Microsoft Sharepoint Found Strong, But Lacking in Key Functions
September 15, 2013
In the article titled Is Semantic Search the Solution to Information Retrieval in Sharepoint? on CMS Wire, a survey taken by a UK firm is under discussion. The survey reveals that up to half of Sharepoint users have trouble with finding internal information or getting the full support for the business in which Sharepoint is being deployed. The article does stress that the survey does not specifically ask what version of Sharepoint the respondents use. The article explains,
“The research points out that SharePoint is primarily an enterprise collaboration platform and not a search tool… It also shows that many information professionals believe they are getting less out of SharePoint enterprise search functions than their peers. Even worse, a quarter of SharePoint users believe that the SharePoint search function is offering them access to less than half the information contained in the enterprise. It also shows that most users think that information workers in other enterprises have better search capabilities.”
With nearly 100 million users globally, and 78% of Fortune 500 companies using Sharepoint, the research suggests that the search function was the most problematic.
Chelsea Kerwin, September 15, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Image Rendition in Display Template for Content Search on Sharepoint 2013
September 12, 2013
The Sharepoint 2013 blog explains how to enhance image results in the post Sharepoint Search Vegas Style, Display Template with Image Renditions. Sharepoint 2013’s Image Rendition enables one to use specific image renditions combined with Channels. This is particularly important when using mobile devices, since smaller images used with Channels allow for a superior performance on websites for mobile devices. This article focuses on the steps needed to use Image Renditions in Display Template for Content Search web part. The article explains that after creating a page and configuring the web part to display only the images desired,
“I opened SharePoint Designer and made a copy of Item_Pictures3Lines.html.
I called the file Item_Picture3vegasLines.html. At line 50, there is a code: var pictureURL = $getItemValue(ctx, “Picture URL”);
I added: var vegasURL=pictureURL + “?RenditionID=5″;At line 71, I removed a class: <div class=”cbs-picture3LinesImageContainer” id=”_#= pictureContainerId =#_”> This removed class sets image to 100px width and 100px height.
The code looks like this: <div id=”_#= pictureContainerId =#_”>”
From there, the author adds an image title next to the image with the code: <div style=”float:left;margin-bottom:5px;” id=”_#= pictureContainerId =#_”>. (The article also includes the full code for Item_Picture3vegasLines.html.)
Chelsea Kerwin, September 12, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Research before You Start a SharePoint Architecture
September 9, 2013
When the preprogrammed “help” function on Microsoft’s software does not work, the next place users turn to is Microsoft’s Technet. Technet is Microsoft’s official help Web site that has more useful information and gets into the nuts and bolts of the software. It takes a bit of computer savvy to understand some of the information on Technet, but it was written in mind for the beginner. We have been thinking about SharePoint search a lot lately, but one cannot search SharePoint without a system setup, right? We felt it was best to inform our readers on how to get started on working on a SharePoint architecture, so we found “Plan Enterprise Search Architecture In SharePoint Server 2013” on Technet.
Here is how you can use the article to your benefit:
“Before you set up your enterprise search architecture, there are quite a few things that require careful planning. Step by step, we’ll help you to plan a small, a medium, or a large-size enterprise search architecture. Are you familiar with the components of the search system in SharePoint 2013, and how they interact? By reading Overview of search in SharePoint Server 2013 and Search architectures for SharePoint Server 2013 before you get going, you’ll become familiar with search architecture, search components, search databases, and the search topology.”
Even if Microsoft causes headaches, having information directly from the software source is often the best place to start for planning projects. Who knows software better than the developer? The article may not have all the information you need, but thanks to the Internet there are other sources available. More SharePoint tips, tricks, and news are available at ArnoldIT.
Whitney Grace, September 09, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Microsoft: Another Scandinavian Deal
September 4, 2013
I read “The Deal That Makes No Sense.” The main point is that Microsoft’s purchase of Nokia for 3.79 billion Euros is ill advised in the opinion of the author. I would like to remind my two or three readers that Microsoft paid $1.2 billion in 1989 for the Fast Search & Transfer SA company. Shortly after that deal closed in early 2008, Fast Search came under scrutiny for financial reports. The Fast Search system is now at its end of life. I am not sure that Microsoft’s purchase of the Scandinavian enterprise search vendor made much sense either. In terms of dollars, Nokia may actually have more value than the Fast Search acquisition. The is faint praise. Both of these acquisitions are likely to be in a race to reveal which company was a better deal. Microsoft seems to have a soft spot for Scandinavian technology companies.
