SharePoint in a Nutshell
December 9, 2014
Business Management Daily specializes in business advice, and in their recent article, “Microsoft SharePoint in a Nutshell,” they focus on how to make the most of SharePoint for business.
The article begins:
“Simply put, SharePoint provides a platform on which to collaborate and share resources. It combines the best of the central repository idea of shared network drives and couples it with the tools that facilitate distribution, communication and the sharing of information. In the video below, Microsoft Certified Trainer Melissa Esquibel explains how to use this Microsoft program effectively.”
This is a good place to start for users who are interested in getting started with SharePoint. For users who need a little more than a brief overview, check out the SharePoint feed on ArnoldIT.com. Stephen E. Arnold has spent his career learning and sharing about search and all things enterprise, including SharePoint. He has dedicated a separate SharePoint feed to collocate all the latest news, tips, and tricks that may come in handy for SharePoint users at every level.
Emily Rae Aldridge, December 9, 2014
Ramp Brings Native Video to SharePoint
December 4, 2014
The biggest buzz in SharePoint right now relates to video. Ramp released a new native video component this week and CMS Wire covers all the details in their article, “Ramp Introduces Native Video For SharePoint #smwest.”
The article begins:
“Video for SharePoint or Office 365! Before this week, it was a pretty low key affair. Now Microsoft is launching a video service. And just yesterday, video experience provider Ramp released what it says is the first enterprise-class, self-service webcasting solution for SharePoint. The new native solution, developed by Ramp in partnership with Wowza Media Systems, will provide SharePoint users with a way of broadcasting live events by either Internet or intranet, whether that event is a schoolyard marbles tournament or a large-scale training webinar across different geographies.”
It seems a good trend that Microsoft and others are taking the need for dynamic content seriously within the realm of enterprise. Stephen E. Arnold has made a career out of following all things search, including enterprise, and reporting back on his Web service ArnoldIT.com. He even has a dedicated SharePoint feed to enable readers to more quickly track the latest happenings in the world of SharePoint, including the latest news on videos and dynamic content.
Emily Rae Aldridge, December 04, 2014
Scalable Video Production for SharePoint
November 27, 2014
Video production capability comes to SharePoint with the introduction of SoMedia Networks’ Scalable Video for Microsoft SharePoint app. MarketWatch has all the details in their article, “SoMedia Brings Scalable Video Production to Microsoft SharePoint.”
The article begins:
“SoMedia Networks(VID), the pioneer of scalable video production solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of Scalable Video for Microsoft SharePoint, an integrated video app that brings affordable, high volume video production capabilities with integrated video players and advanced analytics to SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint Online.”
This is another great example of a company that specializes in add-on solutions or apps to enhance the SharePoint experience, especially when it comes to social functionality. Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and a follower of all things SharePoint. He reports on all the latest news, tips, and tricks on the SharePoint feed of ArnoldIT.com. Keep an eye out on his feed in order to make the most of the latest releases for your SharePoint implementation.
Emily Rae Aldridge, November 27, 2014
Gamification Makes SharePoint Fun
November 18, 2014
According to Wikipedia, “Gamification is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in non-game contexts to engage users in solving problems.” This could be a good solution for SharePoint users, who typically have a lot of problems to solve, and not a lot of fun doing it. CMS Wire covers the latest news in their article, “Badgeville Offers New SharePoint Gamification.”
The article begins:
“SharePoint’s not pretty. Adoption, therefore, can be slow. Officials at gamification provider Badgeville believe they can change this by making SharePoint fun. And they’re doing so with a new release of their gamification integration specifically for SharePoint. Badgeville for SharePoint is the Redwood City, Calif., provider’s next generation solution to add game, reputation and social mechanics to SharePoint community and collaboration environments.”
Stephen E. Arnold of ArnoldIT.com has made a career out of following all things search and reporting back to users and managers about the latest news, tips, and tricks, Gamification is a trend in a variety of software settings these days, so it could be good for SharePoint. Stay tuned to Arnold’s SharePoint feed to see how gamification might affect, for better or for worse, your SharePoint implication.
Emily Rae Aldridge, November 18, 2014
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
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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
The Current Relevance of SharePoint
November 6, 2014
SharePoint is still very much alive in terms of number of deployments. However, the proverbial jury has pretty much decided that it is out-of-date software that needs a lot of customization to remain functional. CMS Wire covers it in their latest article, “SharePoint is Already Legacy.”
