Using Amazon Web Services with SharePoint 2013

In addition to being a web application development platform, SharePoint is also used by a large number of enterprises for document and management. Microsoft has released SharePoint 2013 with a set of advanced features to broaden its capacity. It allows organizations to avail the latest cloud-based iterations of the collaboration platform. The SharePoint applications in the cloud can be further managed by users through customized applications designed by several companies including Microsoft.

The users also have option to run SharePoint 2013 with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to avail several benefits including no upfront investment, lower operational cost, enhanced speed and flexible capacity. Microsoft has made it easier for users to run SharePoint in AWS through the License Mobility through Software Assurance. Also, Amazon EC2 running Windows Server create a secure and reliable environment to deploy and run the SharePoint applications.

Important Advantages of Using Amazon Web Services with SharePoint 2013

No Upfront Investment

When an organization decides to deploy SharePoint in the cloud, it is not required to invest any funds upfront. As Amazon requires users to pay only for the cloud resources used by them, they are not required to procure any new hardware. In addition to pay-as-you-go pricing, Amazon further takes care of the hardware management. Thus, an organization can optimize its content management without incurring any initial cost.

Easy and Fast Deployment

An enterprise can further deploy SharePoint applications in the cloud without putting any additional time and effort. After obtaining the required license, it can deploy the application quickly without waiting for the required hardware to arrive. Microsoft has further optimized the online version of SharePoint by including several advanced features to eliminate the functional gaps associated with switching to a cloud-based environment.

Use Existing Skill and Software

Similar to hardware, a business can run SharePoint application with AWS without requiring skilled developers and resources. Microsoft has designed the platform with a set of simple and easy features. So an enterprise can quickly create and deploy new apps by using its existing developers and software assets. Unlike other cloud services, the AWS platform supports a large number of operating systems and programming language. So the .NET developers can create robust application by using familiar tools and IDEs like Visual Studio.

Curtail Capital Expenses

Each modern business explores option to convert capital expenses into operational expenses. But the team managing infrastructure always tries to sabotage such initiatives in order to retain control. An organization can use SharePoint 2013 with AWS to curtail both capital and operational expenses. It can scale down the cost according to its cloud resource requirements. At the same time, a business can further avoid the large and upfront expenses. The AWS Cloud allows organizations to add capacity according to the changes in business demand. So an enterprise can easily scale the cloud capacity quickly according to its needs.

Manage SharePoint through Customized Applications

Unlike large enterprises, the small and local businesses cannot afford to deploy an IT team to manage their content and documents. SharePoint 2013 facilitates document and content management without deploying a dedicated team. The users have option to manage the SharePoint application with AWS using a variety of applications developed by Microsoft and third-party companies. So it becomes easier for the small and medium enterprises to align technologies with business processes without deploying any additional resources.

Enhanced Security

While deploying an application in the cloud, users have to explore ways to keep it secure and inaccessible. As a secure and durable technology platform, AWS is widely used by companies belonging to different industries and regions. The certifications and audit standards used by the platform is further recognized across industries. Thus, an organization gets a secure and reliable environment to deploy SharePoint applications.

A number of recent reports have highlighted that a gradual increase is noted in the number of enterprises using Amazon Web Services with SharePoint 2013. However, each organization also needs to identify and address some of the important challenges while using AWS with SharePoint 2013. It also needs to choose the right third-party applications to get enhanced data privacy and security. You can hire developers from custom Sharepoint development companies who can help build sharepoint apps for you within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide sharepoint webparts development services. If you would like to hire sharepoint developers for your development needs, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Integrating Outlook and SharePoint – The Dynamic Duo

For meeting the objective of making things less complicated for the users, one of the best options is to integrate Outlook (OL) and SharePoint (SP) with each other. The main reason behind such an integration is completion of certain tasks along with access to bit information from within the SP and from any other office applications, where they are actively in operation.

It is possible to sync any library or list in a simple way, by accessing the Calendar, List Setting or Library on a ribbon and then click the “Connect to Outlook” option. This will allow in accessing the SharePoint information within the OL, without having to open SP at all.

Since most of the users spend a lion's share of time dealing with OL, naturally it is imperative that users have all the relevant information at their fingertips. This will ostensibly minimize or limit the use of other windows, making the task much simpler. The most pertinent uses of this phenomenon include:

Sync Calendars

This method can be used with the Outlook Connector in Outlook 2003/07/10/EAS of Outlook 2013 for syncing the calendar along with the contacts of other smartphones or computers when using an IMAP or a POP3 email account. All that is needed is a MS Account, for obtaining a valid email address. Hotmail, Outlook.com address or Live are not needed.

