Microsoft SharePoint has gone mobile and Harmon.ie created this video called “Don’t SharePoint While Walking” to try and get the word out. Its aimed to be pretty funny(…well as funny as it gets when you’re talking about SharePoint).
Check it out here. http://harmon.ie/dontsharepointwhilewalking/
Mobile operations via mobile devices provide faster reaction and easier management of activities. However, a mobile device increases the work for IT for support and maintenance, and also introduces more challenges of supervision and security e.g. risk of loss or theft, or misuse. A mobile management solution is required to address 5 key aspects of device management.
We offer the award winnin , proven, affordable and feature rich Mobi Connect solution.
The adoption of mobile devices in business is growing exponentiall . BYOD or ‘bring your own device’ is now the norm for many industries i.e. work across platforms and devices.
Reduce IT’s workload and increase their effectiveness remote management, deployment of patches and isntalls etc.
Ensure compliance to corporate policies – security lockdown, geofence tracking, disable and wipe rmeotely, alerts, detailed log
Easily synchronise files with mobile workers
Track who and who is not logged on, and their location.
Track stolen or mislaid devices
Manage shared devices
Ask us about how to better manage your mobile devices, and also about our solutions for extending applications for mobile use e.g.: mobile CRM or filed service management, mobile inventory and asset counting, mobile alert notifications and workflow approvals, mobile BI etc
We are used to to the idea that erp systems will handle financials and inventory but new technology creates new business processes, new opportuntities and new competition. These are some of the features you might also want to check on before selecting a solution a modern ERP solution:
Mobility. In our personal lives we are more mobile and connected. Sales of tablets, netbooks, mobiles etc continue to exceed projections as does the use and prolfieration of social media. We expect the same tools at work. Organizations large and small are becoming ever more mobile, to drive down costs,and improve service. Mobile alerts, mobile reports, and mobile BI are now expected. By 2013, 1.2 billion workers will be mobile—that’s 1/3 of the overall workforce. By 2014, 50% of devices used to access business solutions are expected to be smartphones. Will the solution you’re considering accommodate mobile workers?
IT Costs. Some people claim 84% of organizations have a remote workforce – Typically true of the sales team, installation and service engieers, meter readers, delivery men, consultants trainers, etc. But on average 85% of datacenter capacity is idle, and 70% of IT budgets are spent maintaining datacenter operations. What are inefficiencies like these costing your company? It’s not just the software it’s the server room rental, the energy, the A/c , the hardware depreciation and obsolesence, inusrance, cleaning etc.
3. Access. Think about how people can interact with their solutions. Employees struggle when they can’t collaborate with people who don’t have full access to important data. Can people outside the solution or organization be given web and mobile access to specific reports, charts, graphs, and KPIs? Is the data real-time? Marketing these days is frequently a self service activity, as in many case are business processes like booking on-line or checking in for a flight via kiosk with a bar code on your mobile for a boarding pass, or searching a knowledgebase for help. Project teams are geographically remote but need to uodate each other and to share plans.
4. Simplicity. Workers at home use laptops, phones, tablets—all their preferred devices—with a common experience, to make those all easier to use. What do your staff really need?
I might throw in;
Does it matter? Watch your competitors and see what they are doing but don’t wait too long!
Year end is a good time to rethink your strategies and your systems. if there are aspects of your business or systems that are not delivering or you are not sure what is possible then why not undertake a mini business review and let us help you understand how technology can help you to cut cost or add value or reduce risk and to evaluate whether there is a business case.
It’s easy to quote low to win a project just write a few clauses in the small print:
• Out of the box reports – but do any of these really work for you?
• Load your own data – is that easy? And what so the right sequence and validation
• Use of out of the box security profiles – do these really fit your organisation structure where people do more than one job?
• Use a standard chart of accounts and the same analysis codes as every other industry?
