SharePoint Server 2013 Preview
August 13, 2012
Microsoft posted two documents which we believe merit any SharePoint licensee’s attention. The principal features of the latest SharePoint appear on the Microsoft SharePoint site.
Search will be particularly important because SharePoint 2013 will make it easier to incorporate social content and support mobile access. The new SharePoint will be available later this year or early in 2013. Getting a head start is important if you plan to upgrade.
The SharePoint Server 2013’s enterprise search model provides information we found quite useful. The diagram’s PDF is 560 Kb and available from the Microsoft download center. The PDF covers:
- Search Components, including the application components and the search databases
- Example topologies. The illustrated use case is a medium-sized search farm with 40 million items or content objects in the system
- Scaling out. The diagram includes a proposal model for a search farm which handles 100 million item or content objects.
Of particular value are the details for the hardware required to support the 100 million item farm. A series of tables covers the scaling considerations, detail about the application servers recommended, and a table layout the hardware requirements necessary to handle upticks in the volume of content to be processed.
In the general guidance section, Microsoft points out that one additional crawl database is needed per additional 20 million items. One link database is recommend per additional 60 million items. The schematic’s detail recommends that the system include redundancy.
Bottom line, there is no mistaking the Fast-like functionality described here. Search Technologies has delivered more than 30,000 consultant-days of search implementation services to Fast and SharePoint users since 2005. We believe that this new search functionality will be widely adopted over the next few years, and we look forward to helping our customers to implement it.
Iain Fletcher, August 13, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
Open Source Options for Collaboration in SharePoint
August 10, 2012
In “Open Source Tools Level SharePoint 2010 Collaboration Playing Field,” Shawn Shell discusses collaboration options in the SharePoint community.
Shell has this to say:
But while there are many available tools that can expand SharePoint’s collaboration capabilities and fill the gaps in its out-of-the-box functionality, some organizations simply can’t afford them because of budget constraints. As a result, many often find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. The good news is that one of the strongest dimensions of the SharePoint universe is a surprisingly robust open source community. It comprises individuals, user organizations and even ISVs that provide tools and utilities that are reasonable alternatives to commercially licensed add-on products.
The author also comments on collaboration alternatives for employees, such as the Community Kit for SharePoint (CKS) and the Learning Management System (LMS). However, Shell also states that it is important to read the documentation of these two projects very carefully because they are handled by separate teams. The read may be worth it if you’ve been looking for possible fixes to SharePoint’s capability gaps.
Collaboration capabilities are imperative as businesses get social. To tap into the new possibilities, consider a third party solution to complete your enterprise search system. We like Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Managing director Michael Hadrian explains the Mindbreeze solution:
Fabasoft Folio Cloud enables quick, secure and mobile collaboration both internally and between international companies. Business processes with customers and partners cannot be realized any quicker or more cost effectively…This enables worldwide connected collaboration and secure data exchange in protected team rooms.
For a complete search solution with the power of information pairing, check out the full suite of solutions at Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Philip West, August 10, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Discussion on Plans for SharePoint 2013 Migrations
August 7, 2012
In “Migrating to SharePoint 2013,” Chris Wright speculates on the new SharePoint release, potential adoption rates, Cloud versus on-premises deployments, and third party options. The author points out that those users of SharePoint Online have a relatively clear upgrade path without much to worry about. However, he adds this about on-premises users:
On-premises users of SharePoint have a much bigger decision to make, and more traditional upgrade options. Early commentators suggest that the full locally installed version of SharePoint has seen slightly less focus than the cloud version. The biggest areas of improvement are web content management, enterprise content management and search.
Wright also suggests that if all else fails, look into a third party migration tool for an easier solution. Third party tools should not be overlooked when adding value to your SharePoint system. We like the feedback we’ve seen about Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Here you can read about the mobility solutions from Mindbreeze:
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Mobile makes company knowledge available on all mobile devices. You can act freely, independently and yet always securely. Irrespective of what format the data is in. Full functionality: Search results are displayed homogenously to the web client with regards to clear design and intuitive navigation.