Stephen E Arnold, September 4, 2013
Sponsored by Xenky
SharePoint 2010 Disappoints on ECM
July 31, 2013
Microsoft’s SharePoint can be many things to an enterprise. It helps us manage intranets, portals, forms processing, BI, business process management, collaboration. . . . However, one of its most basic functions, content management, has underwhelmed many companies, we learn from “Does SharePoint Measure Up for Enterprise Content Management?” at Australia’s IDM. In fact, many organizations supplement their SharePoint investment with a traditional enterprise content management (ECM) platform.
The article cites a recent whitepaper from AIIM that addresses SharePoint’s shortcomings:
AIIM recently released a whitepaper that explores the topic of SharePoint adoption, titled: “The SharePoint Puzzle.” In this Whitepaper, AIIM discusses why organizations selected SharePoint in the first place and how it performed against expectations. AIIM describes the drivers within this report:
“The collaborative aspects of SharePoint were the strongest original driver for exactly half of our respondents, rising to 57% for the largest organizations, with 38% for the smallest. Web portal/intranet (26%) and project management (13%) were also strong drivers but of more interest is the fact that SharePoint was more often selected to be a file-share replacement than a live document/content management system.”
Some key findings include:
– 28% of respondents have SharePoint in use across their whole workforce. 70% have at least half of their staff using it once a week or more.
– Over half feel they would be 50% more productive with enhanced workflow, search, information reporting and automated document creation tools.
– Over half (54%) are using or planning to use 3rd party add-on products in order to enhance functionality. Only a third thinks they will stick with the vanilla product.
– Difficulty of content migration and information governance capabilities are given as the biggest shortfalls in expectations.
The article discusses anecdotal examples from a couple of companies. The Aussie offices of law firm Herbert Smith Freehills uses SharePoint 2010 for its intranet, but relies on the Autonomy‘s Interwoven Filesite for ECM. In the public sphere, the city of Bunbury, Western Australia, was happy to replace its old data repository with SharePoint 2010. However, reports the city’s IT manager, they are disappointed by the platform’s limited search capacity.
Note that in both these examples, the SharePoint version used is 2010. Does SharePoint 2013 step up its search-functionality game?
Cynthia Murrell, July 31, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
A Call for Answers to SharePoint Mystery
July 10, 2013
SharePoint pro Marc D Anderson believes Microsoft has some explaining to do, he asserts in his blog post, “SharePoint 2013’s Search Continuous Crawl: an Enigma.” While updating one intranet system, he was working with the continuous and incremental crawl settings. He describes his confusing results, complete with screenshots, so see the write-up for the technical details. He summarizes:
“Continuous Crawl seems to be working, but at some underlying schedule which isn’t visible. There have been some suggestions that the Continuous Crawl schedule is set to every 15 minutes by default, and the evidence above seems to support that since the second piece of content showed up in 12 minutes, about 15 minutes after the last crawl that was visible in the logs. There is some PowerShell you can use to get at properties of the Continuous Crawl, but it’s not totally clear what impact they have on the schedule. . . .
“Another thing that’s not clear is how many Continuous crawl threads might stack up if things get backed up. One person has suggested an unlimited number and someone else told me there’s a maximum of 8 threads.”
Anderson calls for Microsoft to put out documentation that will clear up the confusion. He does list a few links that may be of some help to some SharePoint users, and calls for readers to share any information they have in the comments section. If this enigma might be of concern to your organization, you might want to check back there for more answers.
Cynthia Murrell, July 10, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Microsoft Misusing Their Own Mountain of Searchable Data
June 7, 2013
Microsoft is sitting on a search goldmine and people are just starting to see it. Whenever you Skype, have you thought about the data you are releasing into the world? Probably not. But Skype’s owners have, as we discovered in a fascinating The H Security article, “Skype With Care—Microsoft is Reading Everything you Write.”
According to the story:
A spokesman for the company confirmed that it scans messages to filter out spam and phishing websites. This explanation does not appear to fit the facts, however. Spam and phishing sites are not usually found on HTTPS pages. By contrast, Skype leaves the more commonly affected HTTP URLs, containing no information on ownership, untouched. Skype also sends head requests which merely fetches administrative information relating to the server. To check a site for spam or phishing, Skype would need to examine its content.
Honestly, this should not come as a shock to anyone. Frankly, those interested in search should be paying close attention. They should be asking: will Microsoft’s search system be able to index the content and provide relevant results in a timely, accurate manner? We don’t know, but if Yahoo!’s recent collapsed partnership with Microsoft is any indication, the company probably isn’t putting that Skype data to good use.