• Don’t implement features the customer doesn’t know about
• Leave the difficult work out of the scope e.g. budgets and consolidation, or forecasts and master scheduling
• Make all customisations a chargeable extra
• Etc
So how do you get a quality implementation that makes the most of your software investment without an open ended budget? Be realistic about the scope and the business case when you set the budget. Don’t start with a budget and work backwards. If a feature adds value and there is a payback then its worth doing properly. If there isn’t a quantifiable return then don’t implement it just because it’s nice to do. If it adds value then implement it properly.
Understand what value the consulting partner can add and what is a routine task you can do yourself. Understand the difference between quantity and quality of consulting contribution. If you face a big challenge in your personal life :you need an operation, or a tooth removed, or have to fight a legal battle then you find the best dentist, the best doctor or the best lawyer not the cheapest. However, you don’t need a dentist to tell you how to clean your teeth or a doctor to stick on a plaster, or a lawyer to write basic letters. You know your business and your data. There is much you can do beforehand to define requirements, processes, reports, and to clean up data, and bring employee basic IT skills up to scratch etc. A little bit of advance diary preparation can save the need to repeat training. Data clean up reduces time on validation and reload.
What happens in a project? Plan it, define the requirement, build it, test it, train users are common steps whatever implementation methodology is followed. But where is the real work content? Is that properly assessed? How much could you do yourself with the right training and tools? There add on modules for most software solutions. Tools for report writing, print output management, and data loading are examples. Typically these areas account for over half the mandays on projects and even more for budget overruns and project delays. Yes, these put up the cost of software investment but these put much more of the scope and cost of implementation and future system maintenance under your own control.
Have you really allowed enough time for training and practice. If training is expensive, then how costly is ignorance? Why is inadequate time spent on training one of the most frequently cite causes of project failure? Usually, because training happens late in the project, when timelines and budgets are already squeezed. Most of the training was given to the project team not to the end users etc. No training needs analysis done. No post training evaluation of trainees done. No time scheduled for practice before go live. Little time spent on prototyping or reading help files or e-learning. All of these issues can largely be managed internally to reduce cost and to increase success.
There is a right cost to any service and a right amount of effort for any project. There is also a huge cost to failure, delay and unrealised benefits. Understand the quote assumptions, and challenge how those worked out on other projects. Understand the project methodology. If implementation quotes vary is there a reason? – what steps are being riskily cut or overlooked, or are not included e.g. post go live hand holding, first month end support, system personalization, audits, etc. Recognize that high skills and experience are needed to deliver complex projects with predictable timelines and costs. Inexperience comes cheap for a reason.
Budget for what you need with some contingency to allow for business changes, staff changes, etc. Control the spend, and use some of the ideas suggested here to achieve more at lower cost.
Studies show that 60-70% of ERP implementations fail. What??
We have worked with a lot of customers who approached us to reduce their stress around ERP, and to help pull in the right resources to get situations back on track after trying the wrong partners.
Partners play a critical role in ensuring their customers understand the key factors and best practices that make the other 30-40% successful. ·
The #1 factor—Trust: Customers need to trust that the people on the team implementing the solution understand the business and have the ability to execute. Base decisions on the reputation of the companybut also meet the project manager and the individuals that will be doing the work. Trust works two ways the partner also has to trust the client not to misrepresent the scope, and the challenges e.g ‘dirty data’, shortages or resources, unusual critical needs and interfaces etc
· Data migration strategy: Customers always want their data migrated. It’s the partner’s job to help them determine at what level. Migrating data introduces risk and higher costs. Does your customer really need 10 years of data, or is it better to migrate master records, bring in beginning balances, and leave historical data in the legacy system? Is the effort of ocnversion and reconciliation really understood, is the need real or just a comfort blanket? What can be migrated at summary elvel, or be held in the legacy system and be accessed via a BI tool that merges data from old and new systems, this can be especially useful when upgrading e.g from Ax 2009 to Ax 2012
Customization: Excessive customization is a major cause of failed ERP implementations. Differentiate customizations you want from what you need. Maintenance and cost increase (and ROI decreases) with the level of customization. If a high level of customization is required, then customize in smaller chunks through a phased approach. Customisation is most worthwhile where it gives you a vertical competitive edge not in standarrd back office functions.