And with information pairing of your cloud and on-premise data, users can easily access important business information on the go from their smartphones and tablets. The well-established and cost-effective solution is worth a second look at http://www.mindbreeze.com/.
Philip West, August 7, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Microsoft Acquires Yammer to Develop Social Business Features for SharePoint
July 20, 2012
Byron Acohido discusses Microsoft’s recent Yammer acquisition in his USAToday.com article, “Microsoft’s Yammer Deal May Cost Too Much, Come Too Late.”
The author comments on the development:
Microsoft has been trying futilely for years to popularize social networking within SharePoint, its collaboration server that comes bundled with versions of its Office productivity suite sold to large businesses. By acquiring Yammer, the software giant is attempting to ‘fill a gap,’ says Wesley Miller, analyst at research firm Directions on Microsoft. Similar to Facebook, Yammer connects users and claims more than 200,000 corporate customers, including Ford, Orbitz Worldwide and 7-Eleven.
Yammer will come onto Microsoft as a new division and David Sacks, a former PayPal exec and Yammer founder, will stay on as CEO. Social business is no doubt becoming a ubiquitous topic in the enterprise search world. To tap into new SharePoint possibilities, consider a third party solution to complete your enterprise search system.
We like Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Managing director Michael Hadrian explains the Mindbreeze solution:
Fabasoft Folio Cloud enables quick, secure and mobile collaboration both internally and between international companies. Business processes with customers and partners cannot be realized any quicker or more cost effectively…This enables worldwide connected collaboration and secure data exchange in protected team rooms.
For a complete search solution with the power of information pairing, check out the full suite of solutions at Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Philip West, July 20, 2012
Sponsored by Polyspot
Speculation on New Surface Tablet and SharePoint 15 Integration
July 2, 2012
Rich Wood, an enterprise search and collaboration guru at Perficient, takes a closer look at Microsoft’s new Surface Tablet and SharePoint in his post, “Wish List: Four Keys for SURFACE and SharePoint Next.” Wood outlines some features that he suggests will help the next SharePoint release take full advantage of the slick new tablet. The author explains one of his wish list items:
An INTEGRATED USER EXPERIENCE is essential. There’s been a lot of talk about the “Metro” UI of Windows 8 and the Windows Phone. It’s beautiful and slick and very appealing, although of course some have grumbled that it’s too much of a jump from the traditional Windows style. To truly integrate into this brave new world, SharePoint Next needs to look and feel like an extension of Windows 8 and (less difficult by far) play well with its cousin, Office 15.
Wood also suggests that responsive design, touch friendly command interaction, and a SharePoint app should all be high on the priority list to integrate SharePoint and the Surface tablet. He brings some good points to the table as mobile usage only continues to increase.
It seems the folks at Mindbreeze also understand the importance of the mobile experience:
Smartphones and tablets are constant companions, indispensable in the business world. Information needs to be able to be exchanged at all times and wherever you are. Easily. Quickly. Securely. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Mobile makes company data available on all mobile devices.
Mindbreeze can save employees time by connecting them to the right information via a user-friendly interface. Navigate to http://www.mindbreeze.com/ to read more.
Philip West, July 2, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Dirty Secrets of SharePoint Online
June 11, 2012
SharePoint Online is getting a lot of buzz, and rightfully so. For many, the simplicity of a fully online solution is desirable. However, despite the hype, there are some seemingly essential features that have been overlooked, or have been poorly drawn.
Pankaj Taneja provides the details for Sys-Con Media in, “5 Dirty Sharepoint Online Secrets You Didn’t Know About.”
When you go through vendor feature datasheets, you get a view of features at a very high level. It’s only once you dive deep and actually start using the software do you get a sense of how it works. The experience might sometimes yield unexpected surprises . . . So while you might have absorbed some of Sharepoint Online’s marketing hype, here are some things they failed to mention.
