Deciding Between SharePoint Online or On Premises Versions
November 17, 2014
Though the relevancy of on-premises installations of SharePoint is dwindling, it might still be the right choice for some organizations. SearchContentManagement.com shares key differences between the two versions in, “SharePoint Online Vs. On-Premises Is Already an Outmoded Question” (registration required.) The write-up cautions that Microsoft is bound to take SharePoint entirely into the cloud, perhaps as early as 2016, but lays out the facts so readers can judge whether a local installation would best suit them in the meantime.
On the subject of Search functionality, the write-up reports:
“Both SharePoint on-premises and Online have search capabilities. The big difference is what their search indexes can include. Typically, when the phrase enterprise search is used, it means that the search engine in question can index multiple, disparate content sources.
“In the case of SharePoint on-premises, this is true. SharePoint has long been capable of indexing SharePoint content, as well as content stored on file shares, Exchange, websites and Lotus Notes databases, among various content sources. Starting in 2007, Microsoft added the capability of indexing structured data from databases and other applications through the then-called Business Data Catalog. That feature has since matured and is now called Business Connectivity Services (BCS), and it allows virtually the same capabilities.
“The same isn’t true of SharePoint Online. The search engine can index all content stored in SharePoint and sources connected through BCS, but not index file shares, other websites or Lotus Notes databases. While the capability is largely constrained based on where SharePoint Online is hosted, the more fundamental difference is the controls available to administrators; the ability to define other content sources, like on-premises implementations, simply doesn’t exist.”
That’s disappointing. The article also contrasts the products in the areas of business data, custom development, and the relationship to its cloud service Azure. It goes on to describe a pattern of Microsoft “deconstructing” its on-premises products into individual services available through Azure, a trend that effectively turns search functionality into a stand-alone product that can be integrated into other applications. Eventually, the piece suggests, Microsoft may completely deconstruct SharePoint into a selection of Azure services. Perhaps. But will companies ever get their access to additional content sources back?
Cynthia Murrell, November 17, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Microsoft Turns SharePoint Points Users to Yammer
November 11, 2014
SharePoint is a longstanding leader in enterprise search, but it continues to morph and shift in response to the latest technology and emerging needs. As the move toward social becomes more important, Microsoft is dropping outdated features and shifting its focus toward social components. Read more in the GCN article, “Microsoft Pushes Yammer as it Trims SharePoint Features.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft quietly retired some features from SharePoint Online while it enhanced mobile apps, email integration and collaboration tools of Yammer, the company’s cloud-based enterprise social networking platform. Microsoft MVP and SharePoint expert Vlad Catrinescu posted that the company was removing the Tasks menu option, and the Sync to Outlook button will also be removed. Additionally, SharePoint Online Notes and Tags were deprecated last month.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search. He keeps a close eye on SharePoint, reporting his findings on ArnoldIT.com. The article hints that Microsoft is leaning toward moving to Yammer all the way, meaning that additional features are likely to be retired and collapsed into the new infrastructure. To keep up with all the changes, including the latest tips and tricks, stay tuned to Arnold’s specific SharePoint feed.
Emily Rae Aldridge, November 11, 2014
SharePoint Users Remain with Older Versions
October 9, 2014
Although SharePoint 2013 and Office 365 have been all the rage in the blogosphere, it turns out that a relatively large percentage of users remain with older versions of SharePoint. CMS Wire covers the phenomenon in their latest article, “SharePoint Users Stick with Older Versions, Eye Hybrid Cloud #SPTechCon.”
The article begins:
“When we caught up in Boston a year ago with SharePoint Technology Conference Chair David Rubinstein, SharePoint 2013, Office 365 capabilities and mobile were all the rage. Same conference, next year at the Boston Park Plaza hotel? The cloud. SharePoint Online. When’s the big move coming? The truth is, for most organizations — at least those among the 1,000 at the conference this week — they’re still flying in 2010 and even 2007 air space when it comes to SharePoint technology.”