Is there a proven solution or tool already available? Report wrting is the hidden part of the customisation iceberg. You have to: define precisely, desgin and develop, create test data and transactions and run processes, then test layout, content, printing, and distribution and security. For example Lasernet for report writing can save days of consulting time and reduce risk. This is especially true when ugrading to Ax 2012 and SSRS let lasernet capture the SSRS output and thenn easily modify the report design in a favoruite tool like MS word. Often without any need for coding. Similalry, some BI tools such as BI4Dynamics provide you a core set of reports that deal with most requirements.
Complexity: Companies often implement new ssytems because they outgrew the old oine and this leads to a restructure of their organisation and charts of accounts when they change ERP systems. ensure they’re not making the redesign is not too complex. Dynamics Ax is an example of a very flexible orgnaisation framework and powerful and flexible COA for multi-company operations and consolidation that has many features to make users life eaiser. Management Rpeorter which is free for Dyamics Ax users supports multi level aggregation and powerful drilldown features that leverage the dimensional and organisational frameworks.
Dig past the pretty charts: Today’s ERP systems have a lot to offer and demos are full of shiny objects. Cut to the chase and understand which features are most important to make the needed business change. Consider how deployment options and specific features tangibly impact your specific business processes.
Work with a partner that has a formal project methodology and a track record of delivery and local support. Project management that comes free or part time is unlikely to ensure success.
If you are bogged down and all of this advice is too late for your project then let us help you to get it back on track-we have audited and turned around many projects. Let us help you be successful.
An impotant topic for many companies absed on this post: Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.sqlauthority.com)
If you are using SQL Server 2000 then upgrade to SQL Server 2012. SQL Server 2000 is now 12 years old.
Now is the time to catch up with the latest trends. There are many security and performance reasons why you should not to mention many great new features. Its also likely that yout appllciation software will not be compatible for much longer with older unsupported releases so at least budget.it for next year.
Note that you can’t upgrade directly from SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2012. You need to first upgrade to either SQL Server 2005/2008/R2 and then further plan to upgrade to SQL Server 2012. There is no direct upgrade path for SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2012.
If you follow the rule to let something continue if it is not broken and working fine and are still using SQL Server 2000 at elast upgrade to SQL Server 2000 SP4 and update it with latest Security updates.
Here are two important SQL Server Security Updates.
Security Update for SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4 (KB983811)
Security Update for SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4 (KB983812)
There multiple projects costing $ billions /millions in this region.
There are many considerations run a successful project:
Manpower varies project by project and the number of concurrent projects also varies . SaaS licensing can be very advantageous in this case. Vary the number of licences you need by month, only pay for hardware usage based on the number of users and amount of data storage needed month to month. No time delay for new servers for a new project, no wasted licences or hadware capacity when the project is over – predictable costs that are easily identified to charge to project.
Managing the process from lead to opportunity to quote to estimate to budget, forecast etc
RFQ, PR, PO MR approvals, many other document centric workflow approvals
Planning – high level phasing , detailed WBS, resource scheduling, programme management,
Risk management
Secure Collaboration – projects are a paper factory of multiple commericalcontracts, insurance, certifications, with the need for version control, expiry dates, document approval workflows, digital signature, fast search across and within contracts
QA , inspection, incidents and investigation
Budgeting, consolidation and financial compliance
Grant and fund management
Timesheets, access control at site, payroll across countries, multi shift, sub-contractor labour, mobile between project.