The negative feedback ranges from the inability to cut and paste to customization difficulties to the fragmented overall structure.
For those who desire the low overhead of an online enterprise deployment, but the intuitiveness and customization of an on-site installation, we encourage you to explore Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise. Mindbreeze has both Cloud and on-site installations, both of which are updated are far more regular intervals than SharePoint. Mindbreeze can stand alone or work alongside an existing SharePoint installation.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise finds every scrap of information within a very short time, whether document, contract, note, e-mail or calendar entry, in intranet or internet, person- or text-related. The software solution finds all required information, regardless of source, for its users. Get a comprehensive overview of corporate knowledge in seconds without redundancy or loss of data.
In addition, Fabasoft Mindbreeze finds strengths in its seamless integration with other auxiliary services. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Connectors incorporates all manner of electronic data repositories. Mobile search and public-facing web site search are all done with Mindbreeze, while full attention is given to security concerns.
For a flexible and intuitive third-party enterprise solution, consider the offerings of Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 11, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
IBM Concerned with Personal Mobile Device Security
June 8, 2012
In an age where technology is moving completely towards mobile, including enterprise and content management solutions, concerns about security are valid and growing. General security awareness regarding mobile technology has not yet caught up to the level that is assumed for desktop or in-network computing.
David Roe gives a full report for CMS Wire in, “IBM Curtails Use of Personal Mobile Devices Over Unsecured App Fears.”
According to an article in the MIT Technology Review, IBM is stopping employees from using their own portable devices in the IBM workplace.
Some of the concern is about business intelligence and keeping a tight lid on proprietary information.
Public file transfer systems like Dropbox have been banned as has Apple’s iCloud; instead, employees use an IBM-hosted version called MyMobileHub as, Horan says, there is the possibility that internal, sensitive information will get loose and into the wild. Also getting the chop is Apple’s personal assistant Siri based on fears that confidential information will get out. It seems that the licensing agreement says that anything recorded using the app will also be recorded by Apple servers so you can see why IBM might be nervous.
However, this opens up a broader discussion about the security of mobile devices and software, and its continued usage for business essentials such as enterprise search. SharePoint deployments are common, but secure means to access the farm remotely are plagued with security concerns. Some third party solutions are doing a good job of anticipating the need and bridging the gap.
We like Fabasoft Mindbreeze and their attention to the mobility needs of the enterprise.
Smartphones and tablets allow you to act quickly in business matters – an invaluable competitive advantage. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Mobile makes company knowledge available on all mobile devices. You can act freely, independently and yet always securely. Irrespective of what format the data is in. Full functionality: Search results are displayed homogenously to the web client with regards to clear design and intuitive navigation.
Keep an eye on Fabasoft Mindbreeze and their ability to adapt quickly to the ever changing needs of SharePoint users or enterprise newcomers.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 8, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Considerations before SharePoint Migration
May 30, 2012
The world of enterprise is now humming with news of migration – migration to the upcoming SharePoint 2013 release and also the currently available SharePoint Online. Writer Steven Pogrebivsky on CMS Wire gives his take in, “4 Considerations for Migrating to Office 365 and SharePoint Online.”
Pogrebivsky tackles the first, perhaps most important step, deciding what needs to move:
Chances are your content is not organized well, or tagged appropriately, so what’s the point moving it as is and having a big grey cloud? It doesn’t make sense. What makes sense is to carefully plan what content you really need to move, how it’s going to be used and by whom. Once you’ve done that, then work on your SharePoint Information Architecture. Plan your content types, metadata and keywords. If you are going to make the move to the cloud, move only the content you need and migrate it right from the start.
The author goes on to discuss security issues and having a proper backup system in place. These are all valid considerations. However, choosing a smart third party solution could mean that an organization does not have to address these challenges independently. We like Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Mindbreeze offers an entire suite of solutions, centering around Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise understands you, or more precisely understands exactly what the most important information is for you at any given moment. It’s a center of excellence and simultaneously your personal assistant for all questions. The information pairing technology brings enterprise and Cloud together.