Sync Team Discussion

This will help in saving a considerable amount of time, by reducing the extent of email traffic as well as providing some astounding updates to people, irrespective of their time as well as location.

Sync Document Libraries

This is again an extremely handy property, that helps users to take a preview of any document or presentation in the OL Reading Pane. However, it is not without limitations.

Capture emails along with attachments or the attachments independently and separately

OnePlaceMail (which helps in connecting MS Outlook, MS Office as well as Windows Explorer to MS SharePoint 2007/10/13 along with Office 365) comes up with an obvious as well as common filing experience of saving mails from the MS OL to the SharePoint. OnePlaceMail provides the users the option of:

• Transferring emails from Outlook to SharePoint with drag and drop facility of attachments, and the option to drag and drop mails to the SP without any prompts whatsoever. This helps in capturing various attributes of the emails automatically like Attachment Names, To, From, Date, Subject, conversion ID, etc. This makes it far easier as well as efficient for the users, when it comes to sharing information.

A plausible way of synchronizing the documents of a library for using them offline, is to click on the SYNC option that is available on the site header adjacent to the user's name.

Let us discuss another classical way of integrating SharePoint with Outlook:

In case a user spends too much of time in MS OL but stores documents along with other stuffs in SharePoint, connecting SP with Outlook does make a sense. Connecting SharePoint, library, list of contacts along with other documents with Outlook will bring the contents in the SharePoint into Outlook and one can view the contents along with various other personal information in the Outlook itself. This also helps in searching as well as editing the contents of SP offline, even when the computer is not connected to the internet and then integrate the contents back to SP once the user goes online.

The option “Sync a Library To Your Computer” will help with additional information.

1) Go to calendar, list or library that is to be connected to Outlook

2) Click on “Calendar/Library/List, depending upon the kind of library or list connected to Outlook.

3) Click “Connect to Outlook”.

4) Once the dialog box appears, click on “Allow” and then “Yes” as deemed appropriate. If the site comes with Office365, the user name along with password are needed.

Once done, the calendar will appear in the Outlook that comes under “Other Calendars”. Contacts will appear in the “Other Contacts” option. Libraries, including document libraries, picture libraries, come under “SharePoint Lists”. The files of the library behave in the same way as the e-mail messages. In case of office files, clicking on the preview file option that appears in the Reading Pane will open it. Right clicking on the file will give more options. You can hire developers from top companies in SharePoint development who can help you build products within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide SharePoint development services. If you would like to hire developers from custom SharePoint development company like Mindfire Solutions, please contact us.

Sharepoint 2013 branding with Design Manager

In SharePoint 2013, Design Manager renders a new trend for creating websites. This tool is accessible when you activate the Publishing Infrastructure feature or use the Publishing Portal site template at the site collection level. The purpose of this new tool is to offer users an easy way of branding SharePoint. This advanced tool allows designers to create a compelling behavior, look and feel for a SharePoint 2013 site by using the techniques they are most comfortable with. It also supports exporting and importing of a visual design, and thus helps you assure a consistent visual experience across all device platforms in your industry.

This article discusses about the designing and support capabilities involved in this development technology. Let's have a quick tour through SharePoint 2013.

Considerations for SharePoint Designers or Developers:

• Design packages: To create as well as export the visual designs as a package.

• Device channels: To create, change or delete a device channel along with reorder device channels in SP 2013.

• Image renditions: To create, edit as well as delete image renditions that define the attributes used for the purpose of displaying images in the publishing sites.

• Display templates: To relate display templates to Search Web Parts. Learn about how the templates are organized, for mapping properties by using jQuery or variables, or creating a custom display template.

• Themes: To use themes for customizing the look and feel of the sites.

• Snippets: To use the Snippet Gallery in Design Manager so that you are able to add SharePoint functionality quickly to your HTML page layout or master page. Snippets are HTML representations of SharePoint components and hence a snippet helps in controlling like a Web Part or a navigation bar.

Design Manager to Implement Designs

On the left side of this tool, there is a series of links representing the high-level tasks that need to be performed. Based on your designing plan as well as the requisites of your site, you might not have to carry out all these performances in thorough order. Nevertheless, this sequence is a vital starting point.

Before you start using this technology, you need a scheming. You can use a ready-made website template or create one of your own. A designing is simply a group of files that employ the visual designing of your site.