Project stores and inventory control. Capital projects, Rental,Asset tracking, Mobiel and bar code solutions
Reporting and dashboards
Our Software solutions help you better manage all these areas
BIM integrated model for design, estimation, control and planning
Mind mapping for high level plans that export direct to MS Project, use for lessons learned, PESTEL risk analysis, meeting agendas, project team strucutre and many more uses for project managers
Dynamics CRM track future projects and meetings with influencers that create the specifications, track opportunties and quotes through user defined stages, also maintain details of meetings and contacts with vendors, subcontractors, financial and legal advisors , government contacts, auditors, H@S inspectors etc. Mobile options SaaS options
Dynamics Ax incudes a full PSA features, advanced project management accounting, grant and fund management, integration to MS Project, and additonal module options for construction projects Advanced multi company financials, make and buy to project options, integrted workflow engine for RFQ, PR etc, advanced mrp, HR, resource scheduling, Service module , case managmeent, QA module, multi company process, eg intercompany journals, orders, cosnildiated requsitoons and central pruchaisng, centralised productionplanning across companies etc. Mobil and SaaS options
Confidential secure document storage and collaboration workspaces are required for most projects so that material can be accessed by multiple, authorised stakeholders from many locations. Whether an M&A project, a new product launch, a prestige new building design, an exhibition or event, a commercial tender or a feasibility study all need secure storage authorised collaborative access,version control, ease and speed of search, controls on: who can see what, who can copy and print, who can approve what.
Digital signatures with documemt workflow speed up decision making processes and reduce risk of fraud. Mulitple signatories each approving a specific segments of a document, the ability to mass sign every page of a document, or to sign multiple POs at one go, in built version control and audit features are soem of the features that help auotmate process while increasing control.
Fixed asset depreciation only buy the licences you need for the FA users- works with most erp systems and is much easier, more functional and more cost effective very easy flexble aquistion, depreciation and disposal . Optional modules for Asset tagging, counting and tracking, capitalise asset projects, planned asset maintenance. Ask about our asset tagging, and take-on and annual count service.
Detailed consolidation, budgetting, forecasting and planning – many feature – top down bottom up, based on prior priod seasonality and % change etc Built in dashboards and ad hoc what if querying, reforecast, period on period comparison by multiple dimensions, KPIs , etc. Use SSRS and Poer Pivot for further analysis and reporting.
Construction companies often have a multitude of legacy solutions to integrate our specialist mapping tool makes this easy especially when there are system upgrades.
When you have thousands of workers at site, who may be deploye dot dfferent tasks accessed via different entrance gates you need a robust access controland T@A system that can hold all the templates and share the across the network,- that means a very small file size- per worker, at shift chage over there is little time so that needs a very fast device with low rate of false reading. Devices need to work when labourers have cut fingers, dirty hands. Devices need to be easy to use, to not lose transactions in a power cut, to hold staff rostas and to integrate with Payroll systems. only the Ingersoll Rand Hand Punch and the Interflex Software can provide all those features, which is why it is used by large airlines, ports, event organisers like the Olympics, of football stadiums, and those with complex shifts and 24×7 opertions like hospitals, retail stores, and hotels. Devices can be installedon buses so workers can clock in as they leave the bus, or mobile gate units can be installed at sites.
Paryroll and HR systems become useful when you have mote than 50 employees nn to have when you have more than 100 employees and essential when you are dealing with thousands of employees. Tracking employyee accrused benefits across projects and countries with timesheet integration, for mutiple benefts and deductions, multiple shift patterns, and different treatment by grade, nationality etc needs both experienced implementors, and a powerful payroll engine that can handle multiple languages and currencies.
Enterprise Project Management (EPM) is the latest release of Micorsft Project Server and now sits on SharePoint. If you are supporting multiple proejcts e.g roll-out out of a chain of retail stores or hotels , then each site will have multiple projects, from construction, to fit out, to multiple software projects.
To discuss your requirement and learn more about how our solutions will help youmange your projects please contact us. 0097143365589
How do you evaaluate an opportunity?
How do you present the idea to others?
How do you provide context relevant information?
How do youplan to make it happen and assign responsibility and timelines without losing the big picture?
How do you support collaboration across tiemzones and geographies and disciplines, and numerous documents?
How do you create agendas and keep meetings on track and capture minutes onw ide ranging discussions?
and
How do you make it happen on time?
