SharePoint Feels the Heat
September 4, 2012
I know there are quite a few companies who depend upon, integrate with, and otherwise cheerlead for Microsoft SharePoint. Heck, there are consultants a-plenty who tout their “expertise” with SharePoint. The problem is that some folks are not taking advantage of SharePoint’s glories. There are also some, if the data in “Most Popular Content Management Systems by Country” are accurate, who may never embrace SharePoint’s wonderfulness.
The write up appeared in W3Tech and makes clear that the top dog in content management is WordPress, followed by Joomla. Both of these are open source systems. The article asserts:
WordPress, as the most popular CMS overall, also dominates this picture. It is the number one system in most countries in North and South America, Europe and Oceania, many countries in Asia including Russia and India, and surprisingly few countries in Africa. Joomla dominates a fair number of countries in Africa, for example Algeria, Morocco and Nigeria, several countries in Central and South America, such as Venezuela, Ecuador and Cuba, two countries in Europe, Greece and Bosnia, as well as Afghanistan and a number of other countries in Asia.
Are SharePoint centric vendors ignoring the market shifts in content management and search?
So where is SharePoint popular? Where do companies like BA Insight, Concept Searching, dtSearch, Recommind, SurfRay, and dozens upon dozens of other SharePoint supporters need to focus their sales efforts? According to W3Techs:
SharePoint is the number one system in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Lebanon as well as on .mil sites, which again don’t show up as separate country in our chart.
And China? Bad news. W3Tech says:
Discuz is a Chinese system that dominates its home market with 49% market share, but is not so much used outside China.
Thank goodness for Skype and Webex. A sales call and conference visit in these countries can whack an expense budget.
Many stakeholders in search and content processing companies believe that SharePoint as a market will keep on growing and growing. That may indeed happen. However, SharePoint centric vendors are likely to find themselves forced to pivot. At this time, a couple of search and content processing vendors have begun the process. Many have not, and I think that as the cost of sales and marketing rises, investors will want to learn about “life after SharePoint.”
How quickly will this message disseminate? Paddling around in Harrod’s Creek, I think that some companies will continue to ride the SharePoint bandwagon. That’s okay, but the “sudden pivot” which Vivisimo is trying to pull off with its “big data” positioning can leave some people confused.
SharePoint has been a money machine for third parties and consultants for a long time. The history of SharePoint is rarely discussed. The focus is on making the system work. That approach was a money maker when there was strong cash flow and liberal credit. As organizations look for ways to cut costs, open source content management systems seem to be taking hold. We are now tracking these important market shifts in our new service Text Radar.
If the W3Tech data are incorrect, the SharePoint vendors with their assertions about smart algorithms and seamless integration will blast past Autonomy’s record search revenues of almost $1 billion. But most search vendors are not Autonomy and are likely to be mired in the $3 to $15 million range where the vast majority of search and content processing vendors dwell.
Could the future be open source and high value, for fee add ons that deliver a solid punch for licensees? We have analyzed the open source search and content processing sector for IDC, and open source as an alternative to SharePoint content management, content processing, and search may have some wind in its sales. How many SharePoint centric vendors will generate a hundred million in revenue this year? Perhaps zero?
Stephen E Arnold, September 4, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
SharePoint Customization for NonDevelopers
September 3, 2012
Customization in SharePoint is always a hot topic, as it can be difficult, costly, and non-intuitive. However, Ricardo Wilkins at the Microsoft SharePoint Blog believes it can be possible even for the non-developer. Read all of his ideas at his post, “Fake It ‘til You Make It – Alternatives to Custom Application Pages for Non-Developers.”
Wilkins begins:
SharePoint is a versatile tool meant to empower end-users. So, for me it seems such a shame when end-users feel powerless when it comes to their ability to ‘create’ in SharePoint. Sometimes for a non-developer, it can seem like the only way to make something interesting in SharePoint (besides a fancy list or some Wiki pages) is to get help from a Developer or Web Designer. But I submit that, with a little creativity (and maybe some smoke-n-mirrors), non-developers can make an ‘application’ that looks and feels like a Developer’s custom application page.
Wilkins goes on to provide a good list of not only techniques for customization, but also software add-ons and apps to make that possible. An alternative is to invest in a smart third-party solution that streamlines the customization process simply by being inherently more intuitive. One such solution is Fabasoft Mindbreeze, which boasts an entire suite of effective solutions for the enterprise. However, in regard to SharePoint, Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise can serve as a standalone alternative, or a compliment to an existing SharePoint infrastructure.