The article reflects on SharePoint’s history and legacy:
“It was built in a world that needed a better enterprise solution for basic document management capabilities than the big enterprise content management ECM vendors were offering. And it spread like wildfire because it was easier to deploy and was more end-user focused than the large ECM tools . . . the lack of functionality was exactly what made SharePoint so dangerous. It provided document management functionality that was good enough for end-users and IT with a much lower cost of deployment.”
So the low cost solution grew legs and took over the enterprise. Now managers are struggling with how to keep it functional. One way to stay up-to-date is to keep an eye on ArnoldIT.com, particularly his SharePoint feed. Stephen E. Arnold is the expert behind the site. He is an expert in all things search and has made a career out of providing thorough coverage to end users and managers alike.
Emily Rae Aldridge, November 6, 2014
SharePoint Does Not Always Increase Collaboration
November 4, 2014
In the quest for greater collaboration, some organizations have an “if you build it, they will come,” mentality. But SharePoint is not a field of dreams and many organizations are finding that simply adding the infrastructure is not enough. This idea is covered in the No Jitter article, “SharePoint = Collaboration? Not Always.”
The author gives many reasons for SharePoint’s inability to create collaboration:
“For one, not all employees will mesh well in the collaborative environment. Two, you need to understand how employees work before picking a portal. And three, simply making SharePoint a place to put documents for the sake of sharing and granting user permissions doesn’t ensure that collaboration will improve.”
The moral of the story is that software can only do so much, and it only really works at its capacity when an organization does the hard work of introspection. Stephen E. Arnold has committed his life’s work to following search, including SharePoint. He has a lot of great insight on enterprise software and reports many of his finding on ArnoldIT.com. SharePoint end users and managers alike will benefit from keeping a close eye on his SharePoint feed, featuring the latest tips, tricks, and news.
Emily Rae Aldridge, November 4, 2014
SharePoint Fest 2015 Announced for Washington DC
October 30, 2014
In the SharePoint community ongoing professional development is critical. SharePoint is vast and there is always something new to learn. Developers and users alike may be interested in the next SharePoint Fest which is scheduled for April 2015 in Washington DC. Read the details in the PRWeb release, “SharePoint Fest announced for Washington D.C. April 8-10, 2015.”
The press release begins:
“Returning from its successful conference in Bethesda in 2013, SharePoint Fest will be moving to a much larger and more central venue for 2015 in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center located in downtown DC. The event will consist of pre-conference workshops on April 8th, followed by a two day conference April 9-10. Over 40 speakers and 70+ sessions spread over multiple tracks are anticipated.”
To keep in touch with other training and professional development opportunities, as well as staying up to date on all the latest news, tips, and tricks, keep an eye on ArnoldIT.com. This web service is run by a longtime expert, Stephen E. Arnold. He has an interest in enterprise, particularly SharePoint, and his SharePoint feed is a treasure trove for many who work with the solution on a daily basis.
Emily Rae Aldridge, October 30, 2014
SharePoint Cumulative Updates Released
October 28, 2014
It is time for another round of cumulative updates for SharePoint, and this time they have been released without a mini-service pack. It is a recent shift and administrators may be left wondering how to deal with the change. Redmond Magazine covers all the details in their latest article, “Microsoft Releases October SharePoint Cumulative Updates.”
Their reporting begins:
“Microsoft released October cumulative updates (CUs) for both SharePoint 2010 and SharePoint 2013 this week, with lots of caveats. The October CUs are arriving this time without an ‘uber package,’ which is Microsoft’s term for a ‘mini-service pack.’ The absence of an uber package means that IT pros have to ensure that SharePoint farms are already updated with the September CU fixes before applying the October ones.”
Customers who are confused by the shift away from a cumulative package should continue reading the article for specific instructions based on your organization’s version of SharePoint. And for all the latest news, tips, and tricks regarding SharePoint, keep an eye on Stephen E. Arnold. He has made a career out of following all things search, and reporting on them on ArnoldIT.com. His SharePoint feed is particularly helpful for SharePoint users and administrators.
Emily Rae Aldridge, October 28, 2014
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