All of the above - but how?
Take a look at Mind Manager - easy to use, fast to deploy, and multiple applications.
Do you have a lot of documents? Construction project contracts and drawings? Lawyers office case files and testimonies, Health records, Insurance claims, Utilities customer records…. How do you find all the right documents quickly? What about version control? and how do you know who accessed, modifed or printed what and when?
Most business processes depend on information – this often means multiple files and documents and various stages of approval or information gathering and dissemination. The abiity to rapidly configure eforms and workflows and to store documents with context sensitive search features provides both rapid implementation and major cost reductions. There are issues of compliance, of data sensitivity, data loss, and timeliness of action, when orignal documents are routed physically.
ASTRA ZENECA uses PLATINA to manage their digital log books for their production entity in Södertälje. In this case the system is validated according to FDA.
Tele2 manage their telecommunication towers all over Europe with use of PLATINA Software. This includes documents and work orders along with distribution of digital information to stakeholders outside the Tele2 system.
PolyPeptide AB recently acquired the system for divergence management, and the managing of quality documents along with “SOPar” and CAPA processes. Eventually this will also contain IT tasks, drawings, and agreements.
Trelleborg AB uses PLATINA for their quality management which primarily involves divergence and quality documentation. 13 county councils in Sweden use PLATINA for their quality documentation, divergence and diary management.
PLATINA is n integrated, versatile .NET platform for self-development and expansion of information- and operational systems.
PLATINA makes it possible to rearrange the different processes of how documents, agreements, cases and other tasks flow through the organization – using logical conditions and alternative approaches throughout the process.
The system includes features and applications for: version control, management review control, indexing, and publication, distribution –and safety control. Indexing of documents including metadata enables powerful and efficient search functions. The publication and distribution feature is used for access and authorization of documents, while the safety-controls permit the right users the access of documents. .
PLATINA Document Management includes applications for a controlled “check in/check out” of documents. The ‘lock’ function ensures that only one user at a time is able to make changes in a document. The document can easily be sorted into categories and folders. Moreover, the users can mark documents with additional metadata i.e. information describing the document.
When you are starting up or need a new solution fast then a cloud based solution rather than an on-premise one will get you up and running without the cash flow hit. . . . at least in the short-term. However, if you implement a major business application then you still need comprehensive business process mapping, data cleansing, organizational change management, end-user training , data migration local support etc.
The cost structure of cloud ERP avoids paying a lump sum up-front, either for hardware , software, product install, or day to day IT staff but organizations must pay for yearly subscriptions to their cloud provider. So it’s an easy way to amortize a large upfront expense witrhout punitive bank loans or mortgages. You also don’t need to worry about the cost of applying patches and upgrades or resizing hardware, or the cost of back up tapes nor the space costs of a server room (what is the opportutnity cost of the space in a amjor city?) and the energy costs that go with it, not to mention insurance and support costs for the hardware.
However if the business cash flow should cash dry up, then you may find it impossible to pay for the subscription – you dont just lose support, you may lose your entire system. Vendors need to make a profit so ultimately they have to cover the cost of the up front finance. Cloud applications therefore generate more predictable revenue and higher long term revenue.
There are many successful solutions particularly in the CRM space. Why am I writing about this now? Well Microsoft recently invited me to particpate in one of the partner surveys about our awarenes of, and our business plans, re the cloud and use/planned sales of specifically Azure and other providers like Amazon web services. So I ahd to think – we sell some cloud solutions but we not likely to be a host of the cloud – we implement and support. So how might it change our future and offerings?
In this region there has been cautious adoption . Of course most of us use the cloud without thinking about it when we buy books on line or upload photos, or use web email, or Facebook etc.
So what about erp solutions like Dynamics Ax . We have been able to offer this for a long time on the cloud but clients in this region are still concerend about proven reliability – there have been some prominent site outages this year, and about risks to their data. I am less conerend about secuirty – if you choose a major provider then they will have a Fort Knox equivalent data centre physical security with appropriate back up, disaster recovery, firewalls, virus protection, and skilled staff etc that will be far safer than most on premise networks. For me the problem is more about the contractual and support side which seems much less clear..