Stephen E. Arnold devotes a lot of attention to SharePoint on his Web service, ArnoldIT.com. He reports that most users find SharePoint to be overwhelming and somewhat hard to navigate. It is no wonder that once an organization makes peace with its current implementation (no doubt costing considerable time and resources) they are less than eager to leave it behind for new features that may cause great headaches. His SharePoint feed provides a lot of tips, tricks, and news regarding SharePoint, and may be helpful for anyone considering making the upgrade leap.
Emily Rae Aldridge, October 09, 2014
SharePoint through Rose Colored Glasses
July 1, 2014
SharePoint is definitely a powerful and ubiquitous enterprise tool. However, it is not always efficient and is definitely not easy to use – at least that is what the majority of users would argue. However, every now and then an article wants to paint a “best case scenario” picture of SharePoint. The harmon.ie article, “’Seek and Ye Shall Find:’ Making the Most of SharePoint Search” does just that.
After a lengthy discussion of some helpful SharePoint 2013 highlights, the article sums up the argument:
“A lot of the new functionality in SharePoint 2013 is provided by the previously separate add-on ‘FAST Search,’ developed by a company Microsoft bought in 2008). Until SharePoint 2010, this was a separate product, but Microsoft has now integrated it fully into core SharePoint functionality. With the exciting new developments of Office 365 and the cloud, we expect search to become even more powerful and user friendly in coming years. All of which is good news for the most important SharePoint audience of all – end users.”
But in order to get to that level of usability, most organizations will have to work through Microsoft’s “easy” tips and tricks for customization. We say “easy” because for most people this will be anything but easy. But for many organizations the investment in staffing and time is worth it for the end result. SharePoint is big and powerful, but in order to control this beast many organizations will have to sacrifice ease of use.
Emily Rae Aldridge, July 01, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Opportunities Intersect Challenges with SharePoint
June 17, 2014
Probably the most all-encompassing challenge facing SharePoint is the tension between the user experience provided by consumer level technology (mobile, social, cloud, etc. etc.) and the limitations of enterprise level technology. SharePoint knows its weaknesses and strives to overcome them, but change is slow. Read more in the eCommerceTimes article, “Microsoft SharePoint’s Crossroads: Where Opportunities, Challenges Meet.”
The article sums up the problem:
“As consumer-based technologies, which are primarily out in the cloud, have progressed, organizations want to focus less on infrastructure and focus more on actual business systems. End users on the other side of that want their corporate solutions to match more closely to their personal habits, to their personal tools. They’re doing everything in the cloud, everything via a mobile phone.”
And in this current scenario there are lots of opportunities present for SharePoint, and yet within them, many challenges. SharePoint is a large ship, so to speak, and is therefore slow to turn. Furthermore, they are restricted by their update plan, which thus far has provided a major overhaul every 3 years instead of their competitors’ continual, smaller improvements. Stephen E. Arnold knows this strengths and weaknesses well, and reports on them through his Web service, ArnoldIT.com. Having made his life’s work about search, Arnold’s SharePoint feed serves to inform end users and managers about tips, tricks, add-ons, and shortcuts that can make life easier.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 17, 2014
SharePoint Facing Inevitable Changes
May 13, 2014
SharePoint is so ubiquitous, that major changes to the platform can really touch almost every organization, in some way. Fierce Content Management is projecting huge changes in the way that SharePoint is deployed in the future. Read more in their story, “SharePoint Might Not be Dying, But It’s Changing and You Need to be Ready.”
“Gartner analyst Jeffrey Mann had a message about the venerable SharePoint for folks at the Gartner Portals, Content and Collaboration Summit this week in LA: It might not be going away anytime soon, but Microsoft was changing the way it delivered SharePoint and customers need to prepare for this.”