Generally, the file categories include:

• At least one HTML file which is going to be changed into a SharePoint master page

• JavaScript files

• One or more CSS files

• Different supporting files

• Images

Design Manager to Customize Your SharePoint 2013 Site

In order to represent your company's brand or if you want it to be designed in a way that does not look like SharePoint, you can easily customize your site as per your preference. Creating a custom design by using Design Manager can help you achieve the desired business goal. The new tool is a feature in SharePoint 2013 making it easier to create a fully pixel-perfect and customized design implementing the web-designing tools that you find yourself familiar with. It is a publishing dimension that can be made available in publishing sites in both Office 365 and SP Server 2013. The technology can also be used for branding the public-facing website in Office 365.

This tool can also help in creating visual designs for websites by applying any web design tool or HTML editor of your choice, and then upload that designing to SharePoint. Design Manager is the central hub as well as interface where all aspects of a custom designing is properly managed. Often, visual designing creations of publishing sites fit into the larger process, in which thousands of people as well as administrations are involved. You can hire developers from top companies in sharepoint development who can help you build products within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide sharepoint development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert SharePoint developers, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Detailed Feature Reviews of Design Manager in SharePoint 2013

SharePoint Server 2013 comes with several innovative features including the Design Manager. The feature enables enterprises to manage the styling and branding of SharePoint sites and pages in a more structured way. It can also be used in Office 365 as an advanced site design tool to design custom websites for an organization or business. The developers also have option to create custom website designs by using HTML editors or web design tools they are familiar with. At the same time, the advanced features of Design Manager allow developers to build a completely new website within a shorter span of time.

Key Feature Reviews of Design Manager in SharePoint 2013

Mange Device Channels

The option allows you to optimize areas of the website content by targeting different devices. SharePoint uses the user agent to find out the device being used by the user, and use the information to perform specific tasks. For instance, the user agent helps SharePoint to find out if a specific device supports Flash content or not. So the target areas of content can be rendered based on the device used by the user. Also, the Manage Device Channels option can be used to create new channels and edit existing channels.

Upload Design Files

You can use the feature to upload the HTML version of your master file along with JavaScript and CSS files, and similar design resources. Also, the feature allows you to access and edit the design files in a straightforward way. At the same time, you can further check if a network drive can be mapped to the master page gallery or need to be accessed through the Windows Explorer.

Edit Master Pages

Your will use the feature frequently to convert the uploaded HTML files into SharePoint master page by using conversion wizards. After clicking on the link, you will be allowed to choose the HTML file to be converted, and follow a series of screen to create a new master file. The feature can also be used to publish a major version of the file from the list. Also, you can view an error message if there are any problems during the conversion process.

Edit Page Template

The latest version of SharePoint also comes with innovative display templates. These display templates are used to format search results and other web parts related to search. The Edit Page Template feature of Design Manager allows you to copy an existing template, and customize it according to your specific requirements.

Edit Page Layout

The page layouts in SharePoint enable you to use an HTML page like a master file, and render the output by adding SharePoint specific lines of code. As the name indicates, the option can be used to create new page layouts by naming the page layout and associate it with a master file. Once the page layout is created, you can download it to your computer. The file will include the SharePoint specific lines of code required to render the output correctly. The feature further allows you to upload your existing page layouts or save the layout directly to the master gallery.

Publish and Apply Design

Once you create the custom design according to a brand, it needs to be published and shared with others. The publish and apply design page allows you to apply the brand by clicking on a given link. It is also the most straightforward way to share and publish the brand created by you with others.

Create Design Packages

The page facilitates movement of your designs between multiple environments. Once you choose the design package name, the page will allow you to include search configuration. During the process, the page will gather all the files and packages, and bundle those neatly into a WSP file. After creating the WSP file, it will show you a link to download the file. At the same time, the file will also be stored to the solutions store at the site collection level. So you can easily move the design packages to Office 365.

As an innovative tool, Design Manager allows users to brand SharePoint in an innovative yet easy way. They can avail the feature to make the look and feel of a SharePoint site both fresh and distinct. So it becomes easier to make an organization’s website represent its brand, instead of looking like a SharePoint site. You can hire a top companies in sharepoint development who can help you build products within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide Sharepoint application development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert SharePoint developers, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Looking for Easy Document Management? Switch to SharePoint

Each organization has to include customized document management controls as part of its key strategies. In addition to deciding how to create, review and publish documents, it also needs to decide the most appropriate way to retain or dispose these after certain period of time. Therefore, most enterprises look for innovative a document management system that allows them to store, update, share, find, archive, restore and trace all types of documents. Microsoft has released SharePoint 2013 with a set of features to help users in managing all types of documents efficiently, while complying with the relevance governance or compliance policies. If you are looking for effective and flexible tools to control a document's life cycle, it is a great idea to switch to SharePoint 2013.

