Social Computing Meets the Enterprise

This session will review some of the leading Social Networking sites online, and then compare and contrast them with the functionality provided in SharePoint 2010. We’ll discuss what’s important, what’s missing, why it’s missing, and how you can bridge those gaps. From there we’ll explore how Social Computing is changing the way people find information and how you can use Social Analytics to help people more effectively share knowledge. This session will cover concerns about IP, data management and productivity, all of which help you to fit SharePoint 2010 into your Social strategy.

I will also be delivering a “Get to the Point” Workshop on Monday, details as follows:

Building and running an Intranet on SharePoint
This session, designed for those who are responsible for the design and management of Intranets, spends a half-day exploring SharePoint as an Intranet platform. It comes from a business, rather than technolgy perspective and covers: – Key components of SharePoint – Real world examples of using SharePoint to deliver intranet services in a large organisation. – Discuss the role of Social Computing and user generated content, and how it can make your intranet better. – How to build an effective working relationship with IT

Time is running out, so if you would like to participate, get in quick!
http://www.sharepointconference.co.nz/NZ2011/SolutionPages/Workshops.aspx

• Large Enterprises that want to make it easier for people to share SharePoint Business Solutions
• BPOS/Office365 partners looking to try an differentiate themselves in the market by providing value-added solutions to their customers via their own storefront
• SharePoint hosters who want to help their customers get more out of their hosted services by having a tightly integrated storefront

If you wish to discuss any of this further, drop me an email, daniel@sharevolutionhq.com

The solution in the store are not always going to be free, but there are always going to be free solutions in the store. The price set for any of the stores products is at the discretion of the publisher themselves.

They decide if their product is for free, or for sale, and they decide the price point.

The process we are launching with aims to be as flexible and supportive as possible. Its starts with the publisher completing the form listed below:

http://blog.sharevolutionhq.com/index.php?plugin=formidable&controller=forms&action=preview&form=14rnn5

Once this form has been submitted, with just a bare minimum of detail, we will have one of our “Publisher Concierges” contact you within 3 days. They will then step you through the following:

1) The product needs to be packaged and tested.

We can help. We have a team here who will take your solution and perform the testing on it needed to ensure it’s ready for distribution. If we find bugs, we’ll even help you iron them out.

2) The product needs logo’s and branding support

We can help. We have a team here ready to work with you to create a brand, or turn your existing brand into what is needed by the store

3) Screenshots

We can help. During our testing we would be happy to help you produce the screenshots you need for the preview, otherwise we can use yours.

4) Product Information

This we need from you. It includes a short description, long description, site containing more information and other pieces of information that describes your product.

5) Contracts

We have a couple of standard contracts, one covering the distribution of your software by us, and one covering the distribution of your software by you. The second is optional, since you might have your own EULA already.

Once all this is in place, you are ready to go, and your solution can go live in the store. The same process is followed whenever a new version is introduced.

1) Branding and marketing your site

They will help you to get your Logos and Company brand ready for the store

2) Testing and Technical Troubleshooting

They can arrange to have your solution tested, and put you in touch with engineers who can help you to fix any issues you might encounter.

3) Advice and Guidance

They are your point of contact for any questions regarding the store. We work with partners in the following regions:

• Europe – Rapid Circle
• The Americas – SharePoint Directions
• Asia Pacific – Zevenseas Australia

Of course you can always contact Sharevolution direct, my email address is daniel@sharevoloutionhq.com

• SharePoint Designer
• Javascript
• HTML/CSS/Masterpages
• Silverlight
• SharePoint Web Srevices

While this does only cover a small number of solutions, we see this growing very quickly on the back of the adoption of cloud based SharePoint services. These technologies and tool combined means you can develop a range of solutions, with Sharevolution supporting the following:

1) Site Templates

If you can package it up, and send it to people in a .STP file, then its ready to go into the store. Site Templates are one of the most powerful types of solution we host, and when combined with the use of Javascript and the SharePoint Web Services, some very cool things are possible.

 TeamTalk by Zevenseas

2) Web Parts

There are a large number of solutions like this already out there. These are basically Content Editor or Data Form Web Parts, that have been customised to do a particular job and then exported to a .dwp or .webpart file. If your solution works like this, then it’s ready for our store.

EasyTabs by PathToSharePoint

3) Themes

We think this area has huge potential. Other content management solution have marketplaces full of creative new themes, yet SharePoint has none. We have a simple way of packaging up Masterpages, CSS and Images so that they can be easily deployed and activated. Of course it’s not just about the colours, with the use of JQuery and other technologies the entire SharePoint User Interface can be made better.

4) List Templates

The main thing we think of when we think of list templates, is sharing preconfigures lists with lots of data. For example, you might offer a list containing all the countries of the world or all the states in America. People can then reuse these, for example as lookups from other lists, saving them lots of time.

5) Silverlight Web Parts

Silverlight can do some things that is very difficult to do otherwise. We have a way of packaging up your Silverlight web parts so that its easy for people to deploy into their team sites.

That covers the main categories of solutions, we are only just starting to see what is possible with technologies like these. We are also at the beginning of Sharevolution, overtime we will be talking to publishers, and End Users, to understand what they want to see in the store. This might include adding support for solutions that do require you to install on the server, but we are going to take a wait and see approach to that.

Account Security

We need to have Site Collection Administrator privileges in order to perform the operations that we do, we wish that were not the case, but it is. Here are some of the safe guards and recommendations we have:

1) Create a new account especially for working with Sharevoloution

This way you can be clear about what specific actions we perform via the store in your SharePoint environment. What you can also do is remove that accounts permissions when you’re done, reinstating it next time you are visiting Sharevolution. Giving you peace of mind.

2) Remembering your password

We can remember your password for you. For many people this is an important convenience, and when we do, we store it securely. However, we recommend, and therefore default to, not storing your password. This is less convenient of course, however it means you don’t have to trust us with your SharePoint credentials. We do store the location of your SharePoint site, so that next time you do an install, we only need ask you for your password again.