2. Will we still own our data? a crucial question to ask your ERP cloud provider before the purchase- how and in what format will the cloud provider deliver your data to you when you cancel your contract – how long will that take .
3. How to choose the ERP cloud provider? Few will have a cloud track record, but lots of satisfied customers is always a good sign . Check the uptime guarantees, service level agreement (SLA) and other terms and conditions and whether these cna be substantiated and what happens if those are not met . Check the vendor is operating on a large enough scale with redundant infrastructure facilities in the case of a natural disaster at their primary facility. What is their financial stability. WIll your data be in the sama server as others on a shared database, or will it be dedicated for you? How does the application licensing work if the cloud provider is not the application vendor?
4. What if we want to bring ERP back in-house? . Some vendors only support cloud deployment,
5. Will a cloud-based ERP system be able to integrate with the other line of business applications that we use? ERP solutions with integration tools will allow you to integrate to other on premises and cloud based solutions. Can you customise for your business, or is it a common build offered to all clients – i.e if the system is enhanced for you then all other users similarly benefit. A common build will tend to be continually improved and be easier to upgrade maintain – Birch St is a typical product that works on this module for Hospitality procurdment.
6. Will there be connectivity and response time issues Check the latency and bandwidth requirement per client – consider report printing and BI. Response time is a key factor for the user with a cloud based system. Flex system is a powerful user friendly cloud BI system – its in memory processing ensures exceptional processing response time. Ask us! Its a well kept secret here but is widely used in financial services in Asia.
7. What if the internet connection goes down? Consider a redundant internet service to ensure continued operations even when your primary ISP goes down this may also help you to load balance and peak times . Many organizations find that a redundant system also helps with load balancing during high usage time.
8. What if the cloud provider is offline? The SLA (Service Level Agreement), should define uptime guarantees and explanation of the redundant systems in place to protect against major system failure – 99.9% uptime means in the worst case scenario that your system isdown less than 8.76 hours per annum – probably better than an in house system .
9. What about add on customised developments? Will these work with a cloud based application ? This will become more common as the cloud usage expands, but there will be an additional cost to adding ISV applications to your hosted or cloud system.
What about office tools- these are less crtical than erp solutions Most of us use a hotmail gmail ,yahoo or equivalent mail account. Google apps has a large footprint of users – and Zoho also has its fans,
Microsoft has now entered this space with 2 million clients for Office 365 in a very short time. For small businesses this is a quick way to get up and running at a known cost with Office Professional, SharePoint, Exchange server and Lync with the only requirement being an internet connection,- instant productivity with the possibility of Skype or other VOIP phone systems. Ask us for details. However, it can also be a big boon for large companies as a way of outsourcing these IT functions – useful when skilled resources are scarce /costly, and when office rents are high, and the company wants to stay compliant with ITIL, and the latest technology, or has variabe staffing e.g a project based company or is experiencing rapid growth which is outstripping systems.
This seems to me where the cloud will get established and will lead to wider acceptance of erp on the cloud. Meanwhile apps stores are increasingly adding business apps and Microsoft now also runs an apps store to complement its products. expect to see SaaS models evolve around web services e.g pay for a credit card gateway on an ad hoc per use basis.
Features and functionality that have been discontinued or changed in Microsoft Project Server 2010.
Project Server and Project Portfolio Server are no longer two separate products. Relevant portfolio functionality from Project Portfolio Server is merged into Project Server 2010. The following Project Portfolio Server 2007 features and functionality were discontinued or changed for Project Server 2010:
Other info:
Configure Project Server 2010 to work with Exchange Server 2007 SP2
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee782548.aspx
This article describes how to configure integration with Exchange Server 2007 SP2, enabling Project Server 2010 users to view Project Server tasks in Microsoft Office Outlook. This functionality replaces the Outlook Add-in task status reporting functionality for non-time–phased tasks that is available in previous versions of Project Server and enables task assignment updates using % complete or total work remaining. These task assignment updates are then auto-submitted to the Task Status Manager when the tasks are updated in the Exchange client.