The story goes on to project that 2015 might be the last SharePoint version to offer an on-premise installation. While the cloud is gaining popularity, it still has its detractors, concerned primarily about security. Stephen E. Arnold has devoted his life’s work to all things search, and SharePoint is a popular feature on his Web site, ArnoldIT.com. His SharePoint feed features the latest news and tips, and would be a good place to turn for organizations that are in flux.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 13, 2014
Box Claims to be a Better SharePoint
April 18, 2014
SharePoint has an increasing amount of competition in both the mobile and collaboration market spaces. And while most services cannot complete with SharePoint as a complete solution, they do pinpoint select functions in which they believe they can out-perform SharePoint. Read more about Box and how they view their role in the competition in the article, “Box CEO: ‘We’re Sort of Like Microsoft SharePoint Done Right.’”
“Box co-founder and CEO Aaron Levie on Tuesday took a swipe at Microsoft (MSFT), one of his company’s main competitors in the cloud-based collaboration software market space. During a cloud leadership panel at the Ingram Micro (IM) 2014 Cloud Summit in Hollywood, Fla., Levie promoted the Box platform to more than 1,000 channel partners in attendance by comparing it to Microsoft SharePoint.”
Stephen E. Arnold has made a career out of tracking and reporting on all things search on ArnoldIT.com. SharePoint has become a particular point of interest and is often covered. His findings do prove that users want an improved experience that many smaller solutions can offer, but the drawback to smaller solutions is having to patch together a lot of pieces to even come close to the comprehensiveness of SharePoint.
Emily Rae Aldridge, April 18, 2014
Improvement to SharePoint Records Management
April 4, 2014
Early iterations of SharePoint records management were fraught with shortcomings. But the word has come that SharePoint 2013 offers an improvement on the failings of the past. Read more in the Search Content Management story, “SharePoint Records Management Spans New Forms of Content.”
The article begins:
“In prior releases, SharePoint records management was functional but nothing to write home about. But with SharePoint 2013, it’s time to get excited. The trends of mobile computing, social media in the enterprise, the cloud, and global search have converged and touched just about every business process that depends on IT. Records management is no exception.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and offers up his analysis and opinions on his Web site ArnoldIT.com. SharePoint gets a lot of coverage due to its prominence in the market. But, Arnold consistently finds that the huge platform of SharePoint lags behind the smaller more agile offerings on the market. Only time will tell if the improvements in mobile, social, and records management will increase the overall functionality and user experience of the product.
Emily Rae Aldridge, April 4, 2014
SharePoint Search: A Very Positive View
March 25, 2014
Navigate to “Dump the File Server: Why We Moved to the SharePoint Online Cloud.” Tucked deep in the bowels of the rosy tipped discussion of Microsoft’s cloud services is this statement:
And the search power in SharePoint is disgustingly accurate, providing the accuracy and file previews that we were used to on Google Drive.
I like that “disgustingly accurate.” Sounds objective to me. Much more meaningful than such silliness as relevance, precision, and recall.
Stephen E Arnold, March 25, 2014
Big Changes in Store for SharePoint 2013
March 14, 2014
Microsoft is rolling out some big changes for Office 365. Most users won’t be surprised, as it is in response to frequent user requests, but social aspects will be front and center. Read more in the ZDNet article, “Microsoft to Integrate New Social, Machine Learning Technologies into Office 365.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft is about to make some big changes as to how Office 365 looks and works. At the company’s SharePoint 2014 conference . . . executives will preview some of these coming changes — specifically ones involving social and machine-learning technologies that Microsoft is baking into its cloud suite of Office apps. Once these technologies begin rolling out later this year, the lines between Exchange, SharePoint and Yammer will be blurred, and social collaboration will become more of a centerpiece of the more tightly-integrated suite.”
The conference concluded last week and the headlines are starting to roll out with announcements of what users can expect from Service Pack 1. Stephen E. Arnold has been following the news closely, and continues to report on SharePoint through his Web site, ArnoldIT.com. As a longtime leader in search, Arnold has seen SharePoint evolve and grow, but customization and training tend to be the two consistent components that make SharePoint work for an organization.
Emily Rae Aldridge, March 14, 2014
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