SharePoint Simplifies Cloud Use with Better Updates
September 16, 2014
The next major update to SharePoint functionality will not occur until sometime in 2015, but for now users can get the most function out of their current implementation by taking advantage of Service Pack 1. Especially important for customers who intend to integrate Cloud components, SP1 focuses on reliability, security, and performance. Read more in the Enterprise Apps Today article, “SharePoint Updates Ease Move to Cloud.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 has been out for quite some time and received a Service Pack update earlier in the year. While SP1 included the usual mix of performance, reliability and security fixes, it also provided a number of new and updated features with an eye toward the cloud. Another update makes it easier to use Yammer as the social network of choice over the outdated Newsfeed.”
For more tips and tricks regarding getting the most out of your SharePoint installation, head on over to ArnoldIT.com. Stephen E. Arnold has made a career out of all things search, and gives a good bit of attention to the enterprise. His SharePoint feed helps users and administrators navigate the often complicated and potentially frustrating ins and outs of SharePoint.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 16, 2014
BA Insight Delves into Connectors
September 12, 2014
I read “BA Insight Adds 10 New Indexing Connectors to Surface Information.” The article reports that it offers connectors for:
- SharePoint Online
- Confluence
- Salesforce.com
- Microsoft Dynamics Online
- CuadraSTAR
- Alfresco
- Scopus
- PharmaCircle
- Jive
- Box
Outside In (now Oracle) and Entropy Soft (now Salesforce) proved that connectors could be more important than the software to which folks want to connect in terms of buy out magnetism.
Is BA Insight embracing connectors as a way to accelerate its attractiveness to a potential acquirer? Will BA Insight’s play provide Microsoft Delve (when it becomes a carrier class product in a couple of years) with an easy way to support more than a handful of content types? Will Microsoft buy BA Insight? (Both companies share a vision that keyword search is not about search but about related information.)
What the move suggests to me is that BA Insight is filling in some gaps in the Delve product offering. I address the Microsoft Delve collection of functions in my forthcoming Information Today column. Connectors may be the least of Delve’s challenges. I think it would be helpful if Delve could process email attachments, a feature I understand is not supported. The packing of components around Yammer is not a revolution in search. The approach reminds me of Microsoft’s creation of SharePoint from acquired and home grown code. Do you remember
My hunch is that other Microsoft dependent services firms will “delve” into this gap as well. Me too is a time honored practice in the pond choked with search fish.
Some folks are nosing around ElasticSearch as a low cost, relatively easy solution to content aggregation. What happens if ElasticSearch community developers focus on SharePoint? Interesting question.
Stephen E Arnold, September 12, 2014
Limit Results to a Specific Library in SharePoint
September 12, 2014
This honk goes out to SharePoint users in the crowd. In a post titled “SharePoint Search *Quirks: Query Variables,” the MSDN SharePoint Strategy blog addresses a common question: How can one limit results to a specific library in a specific site collection? The write-up points us to the MS resource page, “Query Variables in SharePoint Server.” We think the examples really underscore the user-friendliness of
SharePoint search. Here’s the first example:
“To scope to this site collection: {searchTerms} SPSiteURL:{SiteCollection.Url}
*By using the {SiteCollection.Url} variable, you could define, say a [result source, query rule, result type or whatever] at an SSA level and it would be applicable to the Site Collection from which the query is made.
*In other words, say I have two site collections http://foo/sites/abc and http://foo/sites/xyz, and wanted to create a rule (or whatever) at the SSA level. For this example, hard coding the URL path would mean I have to create two rules (or whatever) …one for each site collection, which clearly doesn’t scale for large environments.
*Instead, I can create just one rule and use the variable instead that would be correct and in the proper context for all site collections.”
See the write-up for a little more, or click through to the “Query Variables” page it points out. We are advised that there are probably other ways to do this, but this is how this blogger and MS employee (writing as “bspender”) has uncovered. It is nice to know there are multiple options for approaching this task. Simplicity may be overrated.
Cynthia Murrell, September 12, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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 Extends DLP to SharePoint
September 9, 2014
Microsoft is unveiling data loss prevention for the Office 365 suite. Administrators will be able to search for information across SharePoint Online and OneDrive. Read more in the PCWorld article, “Microsoft Rolls Out DLP to SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft has extended the data loss prevention features in Office 365 so that they are available not only for its email tools but also for data in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business. Office 365 already had DLP capabilities for Exchange Online and Outlook, so that compliance officers could monitor email communications and enforce corporate and regulatory rules regarding the use of sensitive corporate data, such as confidential intellectual property details and customers’ financial information.”