Activity plans and personal projects included the ability to create and manage activity plans, also known as lightweight projects, and personal projects from within Project Web Access. Instead,Project Server 2010 supports editing any project on the server using a rich, new grid control in Project Web App.
See these links
http://www.harbar.net/archive/2011/06/30/327.aspx
to explain the difference between SP1 and the June CU.
The recommended approach is to apply Service Pack 1 and the June CU into an environment together. Because the packages changed by the June CU supersede SP1, the order of installation isn’t critical. If you install the CU before SP1, the packages that the CU updated won’t be overwritten by SP1. Because the June CU is from a later build than SP1, many will be comfortable installing SP1 first, and then applying the CU.
A separate topic of conversation is the order in which you should apply SharePoint Foundation vs. SharePoint Server Updates. Per the guidance from the SharePoint team, when applying SP1 or the CU it is recommended to apply the Foundation packages before applying the server packages.
The recommended order of installation is as follows:
Update Foundation first:
SharePoint Foundation 2010 Service Pack 1
Service Pack 1 for SharePoint Foundation 2010 Language Pack
June 2011 CU for SharePoint Foundation 2010
Then SharePoint Server:
SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 1
Service Pack 1 for Server Language Pack 2010
June 2011 CU for SharePoint Server 2010
You can then run the Configuration Wizard (PSConfig) one time on all boxes.
Some links which will help in planning and executing your SharePoint 2010 SP1 and SharePoint 2010 June CU deployment:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ff800847.aspx – Updates for SharePoint Products
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff806326.aspx – SharePoint Foundation Updates
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff806329.aspx – SharePoint Server Updates
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2510766 – List of all SharePoint Server 2010 SP1 Packages
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2532120 – Technical Details about the SharePoint 2010 SP1 and Office Server 2010 releases
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2536599 – Description of the June CU for SharePoint Server 2010
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff806338.aspx – Install a Software Update for SharePoint Server 2010
A paintbrush is just that, a paintbrush that in the right hands can wield art that is priceless.
So goes the way of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems. Erp is a business tool (albeit a sophisticated one) and like any other tool, in the hands of a skilled craftsman can work wonders for an organization.
Why is this relevant? Time and time again we see prospective customers looking into the depths of an ERP system demo, orcreating 1000 quedstion rfp for a capability to meet a “requirement,” but don’t use the same scrutiny when looking for the partner to implement and to support the system. A reference check may be completed, but a serious discussion around ideas to IMPROVE their business does not take place. They end up with a new paintbrush and use it the same way. To change metaphors this is what we call changing the piano and playing the same tune.
An ERP implementation partners all have a set of brushes and they can all paint, but some have significantly more expertise in wielding the same brush as another.
So don;t paying so much attention to the system being implemented and start paying more attention to the partner chosen, and when you look s the cost quesiton whether his works are really masterpieces.
A good partner does not recommend a bad system and will make the system work for you. Even the best system implemented by novices and amateurs will fail. The use of sub-contract labour is also a consideration. What happens when you want to repaint if the expert painters have left, how much more committed to quality is a partner providing local support with its own resources? Why do some partners charge more than others- maybe you get what you pay for – no partners want to lose business so if they have been in business a long time, then they will price at market rates – if that seems high you have to wonder why another would undercut and what else they cut in quality and service.
Most cars can list a similar list of features, a driving wheel an engine, 4 wheels, brakes lights etc so why doesn’t everyone just drive the cheapest one? After all they get you from A to B. Why go to a certified garage when freelancer engieerss will cut the cost? Why buy branded spares?
No support ocntract is like no insurance cover? And not all insurance polices are the same. Is there a skilled, manned helpdesk to answer queries?