What Makes SharePoint 2013 a Powerful Document Management System?

Hassle-Free Sharing of Information and Resources

Similar to other innovative document management systems, SharePoint also enable people to access the required resources and information. But it also allows users to organize documents and coordinate calendars effectively, along with creating team workspaces. At the same time, the user also has option to create blogs and wikis simply by using templates. The users on the do can further avail the offline synchronization capabilities to access the documents regardless of his current location.

Tight Control over Document Life Cycle

SharePoint Server 2013 comes with all the capabilities required to control a document’s life cycle efficiently. At the same time, it also enables users to implement the policies applicable to each document. Along with auditing the document-related actions, the system further ensures that the documents are disposed or retained in the most appropriate way. These features further make it easier for an organization to manage documents as corporate records, while adhering to both corporate guidelines and legal requirements.

Maintain Integrity of Content

The latest version of SharePoint comes with document management capabilities. Before editing a particular document, the reviewer has option to activate document checkout. Thus, he can see the revisions made to the document and restore the document to the previous version. Also, the feature can be used to set security at both document and content level. These capabilities make it easier to maintain the integrity of content store on team sites or shared with a distributed team.

Easy to Build a Collaborative Environment

The IT department of an organization can deploy a collaborative environment through Windows SharePoint Services without putting any additional time and effort. Despite being easy to manage and scale the environment is still simple and flexible. The single-server setting and flexible deployment settings further make it easier to reconfigure the document management system according to the latest governance or compliance policies. Thus, all documents can be created, reviews and shared quickly to facilitate decision making.

Effectuate Document Security Management

While allowing teammates to access the resources and information from diverse locations, each enterprise has to put some amount of effort. But the security features provided by SharePoint enable them to effectuate document security management without putting any extra effort. The system allows users to nominate individual users or group, and set permission simply with two clicks. Also, the traceable access of requests to a site makes it easier to find out who has accessed the resources or information.

Smoothly Change the Location of a Document

Often users have to move or copy documents from one library or site to another. SharePoint allows them to move or copy the document at various stages of its lifestyle without any hassle. They can simply create a custom workflow to guide the document through a business process. Once the document life cycle is activates, tasks can be further assigned to the participants according to their individual roles and responsibilities. The authors with required authoring permission can further copy a particular document, while maintaining the relationship between the source and the destination document intact.

While switching to the updated version of SharePoint, an organization is not required to discard the tools that are already being used for day-to-day operations. Some of the most popular tools and applications in Microsoft Office system like Word and Outlook can still be used seamlessly with SharePoint 2013 to optimize the control over a document's life cycle. Custom Sharepoint development teams can help build sharepoint applications for you within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide SharePoint webparts development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert SharePoint developers, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

SharePoint Development Of Perception System Works Finely For Enhancing ROI

SharePoint developed by Microsoft is being regarded as one of the best software when it comes to sharing as well as transferring data. That is why, experts are of the opinion that every individual business house should vouch for development of SharePoint as that helps the software to get entirely into a working mode. This is what in turn helps the company to increase its ROI or Return on Investment.

It can well be stated here that using SharePoint as a credible platform carries with it a lot of potential in terms of increasing ROI by improving business. It is also imperative that a strategic approach needs to be planned in the most effective as well as a careful way to make sure that the plan pays off in a proper and seamless manner. At this juncture perhaps it needs to be mentioned that any false step will not only render the plan useless but will also cause the end costs to shoot up, deadlines to extend and support challenges to increase by many folds.

Let us now discuss how custom SharePoint development helps in ROI enhancement.

• While opting for the right procedure of business application implementation, there are three options available – opting for purchase point solutions, configure the purchased components or write the custom codes. Certain organizations would opt for a combination of all the three approaches. Hence, it all depends upon the respective organizations about what type of approach they will opt or the guiding principles they will maintain. To be more specific, a business organization which is using SharePoint should have the capacity to reap maximum benefit out of it while it preserves its investments.

• Again, you will find a lot of business houses which maintain a backlog of the required business applications. SharePoint has all the potentials to be used as a domain or platform for rapid delivery of majority of these applications including collation of daily sales data, tracking of health along with safety related issues, maintenance of timesheets and reporting, tracking of promotional activities, booking meeting rooms and the likes.
• Business organizations also have the privilege of enjoying a wide range of services like implementation of products, support along with maintenance, re-engineering of products, development of customized software products and so with the help of various SharePoint solutions. They do so by taking the help of companies that provide SharePoint solutions.

