SharePoint Usability Workarounds
December 25, 2014
SharePoint is known as the most widely used enterprise solution, but it is definitely not known as the most friendly to use. CMS Wire substantiates that claim in their latest article, “4 Ways SharePoint Navigation Breaks Usability Best Practices.”
The article begins:
“There’s been a lot of interest lately from business users and SharePoint site owners in SharePoint’s usability (or lack thereof), but the issue doesn’t seem to receive as much attention as other topics. When experts talk about SharePoint, they focus on migration, administration, governance, development, cloud, and mobile. Any mentions of usability take a backseat and are only brought up by usability enthusiasts. It’s time to bring this subject to the forefront.”
The author then goes on to list at least four ways that SharePoint Navigation breaks usability best practices. These may seem like minute points to the outsider, but SharePoint managers will find that they make a great deal of impact on the usability and user satisfaction of their implementation. Stephen E. Arnold also reports similar findings on his Web service, ArnoldIT.com. He has made a career out of all things search and frequently reports on tips and tricks for SharePoint on his dedicated feed. Readers may find it helpful for their continuing education.
Emily Rae Aldridge, December 25, 2014
Customers Dissatisfied with SharePoint Online Cuts
December 23, 2014
Certain SharePoint Online features are being phased out. Rumor has it that Public Sites may be the next to go. But in a world where knowing, preparing, and bracing for change is really valuable, Microsoft isn’t talking. ZDNet covers the breaking story in their article, “Microsoft Users Not Happy Over Quiet SharePoint Online Feature Cuts.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft announced the company would enable its business customers to stay on top of the rollout of the myriad moving parts of Microsoft’s Office 365 service. The Office 365 Roadmap site would become a central site for many (but not all) Office 365 features that were announced, rolling out or being nixed before they debuted, officials said. But in the past couple of months, Microsoft has been eliminating quietly some SharePoint Online features — with more possible eliminations to come. Finding out about those planned cuts isn’t as easy as it should be, customers say.”
Stephen E. Arnold has been covering search, including enterprise, for the span of his career. He reports his findings on ArnoldIT.com. This SharePoint online rumor is a good example of a time in which it’s important to have outside sources. Arnold reports the latest SharePoint news, rumor, tips, and tricks on his SharePoint feed, and users may find it most helpful when attempting to brace for the impact of changes such as those mentioned above.
Emily Rae Aldridge, December 23, 2014
Dynamics NAV Partners with SharePoint
December 18, 2014
Microsoft is encouraging tighter integration with software partners that can promote greater specialization within its customer base. One such partnership is highlighted in the PR Web article, “Dynamics NAV and SharePoint – Perfect Partnership in Microsoft Technology.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft is actively encouraging tighter integration and co-operation between Partners with different specialisms, such as TVision and Ballard Chalmers, especially for customers looking to leverage Cloud solutions. The benefits to customers are extensive, a complete and scalable business solution in the familiar Windows environment supported by specialists but all held within a single project framework.”
Allowing partners to develop specialties is a major win for Microsoft, allowing customers to meet their needs while preventing SharePoint from having to be all things to all people. To keep up with which solutions are contributing most to the SharePoint landscape, keep an eye on Stephen E. Arnold’s findings at ArnoldIT.com. His SharePoint feed makes keeping up with the latest SharePoint news fast and easy.
Emily Rae Aldridge, December 18, 2014
Delve, Social, and Other SharePoint Highlights of 2014
December 16, 2014
It is that time of year again – time for year-in-review articles regarding the tech that we know and love. And so it is for SharePoint. Lots of changes have been made and there are plenty of assumptions about the future. So CMS Wire tackles the overview in their article, “The SharePoint Landscape from 30,000 Feet.”
The author begins:
“With the end of the year around the corner, it’s a good time to take a 30,000-foot view of the lay of the SharePoint land and see what’s in store for 2015. While SharePoint may not be perfect, the technology is something many enterprises count on. We’ve seen great growth and energy in SharePoint over the past year and there are some events and developments that will be driving the technology next year.”
The author then goes on to discuss Delve and social projects, including apps. But experts caution that privacy will experience a resurgence in coming months, and the pendulum will swing back the other way, with enterprises concerned about keeping a tight reign on information. To stay on top of all of the latest developments in the new year, stay tuned in to Stephen E. Arnold at ArnoldIT.com. He has made a career out of parsing all things search, and his SharePoint feed is extremely helpful for all levels of users.
Emily Rae Aldridge, December 16, 2014
Starting SharePoint and Office 365 on a Budget
December 11, 2014
Many smaller organizations often wonder how to utilize SharePoint and other Office 365 solutions without breaking the bank. Mark Jones on LinkedIn has written a helpful piece on how to get the best bang for the buck. Read his thoughts on “8 Ways To Learn SharePoint And Office 365 On A Budget!”
He begins:
“Over the last 2 years I have spent a lot of time in the SharePoint-Community.Net and the question that comes up a lot is how to get started and learn Microsoft SharePoint (or Office 365). So here we go, this is my up-to-date list of things that will take you from novice to rockstar without spending more than a few dollars in the process.”
Another resource for making the most out of a SharePoint installation is ArnoldIT.com. Stephen E. Arnold is an expert in search and has focused heavily on SharePoint throughout his career. His dedicated SharePoint feed is a great place to start a search for all the latest news, tips, and tricks.
Emily Rae Aldridge, December 11, 2014
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
Microsoft Delve Versus Other Options
December 2, 2014
Microsoft Delve has finally been unveiled, after months of speculation. Now experts are wondering if Delve will be enough to satisfy needs, or if other options will perform better. CMS Wire discusses the issue in their article, “Microsoft Delve is Nice, But are Other Options Better?”
The article begins:
“Microsoft has finally announced the release of Delve, a project that had been hidden under the code name Oslo and about which little was known. When it was unveiled at the SharePoint conference earlier this year, then later as part of Office 365, Microsoft described it as a new way of getting working done. With it, Microsoft said, workers could find any content they needed, anywhere.”
But the article then goes on to say that you can find that needle in the vast haystack of enterprise content, but only as long as the content is within Microsoft applications. Outside of Microsoft applications, other options like Docurated are making a stronger showing. Steven E. Arnold has made a career out of following all things search and reporting on them on his Web service ArnoldIT.com. Find even more discussion regarding Delve and all things SharePoint on his dedicated SharePoint feed.
Emily Rae Aldridge, December 2, 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
Choosing Office 365 or Azure
November 25, 2014
There is not just a single cloud, or Cloud with a capital C. Rather, there are multiple cloud-based services for SharePoint deployments. CMS Wire helps break down some of the choices that users face when determining which cloud to choose. They even have a handy survey at the end to make selection even simpler. Read more in their article, “SharePoint in the Clouds: Choosing Between Office 365 or Azure.”
The author begins:
“There are dozens of cloud hosting options for SharePoint, beyond Office 365. Amazon, Rackspace and Fpweb offer compelling alternatives to Microsoft’s public cloud for SharePoint online with a mix of capabilities. These capabilities fall on the spectrum between two options: 1) IaaS (Infrastructure as a service) — cloud hosted VMs on which YOU install Windows, SQL, SharePoint … 2) SaaS (Software as a service) — fully managed solution delivering SharePoint services with full subscribed provider managed availability, backup, performance, installation, etc.”
There are definitely pros and cons on both sides. If you need any help sorting through the various angles, turn to Stephen E. Arnold of ArnoldIT.com. He has spent his career following enterprise search, and has collected quite an impressive collection of tips, tricks, and news articles on his SharePoint feed.
Emily Rae Aldridge, November 25, 2014
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