platform which one hopes connects to the other platforms in an enterprise and in cloud space.
What’s this have to do with search? Well, one has to be able to find things in this integrated space. The Fast search detail was, in my opinion, thin. But there is a nifty diagram showing how Fast Search Server can deliver reach, retention, and revenue.
If you are into Microsoft, you will enjoy the voice over PowerPoint presentations. I anticipate that certified partners selling a snap in replacement for Fast Search Server may find the videos helpful with regard to their product marketing and positioning.
Stephen E Arnold, October 13, 2010
Infrastructure Ripple from SharePoint
March 22, 2010
Navigate to Thor Projects and read the article “Infrastructure Ripple Effect – The Story of Servers, Racks and Power.” I have about 48 inches of screen real estate and I needed all of it to read the article. The layout is – in a word – interesting. The point of the write up, in my opinion, is summarized in this passage from the article:
I am reminded that any change creates a ton of little ripples.
When an information technology pro runs into problems with a single server, I wonder what the impact of more massive on premises changes might be.
I thought about Mauro Cardarelli’s “Where Does SharePoint Still Fall Short?” when I thought about adding hardware. He wrote:
Let’s face it; the interface for security management is confusing and cumbersome… even for people who use it every day. What are the consequences? First, you increase the likelihood of security breaches (i.e. showing content to the wrong audience). Second, you increase the likelihood of giving users permissions greater than necessary. Finally, you increase the likelihood of a having a security model that is highly diluted and overly complex. This is probably why the 3rd party market for SharePoint administration has been so strong… someone needs to pay attention to what these folks are doing! But I would argue that this is reactive (versus proactive) management… and things need to be taken one step further.
Hardware and security. Hmmm.
Stephen E Arnold, March 22, 2010
No one paid me to write this article. I will report this to the Salvation Army, an outfit that knows about work without pay. Perhaps the cloud access to SharePoint will obviate the problem?
Microsoft SharePoint: The CMS Killer
March 7, 2010
I read “Interesting Perspective on How SharePoint Is Capturing the ECM Market.” The write up references a post by Lee Dallas who writes the Big Men on Content blog. The idea is that SharePoint works seamlessly with Active Directory. As a result, access and identity are part of the woodwork, and no information technology staff have to futz around so employees can find and manipulate documents, presentations, or spreadsheets. Furthermore, SharePoint put a stake in the heart of enterprise content management systems by adding collaboration to the create it, find it, and use it approach of the traditional content management vendors. SharePoint won because it added these features and did a great job marketing.
I agree that Microsoft SharePoint seems to be everywhere. I also know that Microsoft has pumped Tiger Juice into its partners and resellers to push the SharePoint solution. The marketing message is reinforced with zeal and great prices. Keep in mind that SharePoint requires a dump truck full of other Microsoft software to deliver on the bullet points in the SharePoint sales presentation.
Now my view on this brilliant success is a bit different.
First, Microsoft SharePoint has been around a long time. It is a combination of products, features, functions. When I hear SharePoint, I see the nCompass logo, circa 2001. I also think “content server”. The current incarnation of SharePoint is a bunch of stuff that requires even more Microsoft stuff to work. A number of Microsoft partners have built software to snap into SharePoint to deliver some of the features that Microsoft talks about but cannot get to work. These range from search to content management itself. I wrote about a SharePoint expert who uses WordPress because SharePoint is too much of a headache. Age can bring wisdom, but I think SharePoint’s trajectory has been one that delivers mind boggling complexity. SharePoint consultants love the product. Addled geese like me see it as one more crazy enterprise solution that today’s top managers just pay for reflexively.
Second, the world of content management has become mired in muddy road after muddy road. Some projects make travel by donkey delightful. CMS was created to help outfits without any expertise in producing information post Web pages. Then the Web morphed into an applications platform and the CMS vendors were like the buggy whip manufacturers who thought horse powered carriages were a fad. Big CMS projects almost never worked without application of generous layers of money and custom engineering. At the same time, information management became important due to the fine work of the SEC, Enron, Tyco, and other outfits. Now many organizations have to keep track of documents, not lose them like White House email. It turns out that managing electronic information is pretty difficult. The bubble gum approach of Web CMS won’t work for a nuclear power plan engineering change order. Some folks are discovering this fact that a Web page is different from tracking the versions of a diagram for a cooling pipe in an ageing pressurized water reactor. Imagine that!
Third, companies lack the dough to spend wildly for information technology. The financial challenges of many organizations have not been prevented by fancy systems. Some might argue that fancy systems accelerated the impact of certain financial problems. The reason there are the alleged 100 million SharePoint users is a result of really aggressive marketing and bundling. If SharePoint provides job security, go for it. I have heard this sentiment expressed by an information technology company in Europe on more than one occasion.
The net net of SharePoint is that Microsoft is going to make a great deal of money, but there will be a gradual loss of customers. The reason is partly due to demographics and partly due to what I call SharePoint fatigue. When users discover that the fancy metadata functions don’t work, some will poke around. Metadata must be normalized; otherwise, fancy functions don’t work very well. Fixing metadata is expensive. When a cloud service comes along with the function that normalizes metadata transparently, then SharePoint will be behind an eight ball.
SharePoint, like other Microsoft software, is reaching a point where moving forward becomes more difficult and more expensive. That’s the signal for outfits like Google to strike. The death of CMS has given SharePoint a good run. Now that SharePoint may be difficult to scale, stabilize, and extend, SharePoint becomes catnip for Googzilla. Just my opinion.
Stephen E Arnold, March 7, 2010
No one paid me to write this. Since I mention Microsoft, I think I have to report non payment to the many SharePoint fans at the Department of Defense.
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