See for yourself if your SharePoint customization woes might be eased by the simple addition of Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 3, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Clearing Up or Adding to the SharePoint 2013 Rumor Mill
August 31, 2012
As rumors continue to fly regarding SharePoint 2013 it is hard to say at this point whether they are being dispelled or expounded. ShareMuch is adding their two cents with a Screencast video specifically targeted at SharePoint search and FAST search. Watch the full video, “Screencast: Clearing Some Rumors Around Sharepoint 2013 Search and FAST Features.”
The author gives us some points to be on the lookout for as we watch:
Here are some highlights of the video:
1. Search service is still a service application
2. Configuration options in Central Admin UI are pretty much the same as in SharePoint 2010 search
3. Content sources can be defined on the site and tied to a rendering template
4. Query Builder is a neat feature to create query transformations and preview them before publishing
5. Importing and exporting search configurations is great
SharePoint 2013 is exciting. The enterprise search community can hardly wait to see what’s around the corner. But for some smaller enterprises, a smart idea might be a third party solution. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise can work as a standalone solution or compliment an existing SharePoint infrastructure. Updates are released quarterly and require no maintenance or hassle on the part of the organization.
Philip West, August 31, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
EntropySoft Offers SharePoint Users Aid
August 31, 2012
SharePoint is a big name in the semantics tech world, but unfortunately it is not a one-stop shop. For businesses who are trying to utilize SharePoint’s features, the not so savvy user might need to access the program information, making things complicated to say the least. The article, Search and Act in SharePoint explains how using extra tools like EntropySoft’s FAST Search makes for a better user experience:
“EntropySoft’s FAST Search for SharePoint and FAST ESP Connectors allow documents from external content repositories to be included within their indexes. This means users can securely search and find documents from these external ECM systems directly from the native search bar in SharePoint…Users can access document versions and metadata, and with the appropriate permissions, they can also edit meta data or delete versions.”
The solutions to some of SharePoints most pesky user issues definitely allows for a more enjoyable experience using the program. In an ideal world our BI technologies would be advanced enough that there wouldn’t be a need for extra tools like EntrophySoft’s Fast Search or their other child EntropySoft Content Hub SharePoint Edition, a tool that allows an easy to use single point of access – but, we will take what we can get.
Edie Marie, August 31, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
MetaVis Leaders in SharePoint Migration Web Site Launch
August 30, 2012
MetaVis Technologies are innovation leaders in the semantics industry. They are well known for their SharePoint Migration and data managing tools. Their company just recently announced the launch of their new web site, http://www.metavistech.com. The site is said to offer new solutions for migration, administration, and have different tools for SharePoint users. The article, MetaVis Technologies Launches New Website goes into more detail:
“Our new Website reflects the tremendous growth we have seen with sales growing more than 175 percent year over year,” said Peter Senescu, President and Co-founder of MetaVis Technologies. “Our new product suites are built on the MetaVis platform providing one user interface to manage all your migration, security, backup and information architecture needs in SharePoint or Office365. Customers no longer need multiple third-party vendors or products.”
MetaVis Technologies is a household name in the SharePoint migration world and nothing but the newest technologies and highest grade is expected from their latest installment. You can expect to see things like their Migration Suite, Administration Suite, Tools for Office 365, and Tools for SharePoint Users on the new site. As an added bonus all products from this company already come SharePoint 2013 ready.
Edie Marie, August 30, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
SharePoint Updates and Versions
August 28, 2012
SharePoint followers understand the constant battle in terms of keeping up with SharePoint versions and updates. Microsoft is notorious for its three-year cycle of highly-anticipated updates. In the meantime, small tweaks and patches normally focus on capability with emerging technologies as well as fixes and security patches. On the Material SharePoint blog, James Sturges helps sort out the details in, “SharePoint Versions and Updates.”
Sturges begins:
Thus far I haven’t found a simple official chart by Microsoft on TechNet or otherwise that shows not only the version number for each SP version. Even more, the few resources I’ve found only cover 2010 individually, and certainly not WSS/MOSS. However, Todd Carter has a brilliant blog post on all major SP versions for 2007 and 2010 I’ve referred to so many times I copied here below. I refer to it so much in fact that when he recently moved his blog and the page was unavailable for a day or so I was completely lost.