Additional offerings from Mindbreeze surround the central product and offer features such as Connectors to other solutions. The Mindbreeze suite is now fully mobile and security is guaranteed based on the highest EU standards. Explore the Mindbreeze solutions for yourself and see how it can improve or supplant your next migration.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 30, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
SharePoint Options for iPhone and iPad
May 24, 2012
Mobile devices are moving from a business necessity to a formal mandate. While apps exist for most major functions, tackling mobile access to SharePoint is a bigger creature to tame. We may have a breaking development in, “Use SharePoint on your iPad or iPhone,” by Dave Johnson.
Collaborating with an iPad in a corporate environment is sometimes challenging, because the ubiquitous tablet hasn’t had the same access to SharePoint as laptops and desktops. Sharing a document, then, has meant sending attachments, and iPads were blocked from accessing the vast stores of corporate documents already archived in SharePoint. Now harmon.ie delivers substantially the same SharePoint experience as your desktop PC provides.
The free harmon.ie app offers an upgrade to a premium addition for a slim $20. And while accessing an existing SharePoint infrastructure via an iPad or iPhone is now possible, the usability and efficiency is still in question. How much work can actually be accomplished by forcing SharePoint to fit the mobile mold?
For those who are high mobile users, we would recommend a smart third-party solution that integrates a mobile offering into their primary solution. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Mobile is one such option.
Smartphones and tablets are constant companions, indispensable in the business world. Information needs to be able to be exchanged at all times and wherever you are. Easily. Quickly. Securely. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Mobile makes company data available on all mobile devices, regardless of whether you have a BlackBerry®, iPhone®, Windows Phone or Android™ Smartphone or a tablet such as the Apple iPad, Samsung Chromebook/GalaxyTab or Blackberry Playbook. You can act independently and freely – yet always securely. Irrespective of what format the data is in.
Perhaps most importantly, security is never compromised with the Mindbreeze compliance and industry-vetted solution. So while some apps will let you access your SharePoint installation, Fabasoft Mindbreeze is built to make your mobile access fully functional.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 24, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Building a SharePoint Farm
May 22, 2012
Continuing our coverage of the SharePoint series by Robert Schifreen, we turn our attention to, “Building the Farm: From learning to Testing,” on ZD Net UK Edition. (See our coverage of Robert’s first installation in the series, “SharePoint Deployment: Pitfalls of a Pioneer.”) In this piece, Schifreen discusses the details and hardships of starting the actual SharePoint farm.
You’ll need servers set up, SAN storage provisioned, new domain accounts created, DNS entries adding, access to your Active Directory database, firewall holes punching, server licences purchasing, Active Directory security groups creating, installation DVDs downloading, workstations being put into domains for testing, access to VM management consoles granting, servers adding into the load balancer pools, IP addresses allocating, users’ home drives re-mapping, SSL certificates applying for, login scripts amending, and more.
All of the necessities listed above are quite overwhelming. Schifreen goes on to mention the value of expert advice, including paying for outside consulting. For many organizations, expert advice is a sound investment. However, we have another suggestion.
Among the leaders in third-party enterprise solutions is Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise. Mindbreeze can work alongside an existing SharePoint installation, or as a standalone solution. Implementing any new infrastructure will take planning, but a smart third-party solution has built-in customization options, making it a much smoother and intuitive process than trying to get SharePoint to the point of viability.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise understands you, or to be more precise, understands what the most important information is for you at any precise moment in time. It is the center of excellence for your knowledge and simultaneously your personal assistant for all questions. The information pairing technology brings enterprise and Cloud data together.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze also offers a suite of complimentary solutions to link together all aspects of an organization’s information management: mobile solutions, cloud, email management, web site search, etc. While SharePoint is capable of these auxiliary features, too much time and attention has to be devoted to customization.
So if your organization is looking for an effective but less painful way to manage information storage and retrieval needs, consider the offerings of Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 22, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