Microsoft continues to improve the Office 365, spending special attention on streamlining and improving the user experience for SharePoint. For users who are interested in keeping up with the latest updates, keep an eye on ArnoldIT.com and particularly the SharePoint feed. Stephen E. Arnold has made a career out of all things search, and his expertise shines through as he offers the latest tips and tricks for SharePoint users.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 09, 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
Microsoft Shakes Up SharePoint Online to Increase Storage
September 2, 2014
In response to an ever-increasing need for storage, Microsoft has announced changes to the way SharePoint Online manages storage blocks. Read about the latest announcement in the PC World article, “Microsoft Tweaks SharePoint Online to Free Up Site Storage.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft has tweaked the controls in SharePoint Online to let administrators make better use of storage resources allocated to SharePoint websites. The changes seek to make processes more automated, and to add some flexibility in how storage for SharePoint Online is managed within the Office 365 suite. Until now, SharePoint site collections, which are groups of related SharePoint websites, had to be assigned a set amount of storage, and that storage space couldn’t be used for anything else even if some of it went unused.”
Users and administrators will benefit from the increased flexibility. It also shows some effort on the part of Microsoft to improve the SharePoint user experience by taking care of some “no-brainer” flaws in the system. Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and continues to keep an eye on the latest news in his SharePoint feed on ArnoldIT.com. Staying on top of these announcements is a great way for organizations to keep increasingly their SharePoint efficiency.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 02, 2014
Using SharePoint as a Video Platform
August 28, 2014
Video and other forms of dynamic media are an increasingly large share of the information market. This type of media has historically been a bit harder to index and make sense of in the business realm, but that is beginning to change. Read more in the TechRadar article, “Why You Should Use SharePoint as a Video Platform.”
The article begins:
“In the modern age, video is emerging as a content medium of choice, especially for the next generation worker who has grown up with video content playing a key role in their daily lives. The SharePoint platform, while not built with video in mind, can be enhanced to become a powerful and effective video content platform, catering for both live video events and on-demand video content.”
The article then goes on to explain how you can work with video content by enhancing your existing SharePoint setup. These non-traditional functions of SharePoint can really help an organization get the most bang for their buck when it comes to SharePoint. However, it can take a good bit of time and customization, and to help ease that burden, Web sites like ArnoldIT.com can be helpful. Stephen E. Arnold has made a career out of all things search and devotes a good bit of time to the best tips and tricks regarding SharePoint. Keep an eye on his SharePoint feed for more ways to help your organizations squeeze all the good out of SharePoint.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 28, 2014
SharePoint Online Admin Center Simplifies
August 26, 2014
Microsoft is trying to simplify the Office 365 experience from all angles, but the latest SharePoint simplification focuses on the SharePoint Online admin center. Read all the details in the WinBeta article, “Simplified Office 365 Admin Experience Arrives for SharePoint Online Admin Center.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft has simplified the SharePoint Online admin center, as part of the company’s journey to simplify the Office 365 admin experience. You can now choose between a simple or advanced admin experience, control top navigation items, and block workflows from being used from your environment. The simple admin center experience displays only the essential options used in the most common scenarios. This includes site collection management, user profile management, and the main settings for external sharing, Information Rights Management, and more. The advanced admin center, on the other hand, offers access to all SharePoint Online management capabilities.”
The simplification is needed and welcome. However, using the admin center will still be far from intuitive. SharePoint is a huge infrastructure and tips, tricks, and workarounds are still greatly needed for most users and administrators. Stephen E. Arnold has dedicated his career to all things search, and reports his findings on ArnoldIT.com. His SharePoint feed is a great resource for those who are learning more about all angles of SharePoint.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 26, 2014
Microsoft Focuses on SharePoint User Experience
August 21, 2014
Microsoft is turnings its attention to the user experience of SharePoint in their roadmap for Office 365. SharePoint receives a lot of attention for its increased functionality, but it receives a lot of negative attention for its complexity and general difficulty of use. CMS Wire covers the issue in their latest article, “Where User Experience Should Fit in SharePoint’s Roadmap.”
The article begins:
“One only need to take a look at the Microsoft roadmap for Office 365 to see that the company is making huge investments in the UX for SharePoint, from new social and search capabilities (such as Office Graph, inline social and Groups) to deeper integrations with other Microsoft platforms, like Dynamics CRM. Unlike previous platform updates, the focus of each incremental release is clearly meant to improve the end user (and administrator) experience within the platform.”
And while it is comforting to see that Microsoft is taking user experience seriously, many users and managers will still need help along the way. One source of help may be ArnoldIT.com. The Web site is managed by Stephen E. Arnold – a longtime leader in all things search. His SharePoint feed is especially insightful, offering tips and tricks for all levels of user.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 21, 2014
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