Microsoft Incorporates SharePoint Server Component for the Cloud
September 11, 2014
Microsoft is slowly learning that combining components of SharePoint Online and the SharePoint on-site versions tends to serve the user better. The latest combination involves SharePoint server and you can read all the details in the eWeek article, “Microsoft Borrows From SharePoint Server for Cloud-Based Intranets.”
The article begins:
“The company ports two SharePoint Server 2013 features to its cloud-based counterpart to provide a better search-driven navigation experience. Microsoft has issued an update that brings search-based navigation capabilities from the on-premises version of SharePoint to intranets based on SharePoint Online, the company’s cloud-based business collaboration platform.“
Stephen E. Arnold is an expert in search and devotes a good bit of his attention to SharePoint. His research can be found on ArnoldIT.com, and those interested in SharePoint might want to bookmark the SharePoint feed. He focuses on the tips and tricks that can make SharePoint not only tolerable, but much more functional, for both the administrator and the user.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 11, 2014
Microsoft Clarifies SharePoint Patch Process
September 4, 2014
Microsoft has not had good luck with their service pack updates and patch processes this year. Riddled with complications, Microsoft has had to overcome some bad press, and this week had to offer some clarification for regarding its recently released August Cumulative Update. Read all the details in the article, “Microsoft Clarifies SharePoint 2013 Patch Process and New ‘Uber Packages’.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft offered clarification about its patch process for SharePoint Server 2013 this week. The occasion for confusion, prompting Microsoft’s clarification, was the release of the August Cumulative Update (CU) for SharePoint 2013. The August CU came with a caveat about having to install the July CU first. That led SharePoint experts, such Microsoft MVP Todd Klindt, to say that the August CU really wasn’t a cumulative update after all.”
This constant back and forth from Microsoft forces administrators into persistent vigilance regarding the latest news and changes to the SharePoint platform. Stephen E. Arnold has devoted his life to search and his Web site ArnoldIT.com is a good repository for helpful information. His SharePoint feed is a good one to bookmark to stay on top of the latest changes, and offers advice on how your organization can overcome the latest SharePoint struggle.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 04, 2014
Companies Do Not Reap all the Benefits of SharePoint
August 19, 2014
SharePoint has grown and expanded its many capabilities with the release of SharePoint 2013, and yet many companies are still not fully taking advantage of the platform. ITWeb covers the issue in their article, “How Are Companies Really Using SharePoint?”
The article begins by describing SharePoint:
“It is more than just ‘somewhere to put your documents.’ SharePoint is an enterprise platform that solves multiple business challenges. With this in mind and in an effort to provide a better view of the real-world application of the SharePoint platform and it capabilities, Concero IT, a Specialist SharePoint Service Provider, took it upon itself to analyse exactly what companies are using SharePoint for, and why. As illustrated in the infographic, SharePoint is a very powerful single platform that can address multiple business requirements.”
Some companies may just be overwhelmed by the vastness of SharePoint. It takes time and money to train SharePoint users and managers, but some organizations may find it worthwhile to squeeze all the potential usefulness out of this large application. Stephen E. Arnold has devoted his career to all things search, including a large percentage of that work to SharePoint. His Web site, ArnoldIT.com, is a useful repository of tips and tricks, and his SharePoint feed is especially helpful.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 19, 2014
SharePoint Server Updates Coming More Frequently
July 22, 2014
Microsoft is not known for timely updates, but it does appear that they are attempting to address that problem, at least with their SharePoint suite. SharePoint Server updates are now being offered on a monthly basis. Redmond covers the latest in their article, “SharePoint Server Cumulative Updates Now Arriving Every Month.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft now delivers its SharePoint Server cumulative update (CU) releases on a monthly basis. The stepped-up release cycle was announced this week by Microsoft in conjunction with the July CU releases for SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint 2010. Those releases likely were unexpected by IT pros since they typically expect to see SharePoint Server CU releases only on the even months of the year.”
Microsoft is taking this step toward assisting SharePoint administrator by offering more frequent updates, but they still have a long way to go toward ultimate ease of use and oversight. Stephen E. Arnold has made a career out of all things search, including SharePoint. His Web site, ArnoldIT.com, features a SharePoint feed that many administrators will find helpful for keeping an eye on the latest tips and tricks. SharePoint still has a way to go when it comes to intuitive use; but in the meantime, third parties like Arnold can offer a great deal of assistance.
Emily Rae Aldridge, July 22, 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
SharePoint and Web Content Management
June 5, 2014
Web content management capabilities were added to SharePoint in 2007, but the jury is still out on whether or not they are sufficient. KMWorld turns their attention to this important topic in the article, “SharePoint 2013: Does it finally crack the code of WCM?”