The remainder of the post is equally helpful for those who follow SharePoint. However, for enterprise users who are tired of keeping up with changing versions complicated updates, a switch to a smart third-party solution might be a good bet. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise serves as a stand-alone enterprise solution or compliments an existing SharePoint infrastructure. Most importantly, Fabasoft Mindbreeze provides ease of use and an intuitive interface, both of which SharePoint lacks.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 28, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Hardware and Software Requirements for SharePoint 2013 Explained
August 24, 2012
In his post, “SharePoint 2013: A Look at Hardware, Software and Other Requirements,” Wictor Wilen explains some requirements users should expect with the upcoming SharePoint 2013 release. Wilen summarizes:
A few new requirements and increased hardware resources compared to SharePoint 2010. But this is all about planning – you cannot just take the requirement and apply that onto your SharePoint 2013 farm, you need to evaluate your farm design and test it. Over the next few months I expect to see some great design samples including metrics from MSIT and of course gain experience from the 2013 engagements starting now…
As far as operating systems, SharePoint 2013 will support Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2012. Database servers, .NET Framwork, and hardware requirements are also discussed. If you are thinking to migrate or adopt the new release, you may want to check out Wilen’s summary as you make your plans.
And while SharePoint adoption continues to grow and the platform develops, you may want to consider a cost-effective solution available now to boost your farm. A comprehensive third party application worth a second look is the suite of solutions available from Fabasoft Mindbreeze. With clear navigation and a self-explanatory interface, Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise facilitates findability. No install solutions are also available, including Mindbreeze InSite.
Philip West, August 24, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Microsoft Issues Exchange Sharepoint Related Security Advisory
August 24, 2012
Possible a first in the industry, Microsoft Security Research Center published Microsoft Security Advisory (2737111), which describes how possible vulnerabilities in Oracle Outside In libraries affect the WebReady Document Viewing functionality of Microsoft Exchange and FAST Search Server. Oracle also released their own Critical Patch Update Advisory. Here are more details about the security risk:
“The vulnerabilities exist due to the way that files are parsed by the third-party, Oracle Outside In libraries. In the most severe case of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, it is possible under certain conditions for the vulnerabilities to allow an attacker to take control of the server process that is parsing a specially crafted file. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or take any other action that the server process has access to do.”
If you think you may be affected by this, look at this blog post that recommends the workarounds to be done.
Take note that there are 24 other companies – some of them industry giants – that also make use of the said Oracle library. Some of them are IBM, Cisco, Symantec, and McAfee. Hopefully, these companies will soon be able to assess the impact of the said vulnerability on their platforms and issue a security update soon.
Lauren Llamanzares, August 24, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Thake Discusses Business Opportunities with SharePoint 2013 Marketplace
August 20, 2012
In “Why We Need a SharePoint 2013 Marketplace,” Jeremy Thake shares his thoughts on the opportunities that lie in the new SharePoint app home. In looking back at the history of marketplaces, Thake credits Apple iOS marketplace as the best example where Microsoft has a number of marketplaces, but they do not share the same platform.
He adds this about potential Web parts:
There is already an app for World Clock and Weather app. I expect a Stock Ticker app to be close behind this also. The big limitations with making web parts available this way is that there is no API to automatically add a web part to the parent site collection homepage at the moment. The metro tiles on the site home pages can’t be manipulated by the apps to add the web part there.
Thake also comments on the possibilities of community involvement, financial rewards, and the light integration hoped for the Marketplace. The new feature for SharePoint is exciting as it may greatly enhance work processes and collaboration. But we also know there are gaps in an out of the box SharePoint deployment. Thake sees some blockers with the expected Web part functionality.
Here you can read about the smooth integration of Fabasoft Mindbreeze with rich Web part capability:
It enables all information that is connected to Mindbreeze to be displayed in Microsoft SharePoint. This takes place smoothly via Web Parts. In this way not only information contained within Microsoft SharePoint, but also all other information that is available within the respective company, can be consolidated within one ‘platform.’ Mindbreeze therefore delivers real additional value to Microsoft SharePoint in the form of an add-on.
Philip West, August 20, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Web Content Management in SharePoint 2013
August 17, 2012
John Ross gives us an updated view of web content management (WCM) in light of SharePoint 2013 in his piece, “SharePoint 2013: WCM and Search Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly.” With SharePoint 2013 the FAST search engine has been fully integrated into the platform and will be the primary force behind WCM.
Ross states:
Search will be a far more efficient way to surface content in almost all circumstances. The way we’ll plan and think about WCM in SharePoint will fundamentally change. For example in the past, content needed to be in SharePoint for us to roll it up. With the new model, as long as content is in the search index we can surface it where ever [sic] we need. So the biggest limiting factor we’d have would be whether we’d be able to get SharePoint to crawl a datasource. This has massively huge implications!
While the web content functionality of SharePoint has been improved, there are good third party solutions that integrate search more successfully into the platform without needing additional customization. Fabasoft Mindbreeze is an Austrian vendor worth keeping an eye on. In addition to increasing the intuitiveness of in-house enterprise search with Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise, Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite can also enhance search on public facing Web sites.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 17, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
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