Custom Software Apps & SharePoint Consulting

SharePoint 15 Beta this week – are you prepared?

SharePoint 15 – Better, Faster, Stronger!

SharePoint 2010 is old news, forget everything you know and start over!  Ok, enough drama.  Indeed the rumor mills are saying the SharePoint 15 beta is scheduled for this week, with a product release in early 2013, and there is sufficient reliable data for us to believe this is true.

So what features should we be looking for?  It is expected that SharePoint 15 will make use of HTML 5 and CSS 3.0 – which will pave the way for the new Metro UI. Tighter integration with mobile devices is very likely, and expanded features for the cloud offering on Office 365 is all but fact. Here at Entrance, we’re preparing a specialization in Windows 8 application development, and SharePoint 15 is an exciting movement toward best of breed technology capabilities for Enterprise Content Management, Business Collaboration and Business Intelligence – and more.

Of the speculated changes upcoming, the most curious is the proposed SharePoint marketplace.  We’ve seen the successful implementation of app ecosystems on smartphones and tablets.  Could this work in SharePoint?  Imagine the potential explosion of organic growth of applications to solve business problems.  If they work, the SharePoint platform could become that much more compelling to the enterprise, spurring even more growth in demand.  Similar to the smartphone and app marketplace revolution, are we on the brink of the enterprise content management revolution?

Well that’s great, why should I care? 

If you are currently running SharePoint 2010 and working on developing an expensive solution, you may want to consider compatibility with SharePoint 15.  Worst case is you will waste development dollars on an application not compatible with the next version, or, you cannot upgrade if you keep your application.  If you are considering an upgrade, you may want to complete any IT infrastructure upgrades that you have had on your “to-do” list.  At a minimum, consider bringing your operating system and SQL server to the latest versions.

Here’s a list of 8 Tips to help you Prepare for SharePoint 15.

Topics to think about with SharePoint 15:

  • Consolidate your Legacy Content Platforms
  • Create a Governance strategy now.
  • Upgrade your other assets from Microsoft Exchange etc.
  • Move to less expensive storage (and prepare for a migration at the same time!)
  • Plan for Enterprise Content Management – pick what stays an goes
  • Is social media integration right for you? It’ll be available – but do you actually want it?
  • Customizaton – to get the most from your upgrade, make a plan for customization based on user needs
  • SharePoint in the Cloud – plan it now, so that users are excited and not confused

These are exciting times!  Just like the .com boom of the late 90’s saw great leaps forward in short periods of time, the same can be said for the world of enterprise content and business collaboration now.

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