Planning a SharePoint Deployment
March 6, 2014
While in the back of their minds most people know that SharePoint is a complicated installation process, few are willing or able to prepare for its installation appropriately. But Search Windows Server offers some good reasons for proper planning in their article, “How Simple Planning Can Prevent Common SharePoint Deployment Snags.”
The article elaborates on the problem of a lack of planning for installation:
“It’s possible to install most applications and immediately begin using them, but this isn’t really the case with SharePoint. Even though SharePoint is technically an application, it’s better described as an application framework. SharePoint isn’t something you should simply install and then allow users to immediately begin using — you’ll most likely have problems if you do.”
Stephen E. Arnold has heard this same advice many times and has conveyed it himself through his Web site ArnoldIT.com. His coverage of SharePoint stems from a longtime interest in all things search. His reporting also supports the benefits of planning and proper implementation, as user experience improves when the proper planning is done.
Emily Rae Aldridge, March 6, 2014
Cleaning up SharePoint with Records Management
March 5, 2014
Few people would claim that clean up of any variety is their favorite task, but it seems all the worse when dealing with old SharePoint material. CMS Wire meets the challenge head-on in their recent article, “Clean Up SharePoint Legacy Content.”
The article begins:
“The idea of cleaning up legacy SharePoint content is daunting. Organizations often place cleanup under the ‘Nice to Do’ column as opposed to the ‘Must Do’ column. Why not leverage in-house resources? Legacy SharePoint cleanup is a perfect task for the Records Management (RM) department. Reviewing data and applying retention to it are two of our key responsibilities.”
While devoting resources to cleanup can seem impossible, the fact remains that old or badly organized material that lingers on a SharePoint infrastructure is damaging to workflow and efficiency. Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and often covers the intricacies of SharePoint on his Web site, ArnoldIT.com. He finds that a clean, lean infrastructure improves user experience, so a spring-cleaning may be just the right thing for your organization.
Emily Rae Aldridge, March 5, 2014
Windows 8 Integration with SharePoint
March 3, 2014
The switchover to Windows 8 has left many organizations wondering what to do about SharePoint integration. At first glance, native SharePoint support within the new operating system seems negligible. However, a few features reveal themselves upon further inspection. Search Windows Server covers the news in their report, “What’s New for Windows 8 Integration with SharePoint?”
The article says:
“You may have heard that Microsoft made some changes to the File Explorer in Windows 8.1. Libraries are hidden by default and a link to SkyDrive appears in its place. If you choose to unhide the Libraries, you’ll notice that the Libraries folder contains two Documents folders. One of these folders corresponds to the local PC while the other points to SkyDrive. The point behind all of this is that Microsoft is trying to encourage end users to save documents on SkyDrive rather than on their local computer.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and often covers SharePoint on his information service, ArnoldIT.com. Arnold has found that whenever new SharePoint versions are released, or a new Windows OS is released, customers have to adjust to the changes, and user experience often suffers. Focusing on the improvements can often help organizations market the new changes.
Emily Rae Aldridge, March 3, 2014
Figuring out SharePoint Licensing Models
February 28, 2014
SharePoint used to be an on-site installation, but as the cloud emerges in all areas of software, it is also becoming a big factor in SharePoint installations. However, it is not always easy for an organization to determine the best installation for their particular situation. Search Content Management addresses the issue in their article, “Making Sense of SharePoint Licensing Models.”
The article begins:
“Just as the seasons change, the Microsoft licensing landscape has undergone shifts. This is especially true as the company transitions to offer ‘services and devices.’ After years of working primarily as a vendor of software that is installed and run on-premises, Microsoft is moving away from, though not yet abandoning, its traditional model. The new model increasingly emphasizes annuity payments for Software as a Service and services.”
Customers can choose from traditional on-site SharePoint, SharePoint in the cloud and Office 365, and Hosted SharePoint. Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and follower of the latest SharePoint news. On ArnoldIT.com, he has found that while users are eager to utilize the cloud, security and user experience issues are still holding some organizations back.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 28, 2014
Hashtag Help for SharePoint 2013
February 26, 2014
The latest integration of Yammer and other social aspects into SharePoint 2013 has gotten a lot of attention. However, users are still murky on how to integrate the features in a way that improves productivity. Read some good tips in Network World article, “Hashtag Helper: 7 Tips to get More Value from Hashtags in SharePoint 2013.”