Patrick Roland, June 07, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Yahoo Bids Goodbye To Microsoft
May 22, 2013
When Marissa Mayer took charge of Yahoo, she flipped the failing company upside down with strategic changes and she is about to make another one, says CNet in the article, “Yahoo Reportedly Looking To Dump Microsoft Search Pact.” Mayer has been unhappy with Yahoo’s partnership with Microsoft and has been searching for a way to end the arrangement.
Both companies made the deal in good faith:
“The two companies entered into a 10-year search partnership in 2010 in which Microsoft would power Yahoo search and Yahoo would become the sales force for Microsoft’s premium properties. However, the relationship hasn’t yielded the revenue-per-search guaranteed by the partnership, prompting Microsoft to extend the RPS guarantee for another year, Yahoo disclosed in a regulatory filing Tuesday.”
Microsoft failed to hit the RPS targets and Microsoft keeps seeking extensions in hopes to generate some profits. Mayer wants to grow Yahoo, she does not want to remain stagnant which is what the deal is bringing. Yahoo still considers Microsoft an important partner, but back in 2008 Google courted Yahoo with an ad-search deal and they may come back. Yahoo will probably find a way out of the deal and if the purpose is to make money, which Google is good at, Yahoo just might join the Google family. Is it time to drink the Kool-Aid?
Whitney Grace, May 22, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Bing Ads Gains Ground Against Google AdWords
May 6, 2013
A recent report from AdGooRoo highlights the ongoing Bing-Google faceoff, revealing some surprises alongside results we could have anticipated. Search Engine Journal informs us, “AddGooRoo Report Pits Bing Ads Against Google AdWords in Six U.S. Verticals.” The study compared 2012-third-quarter results of Google‘s AdWords with those of Bing Ads offered by the hybrid Yahoo-Bing network, and shows Google’s competition gaining ground. The article tells us:
“It is a given in 21st century America that web surfers are going to use Google’s high powered, ever present search engine to look for something on the internet. Web surfers at home and SEO professionals in the workplace know this fact, and the statistics prove it. Google handles two-thirds of search queries in the U.S. each year, but there is competition that could be growing.
“A recent report from AdGooRoo sought to gauge the success of the Yahoo! Bing network in gaining market share against Google. Few web users even realize that the Yahoo! Bing network accounts for nearly one-third of the search queries in the U.S., representing the next largest share of the market behind Google.”
AdGooRoo compared the performance of paid search in six areas (aka verticals): retail, financial services, travel, education, computer/internet, and business to business. In the realm of ad impressions (how often an ad is displayed), BingAds actually outperformed AdWords in the financial-services vertical. Analysts suspect the popularity of that topic at Yahoo‘s and MSDN‘s sites, both of which redirect to Bing, boosted the numbers. It is no surprise that Google still leads handily in retail, but BingAds came close in the remaining verticals.
The picture changes when we consider the all-important click-through rate, however. AdWords still crushes the competition there in every column. Writer Federico Einhorn says analysts attribute the lead to a superior ad-serving system, but notes it could also have to do with Google’s enhanced customization controls, implemented earlier this year. Whatever the case, this is an exercise in “you get what you pay for;” the study found that advertisers pay more per click with AdWords than with Bing Ads. Not surprisingly, many advertisers subscribe to both systems. That is probably a good call.
Cynthia Murrell, May 06, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Comperio 2013 SharePoint Seminar to Charge Extra for No Shows
April 17, 2013
Held in Oslo, Norway, this year’s Enterprise Social and Search with SharePoint seminar promises its usual diverse audience and tech-based discussions. It will take place on May 14, 2013 from 9:00-11:30. Although official events begin at 9:00, show up early for breakfast and networking at 8:30.
The seminar is free, unless, of course you do not show up without providing advanced notice.
According to the seminars registration page, the audience will include the following:
“CIOs, IT Directors, Collaboration Leads, SharePoint Leads, Social Networking Leads, Enterprise Search Leads, Big Data Leads, Business Intelligence Leads, Communication Directors, HR Directors.”
Technology discussed includes SharePoint 2010 and 2013, FAST Search for SharePoint, Comperio FRONT, Hadoop, HD Insight, and Yammer.
Not a bad line up for a free seminar in Oslo. However, those who register but do not attend (and do not provide notice) will be charged a fee of kr. 200, or about $30 US dollars. Considering the expenses Comperio will shell out for each attendee, this no-show charge is an interesting approach to guaranteeing attendance and accounting for wasted expenses.
Samantha Plappert, April 17, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
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