So why use a different basis of selection for your key business system and partner?.
Buying a new car to rpelace oen witjh bugs, or a new paintbrush that is easier to use is relatively painless comapred to having to switch implementation partners mi- project. In the long run the right solution implemented by the right partner is the most effective, and the fastest, and the cheapest.
Microsoft has released Windows Small Business Server 2011 - SBS 2011 Standard and the optional SBS 2011 Premium Add-on. Microsoft lists the release date for SBS 2011 Essentials as 1H 2011.
According to Microsoft, two SBS 2011 editions exist. However, Microsoft considers the SBS 2011 Premium Add-on (at $1,604) to the ($1,096) Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard platform) and not a separate edition. The $545 Windows SBS 2011 Essentials package, has a 25-user limit.
Organizations needing to deploy additional servers within their SBS environment must purchase the SBS 2011 Premium Add-on. The add-on includes a Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard license, which enables deploying a second server on a Windows Small Business Server 2011 network. The Premium Add-on also enables adding virtual servers running within a Hyper-V environment in an SBS 2011 network.
Thanks to the power of Microsoft’s Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1, email services included in SBS 2011 are robust. Included Outlook Web Access (OWA) services mimic Microsoft Office Outlook much more than previous versions. An improved Microsoft Exchange Management Console provides a single location for administering user email. The power of Exchange 2010’s advanced retention policies and deployment rules, and new archiving options, all become available on the SBS platform with the 2011 edition, as does automatic mailbox and database corruption detection and repair.
Windows Server Update Services, had a tendency to consume gigabytes of disk space, often on incorrectly partitioned C volumes. SBS 2011 benefits from WSUS 3.0 Service Pack 2, which simplifies patch and update management. Windows 7 support is included, as is BranchCache, which enables storing file and Web server content at branch locations to reduce WAN traffic. Numerous other performance enhancements and bug fixes are also included in the SP2 version.
Windows SBS 2011 Essentials requires no client access licenses (CALs). Yes. You read that right. SBS 2011 Essentials requires no CALs. Microsoft must have discovered that small offices don’t track CALs well and are simply confused by the concept. SBS 2011 Essentials includes those costs within its server OS license, further simplifying deployment and administration within small organizations.
While CAL requirements are eliminated within the SBS 2011 Essentials edition, the platform can’t be used in larger offices. Interesting, SBS 2011 Standard and Premium Add-on CALs suites are not concurrent, - separate CALs are required for every user accessing the SBS 2011 server. Microsoft has an excellent FAQ, providing more licensing information, on its Web site.
. The SBS 2011 release includes Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Services 2010 to fuel secure online internal communication. The newest SharePoint version helps organizations reduce costs by consolidating multiple sites on an intranet administered locally, which makes it easier to share files and coordinate calendars. It also includes native monitoring, alert, and administration tools.
SharePoint Sites provide a “one-stop shop” for all your business Web sites with a full set of tools that your people can use to create any kind of site, plus a single infrastructure that simplifies site management.
From a team site for colleagues, to an extranet site for partners, to an Internet site for customers, people can share and publish information using one familiar system.
Product Positioning – Gartner Inc. defines a portal as “a Web software infrastructure that provides interaction with relevant information assets (for example, information/content, applications and business processes), knowledge assets and human assets by select targeted audiences, delivered in a highly personalized manner.”
Microsoft SharePoint is a consideration in more Gartner portal inquiries, than any other vendor (over 70%).
The Gartner Magic Quadrant for horizontal portals clearly shows SharePoint as the leading solution
To get more out of your Sharepoint investment Synergy offers a range of complementary solutions: from an intuitive workflow tool, to pre built soltuions for HR, CRM, QA, and Proejct Management , and even for e-Governement, or for large scale Project Collaboration.
SharePoint can be further enhanced by integration with Mind Manager.
Synergy recently implemented EPM 2010 on a SharePoint 2010 farm.
With the advent of Office 365 we exepct to see exponential growth in SharePoint adoption by users.
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