There are certain capabilities we all take for granted within the Windows environment, such as keyboard shortcuts, context menus accessed by right clicking on objects, and the fact that just about every desktop application integrates with every other desktop application. Within the SharePoint environment,
unfortunately, we lose much of this ease of use capability. SharePoint 2010 will restore some features, but there will still remain opportunities for products like Axceler’s
Outlook PowerTool Plus.
What does Outlook PowerTool Plus do for SharePoint? This free tool activates two powerful features inside your SharePoint site collection: the Outlook PowerTool features, which allow you to send multiple links and attachments via Outlook, and the previously unreleased List Item PowerTool features, which allows you to Move, Copy, Delete, Check In and Check Out multiple documents and list items. When the Outlook PowerTool Plus is installed on your server, both of these features are automatically activated across your target site collection. The image on the right provides a view of the Outlook PowerTool Plus context window with all of its features.
The key to Outlook PowerTool Plus is the Select Item Checkbox, a hidden feature that is also activated automatically, and illustrated in the screenshot to the left. The Select Item Checkbox allows you to quickly and easily grab multiple files and move them across your site collection, or send them as an email attachment to someone who does not have access to your site. SharePoint natively allows you to do these operations one at a time, but the ability to select a dozen documents or list items at once to move them or to check them out is pretty powerful, and brings the SharePoint
user experience closer to the Windows experience. The tool is easy enough to use -- just select the targeted files, click on one of the file names to access the context menu, and select your action.
For example, grab a couple documents and send as a link or attachment, and an outgoing email is opened, and your selected files are either listed as links or attached, as shown to the right.
The Outlook PowerTool Plus is available for free download, and is compatible with MOSS deployments.
In light of the holiday season, we thought we would repost this article we found this morning about how Santa has discovered the importance of a well designed SharePoint Governance Strategy.
If administered wisely, SharePoint can be a tremendously powerful resource. And that is why a SharePoint governance plan is essential. Rules, technology, responsibilities, protocol and policies need to be written out in advance. A SharePoint governance plan holds the whole operation together.
A Sharepoint governance plan can also serve to measure the success of a SharePoint installation; items in the governance plan can be checked off as they are accomplished.
More on the components of a SharePoint Governance plan and other related links can be found here
Just found this article on the AIIM.org website about SharePoint Governance and thought it might be useful for SharePoint Governance managers.
"Successful SharePoint implementations are less about the technology and more about the business functions that are delivered to the end users. To insure that the delivery of the SharePoint solution is consistent and meets the needs of the users, a robust governance program should be established. Governance programs are one of those areas that can cover different topics depending on the focus of the organization. Successful SharePoint solutions require a governance program that covers the business aspect of managing the SharePoint implementation.
A SharePoint governance program will cover the:
- Establishment of a Governance Board
- Definition for release management, standards enforcement, and cross-functional delivery
- Roles and responsibilities for using and administrating the SharePoint system
- Actions to be taken in the resolution of issues or problems relating to the SharePoint system"
Link to full document here
Live Webcast on ControlPoint - Best SharePoint Product of 2009 - Manage SharePoint Permissions, Analyze Activity, Storage and More!
Axceler invites you to a webcast that will show you how to use ControlPoint to administer your SharePoint environment like a pro. In this session, we will show you how to:
Thursday, 2 PM EST. 45 Minutes w/ Q&A
Sign up here
Hamburg, 2009-12-02 - Layer2, the SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) announced a strategic partnership with Axceler, the global leader in administration software for Microsoft SharePoint. Layer2 will resell and implement ControlPoint, the award winning SharePoint administration product, giving SharePoint administrators the ability to explore, protect, analyze and control their SharePoint environments.
Microsoft SharePoint technology is increasingly used in SMEs and larger companies as a business collaboration platform for the enterprise and the web, to connect and empower people, to cut costs with a unified infrastructure to implement solutions for collaboration, document management, enterprise content and records management, business intelligence, forms service and company-wide search. However due to its success, SharePoint farms can quickly grow and become difficult to manage, as sites proliferate.
Together, the two companies will help enterprises to install, upgrade, deploy, maintain, manage and optimize their Microsoft SharePoint environments.
"Axceler ControlPoint perfectly fits into our portfolio of add-ons that unleash the power of SharePoint technology. Customers can cut costs of SharePoint administration, can build a smarter SharePoint infrastructure and ensure compliance to corporate governance policies" Frank Daske, Business Development Manager of Layer2, appreciates the partnership.
Read the full release.