These companies provide high end solutions when it comes to distant learning, interactive internet as well as intranet applications along with solutions, maintenance of portals for student management (in case of educational institutions) and so on.

• With the aid of an effective SharePoint solution, it is possible to operate contents through the full life cycle of a trade. Besides, it is extremely effective when it comes to responding to various needs pertaining to the business and arrive at a wide range of customized solutions.

• Besides, SharePoint solutions are the best for gathering necessary information regarding accessing resources. It also makes file sharing mechanism better and facilitates easier as well as faster search for essential information. This is mainly because it comes up with state of the art built-in search capabilities along with a single web based environment.

Hence, whether you are running a small, medium or a large scale business organization, taking the help of SharePoint will surely make all the difference at the end of the day. In fact, it is such a scalable as well as reliable platform that it surely provides the administration a lot with the help of which it is possible to improve performance with lesser cost and increase revenue along with ROI earning.

We provide SharePoint site migration services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert SharePoint developers, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Movin’ On Up – A SharePoint 2013 Migration Case Study Collections

More and more companies are migrating to SharePoint 2013 to avail a set of advanced features. Microsoft has also made it easier for enterprises to migrate to the latest version of the content management system without putting any extra effort. It also offers several strategies to make it easier for companies to migrate to SharePoint 2013, including in-place upgrade, database attach, and hybrid approaches. However, many companies are still skeptical about the effectiveness of the new technology. If you are still not sure about migrating to the latest version of SharePoint, it is time to know about some of the companies who availed many benefits by migrating to the new platform.

Case Study I: Most enterprises find it a daunting challenge to access and manage content and information stores in many databases. Further, the amount of data will vary according to the size and nature of business. Similar problem was being faced by a Paris-based company managing popular civil air ports. The organization was struggling to optimize its existing content management system by aggregating and optimizing 2 TB of data stores in over 70 databases.

At the same time, the company was also looking for efficient options to make the data searchable for all its employees and clients. As the organization was already using SharePoint 2010, it decided to migrate to the latest version of the platform to avail advanced search features. The tech lead of the migration project mentioned that the migration process was fast and smooth due to the SharePoint 2013 Community Site.

Case Study II: Most companies also look for more cost-efficient ways to store, manage and access the data stored across different databases. Further, an organization uses several databases to store information based on their category. An UK based company recently evaluated the advanced content management system to consolidate its data stored on over 80 databases into a single repository.

The single repository will make the information accessible to employees, vendors and clients without increasing operational expenses. The management opts for SharePoint 2013 to consolidate data along with sharing the data collaboratively. The organization has to still invest some additional funds to migrate to SharePoint 2013. But the investment made it easier for the organizations to deploy a series of SharePoint portals to make the data accessible to all concerned parties.

Case Study III: A constant increase is noted in the number of organizations adopting Cloud computing. The innovative and new way to store, manage and access data is also popular due to its effectiveness in making the content accessible to users on the go. But most companies find it difficult to transfer the huge volume of data available for public consumption into Cloud environment.

Recently, a popular car manufacturer migrated to SharePoint 2013 to make the huge volume of information and content available in Cloud environment. In addition to making the data accessible to concerned parties, SharePoint 2013 further made it easier for the company to administer and maintain the data without deploying dedicated IT staff. Further, the migration enabled it to customize its portal by targeting all types of users without putting any extra effort and funds.

Case Study IV: The rapid expansion of a business also makes it essential for it to migrate to an advanced content management system. A large financial corporation based in Virginia realized the problem when it started providing services to clients located in other regions. As the company was formed with the intention of providing local banking services to the Virginia community, initially it did not feel the need for an advanced content management system.

But consistent growth made it a daunting task for the organization to choose an information system that complements its extended operations and needs. The financial organization opted for SharePoint 2013 after evaluating several technologies and solutions. The latest version of SharePoint made it easier for the company to build a social intranet solution to meet its diverse needs. Also, the SharePoint training provided to its employees ensured that its core business is carried out more efficiently.

As SharePoint 2013 can be used for a number of purposes, a business can always customize the platform according to its specific needs. Microsoft further allows enterprises to pick from a number of SharePoint site migration options according to its specific needs and budget.

We provide SharePoint development services. If you would like to speak to one of our certified SharePoint developers, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.