The article says:
“The organizations I’m currently working with are seeing some tremendous value leveraging the social capabilities of SharePoint and Yammer . . . However, explaining and getting value from the use of hashtags has been a little more complicated because they don’t work as expected in some scenarios and the concept of a hashtag is just not universally understood by all of our users. With that in mind, here are a few tips for a recipe I’m calling ‘Hashtag Helper’ based on the practical lessons we’ve learned.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and keeps a close eye on SharePoint on his Web site, ArnoldIT.com. His research finds that while users are interested in social integration, many are lost when it comes to how to integrate these features. For that reason, many will find this article timely.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 26, 2014
SharePoint Features to Boost Worker Productivity
February 25, 2014
SharePoint is ultimately all about productivity. All the bells and whistles in the world don’t mean anything unless they contribute to improve performance and productivity. The latest Search Content Management free download addresses the issue in their E-Guide, “Complimentary Download: SharePoint 2013: New Features that Could Boost Worker Productivity.”
The synopsis says:
“Microsoft may have been a little slow in enabling SharePoint for mobile. But SharePoint 2013 sports new mobility features that could boost worker productivity, and your bottom line. This complimentary resource is available to you as a member benefit from SearchContentManagement.com.”
So if you are a regular follower of SharePoint, a free membership to SearchContentManagement.com might not be a bad idea. Steven E. Arnold is also a regular follower of SharePoint, and keeps reader informed on his Web site, ArnoldIT.com. His resource is another to bookmark to help you and your organization stay on top of all things SharePoint.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 25, 2014
New Copy and Paste Feature for SharePoint
February 24, 2014
For many SharePoint users, it is the small stuff that makes a big difference in user experience. PortalFront True Apps tries to address one of the small details that makes a big difference in their newest release, Tru Copy & Paste. Read more in the PR Web article, “Copy & Paste Feature Fills SharePoint Gap, Finally.”
The article says:
“Tru Copy & Paste is a SharePoint App that works with SharePoint Online (Office 365) and on premise SharePoint 2013 installations. It enhances the usability of SharePoint by providing the users the ability to move files between folders, document libraries and sites directly within the browser similar to the traditional copy and paste feature found in Windows. It’s that simple. Prior to this, users had to use the ‘Open in Explorer View’ option to complete this which is not always supported.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search. He follows the happenings of SharePoint on his Web service ArnoldIT.com. He often finds that even when SharePoint makes major upgrades, it is the small contributions to user experience that matter most. For that reason, many users are turning to third-party add-ons, such as the True Copy & Paste.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 24, 2014
SharePoint 2013 E-Discovery
February 21, 2014
Many organizations are looking for SharePoint to perform outside of its regular boundaries. So for those that are specifically looking for e-discovery capabilities, Search Content Management has good news in their article, “SharePoint 2013 E-discovery Makes Strides in Mining Exchange Server Data.”
The article says:
“SharePoint 2013 offers new integration with Exchange Server, which can ease the burden of e-discovery. E-discovery enables finding, preserving, analyzing and producing content in electronic formats as required by legal proceedings or investigation. SharePoint’s new e-discovery capabilities with Exchange Server are a major boon for records managers tasked with retrieving information in Exchange mailboxes.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime search expert and the man behind ArnoldIT.com. He frequently covers the ups and down of SharePoint, and a common theme is users’ desire to get the most mileage out of their SharePoint implementation. For these organizations, the bells and whistles of SharePoint 2013 are going a long way.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 21, 2014
Blackberry Adds SharePoint Access
February 20, 2014
Enterprise is moving toward mobile at a rapid pace, and applications that hope to stay in the game have to adapt. SharePoint has made great strides in mobile in the last two years particularly. And in response, Blackberry is enabling SharePoint mobile functions. Read the story in, “Work Drives for BlackBerry 10 Adds Sharepoint Access for BES Users.”
The article says:
“BlackBerry has updated their Work Drives application to v2.0 today for devices running OS 10.2+. This new version extends the application to allow remote file access to SharePoint sites. This is on top of the network drive access they had in the previous versions. Sadly you still need BlackBerry Enterprise Server 10.2 to use the network shares even though BlackBerry could easily expand the user base for the application by allowing all users to mount network drives.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and follows the latest on SharePoint on his Web site, ArnoldIT.com. Arnold finds that organizations are increasingly motivated by mobile technologies, as work and employees is moving increasingly off-site and outside of regular hours.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 20, 2014
Public Facing Web Sites in SharePoint Online
February 19, 2014
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to SharePoint Online. SharePoint is no doubt the enterprise solution with the largest chunk of the market, but many organizations do not use the implementation to its full potential. Read more in the Search Content Management article, “Creating Public-Facing Websites in SharePoint Online.”
The article says:
“Although SharePoint is probably best known for its user sites and team sites, SharePoint Online supports the creation of a publicly facing website. This SharePoint site is publicly accessible, even to those who do not have an Office 365 account. In fact, some organizations host their corporate website through SharePoint Online.”
Stephen E. Arnold is the man behind ArnoldIT.com and a longtime search expert. His SharePoint research points to customers wants better customization and end-user experience. By expanding SharePoint beyond its regular parameters, such as using it to build a public-facing website, organizations can get more bang for their buck.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 19, 2014
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