The article begins:
“With the advent of SharePoint 2013, it’s time to reassess functional improvements, and evaluate whether Microsoft has truly expanded the product’s target scenarios for Web publishing. Below I’ll describe the implications for changes in SP 2013 in some key areas: architecture, development, content authoring, and visitor engagement.
There’s more to add, of course. For a complete evaluation and competitive comparison, you can consult Real Story Group’s Web CMS Report. But these four categories will give you a decent sense for where Microsoft has gone with respect to WCM.”
The author then goes on to detail the progress that has been made in regards to WCM and explain how to get the most out of your implementation. He does admit several times that the process is a bit clunky. Another useful resource is the SharePoint feed on ArnoldIT.com. Stephen E. Arnold is the man behind the scenes and has devoted his life’s work to covering all things search. Keep an eye on his content for the latest SharePoint tips and tricks.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 5, 2014
SharePoint Integration with MailChimp
May 8, 2014
SharePoint is looking for more ways to increase their influence for businesses of all sizes. The latest announcement seems like great news for smaller or medium sized businesses. Read the full story in the PR Newswire article, “Sharepoint AMS’ Integration of MailChimp to Aid Sharepoint Online Users in Design of High-Caliber Email Marketing Campaigns.”
The article begins:
“This week the innovators of the SharePoint Mobile Sync service released another new service that will help companies using SharePoint Online with email newsletters and marketing campaigns. ‘SharePoint MailChimp Sync’ [the service] auto synchronizes SharePoint lists with MailChimp lists and works with SharePoint 2010, 2013 and SharePoint Online.”
This service is one that will appeal the millions of MailChimp users, many of them small business owners. And it is good news for SharePoint, as they look to appeal to smaller organizations. Stephen E. Arnold has been a lifelong leader in all things search and a frequent contributor to the SharePoint discussion. His Web site, ArnoldIT.com, provides readers with a way to stay on top of the SharePoint feed and manage what is most pertinent.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 8, 2014
Successful SharePoint Migrations with Metalogix
May 1, 2014
In a wave of SharePoint adoption following the SharePoint Conference 2014, Metalogix is hoping to claim a slice of the pie with their migration tool, aimed at ease of use. MarketWatch covers the story in their article, “The Great Migration Wave To SharePoint 2013 Has Begun; Achieve Migration Success With Metalogix Content Matrix 7.0.”
The article begins:
“Metalogix announced today the release of Content Matrix 7.0 and significant enhancements to Metalogix’ SharePoint Migration ToolkitTM, the most complete suite of migration resources that deliver a better way for organizations to quickly and securely migrate business critical content to SharePoint 2013.”
Stephen E. Arnold has made a career of following all things search. His findings are reported on ArnoldIT.com. He has found that successful SharePoint installations are migrated intentionally, securely handled, and customized to suite the end user. If Metalogix can help your organization achieve these goals, then it might be worth looking into.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 1, 2014
Microsoft SharePoint Rereleases SP1
April 30, 2014
After a long awaited initial release of Microsoft SharePoint’s Service Pack 1, it was quietly pulled off of the market after a short period of time. Now it appears the fix is complete and the download has been rereleased. Read more in the Redmond article, “Microsoft Rereleases SP1 for SharePoint 2013.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft has quietly rereleased Service Pack 1 for SharePoint Server 2013. The news comes from Microsoft MVP Todd Klindt, in a blog post today. However, Microsoft’s download page for SP1 indicates that the service pack was published on April 17, or about five days ago. There appears to be no official notice from Microsoft about its new release of SP1.”
Stephen E. Arnold of ArnoldIT.com follows the latest SharePoint news. He has made a career of all things search, but enterprise is becoming a larger and more important sector of the search market. SharePoint users will be glad to see the SP1 rerelease, but stay tuned to Arnold’s SharePoint feed for the latest news.
Emily Rae Aldridge, April 30, 2014
SharePoint Recalls SP1
April 28, 2014
After a much anticipated and delayed release of SharePoint’s Service Pack 1, it was unexpectedly recalled after only a few weeks. InfoWorld covers the news in their article, “Microsoft yanks SharePoint 2013 Service Pack 1, KB 2817429.”
The article begins:
“On Feb. 25, Microsoft announced that SharePoint 2013 Service Pack 1 was available at the Microsoft Download Center. The Office folks repeated the announcement on March 3 at the SharePoint Conference 2014 in Las Vegas. Last Thursday, with no notification that I can discern, Microsoft pulled the Service Pack and removed it from the Download Center.”
The note on the Service Pack 1 download package is noncommittal, only saying that it has been deactivated as a precautionary measure. Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and often reports on SharePoint on his information portal, ArnoldIT.com. Stay tuned for additional news on SP1 as it becomes available.
Emily Rae Aldridge, April 28, 2014
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