Mad Men meets SharePoint. It had to happen eventually.  -  Dooley

Top News Stories
5 Dirty SharePoint Online Secrets You Didn’t Know About (Web 2.0 Journal)
When you go through vendor feature datasheets, you get a view of features at a very high level. It’s only once you dive deep and actually start using the software do you get a sense of how it works. The experience might sometimes yield unexpected surprises.… So while you might have absorbed some of SharePoint Online’s marketing hype, here are some things they failed to mention.

Avoid these Key Mistakes for Enterprise Collaboration Initiative Success (SearchContentManagement)
Communication within a company used to be simple: You walked down the hallway to talk to a co-worker, picked up the phone or banged out an email. But those methods become less effective as companies grow and employees spread out around the country and the globe. In addition, the amount of information that workers must sift through has increased exponentially in many cases, while the time allotted to digest and formulate it has significantly decreased. For a growing number of organizations, the answer to those issues is implementing an enterprise collaboration software initiative.

Microsoft Finally Goes Public with Windows Azure Active Directory Details (ZDNet)
Microsoft finally is starting to share publicly its high-level cloud-centric identity management plans, as my ZDNet blogging colleague John Fontana noted last week. That means the semi-mysterious Windows Azure Active Directory (WAAD) service is finally fair game for discussion. I blogged about WAAD — Microsoft’s cloud version of its Active Directory directory service — earlier this year. Although Microsoft had a public-facing page about WAAD on its Azure site (which it subsequently removed), officials declined to comment on the technology when I asked in February. And members of the Microsoft cloud community said they were not at liberty to share specifics because of non-disclosure agreements.

Did Microsoft Just Give Up on Windows 8 for Businesses? (WindowsITPro)
Earlier this month, I looked at Windows 8 with fresh eyes, hoping to determine whether this curiously consumer-focused version of Windows made any sense for businesses. What I found, summarized in “Making the Business Case for Windows 8,” surprised me somewhat. Once you get past the utter shock and horror that most IT pros feel about the touchy-feely new Metro environment, Windows 8, for businesses at least, is simply a logical evolution of the work Microsoft began with Windows 7, defined by a number of useful smaller features rather than a handful of major, seismic shifts.

Why I Can’t Love Windows Phone 7.5 (InfoWorld)
I like Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango.” OK, so most of you who read my column regularly are thinking, “There he goes again, just taking the Microsoft side.” But wait a moment. I didn’t say I love it. I didn’t claim it to be better than an iPhone. I just said I like it. Here’s why I like it but don’t love it. I’ve said for months that I would give up my Android smartphone for a Windows Phone 7.5 device to see if Microsoft’s mobile platform could be a real contender for professional use. Now that my Android contract has expired, I’ve made the switch. I’m now using a Nokia Lumia 710, which has a 3.7-inch touchscreen with a 5-megapixel camera, LED flash, and HD video. (The Lumia 900 is all the rage right now, but my carrier, T-Mobile, doesn’t offer it yet.)

10 ways Using Skype Can Help You Professionally (ITWorld)
The examples of this phenomenon abound. Jules Verne wrote of undersea ships and in time submarines came into existence. Special Agent Maxwell Smart had a phone in his shoe and along came cell phones. Various books, movies, and TV included phones with graphical capabilities, now Skype, the new iPhone application, and other similar tools have become commonplace. Who knows, maybe one day, Scotty actually will be able to beam us up.

 

Around the Blogosphere
5 Safety Concerns of Using SharePoint on Mobile Devices (SharePointEduTech)
SharePoint has a built in feature for protecting data, Information Rights Management (IRM). Designed to control how much users can modify documents like e-mail and Word documents, it can even disable simple functions like copy and paste. But despite Microsoft’s attempts to make SharePoint a secure workspace, mobile devices are posing a security threat to data.

Taxonomy Planning in SharePoint 2010 (ITPro)
Taxonomy is a difficult concept. Correctly developing taxonomy in SharePoint 2010 takes that difficulty to the next level. You’ll be surprised to learn that taxonomy development is really not all that complex but very easy to get wrong. This post highlights considerations for planning taxonomy in SharePoint 2010. If you are a developer or an IT manager, it’s important that you understand taxonomy and its role in ECM. Why? Because it is very likely you have been or will be asked to implement ECM. Without knowing the what’s, why’s, and how’s, you will get nowhere. It’s shocking to me how many organizations demand that ECM be implemented by their SharePoint Developers, Architects, and IT Managers, without considering that ECM is not actually an IT concept.

Publishing Applications in the Cloud with InfoPath Forms and Office 365 (TechNet)
This is the first of a series of articles in which we discuss how you can use InfoPath 2010 to quickly create and deploy business applications in the cloud with SharePoint Online, part of the Microsoft Office 365 platform. We’ll show how to publish a simple InfoPath form to SharePoint Online, and future articles will build upon this example. For those not familiar, InfoPath is a Microsoft application that allows users to easily create and publish forms for collecting structured information. The InfoPath application ships with Microsoft Office Professional 2010, and is also available for separate purchase.

The Factors that Influence Adoption in Corporate Applications (Dot Net Mafia)
As an Account Manager for an IT consulting firm, my customers rely on my firm’s resources and myself to provide advice and guidance on some of their most difficult challenges. A development manager might need to improve his or her team’s build process or a CMO might need help leveraging mobile technologies to promote his or her brand. While the challenges vary by title and company, one challenge that has been reoccurring lately is how to increase user adoption and specifically user adoption for employees for certain applications inside their enterprise.

Microsoft Project: The Adventure Begins (The Bottom-Line PM)
I have been undertaking a diet –well, “lifestyle change”– for a little more than a month now. I did a lot of prep-work for it. I set goals, I bought gear and apps, I researched my methodologies, and I started a blog to keep myself accountable to strangers on the Internet in preparation for my “lifestyle change.” I was faithful about wearing my fancy little pedometer, logging calories into the app on my phone, and updating my blog with my weigh-in figures. I was not, however, quite ready when I launched this self-improvement project, to start with the exercise component of my “lifestyle change.”

 

SharePoint Job Listings*
SharePoint Admin – Woodlawn, MD
Individual will be responsible with assisting in the analysis and maintenance of SharePoint sites (including wikis) and act as a back-up web site administrator. This will require an understanding of how to create and use libraries and lists, versioning concepts, site types, user administration, groups, and permissions in SharePoint.  The individual will also be responsible for web site development, specifically using HTML, XHTML, and CSS. The ideal candidate will have a technical background in SharePoint and be able to code in HTML, XHTML, and CSS with a basic understanding of web server configuration and administration.

Senior Consultant – SharePoint / BI – Alexandria, VA
Microsoft Services has an immediate opening for a Consultant with an in-depth knowledge of SharePoint, SQL, and Business Intelligence (BI) to analyze data input variables, drive data warehouse optimization, and develop business intelligence reporting for a designated set of US Military customers. This person will be responsible for delivering SharePoint and BI to US Army organizations in the US, primarily on the East coast. This person will be responsible for delivering services to the military leadership within the customers area of responsibility. The ideal candidate should have at least 3-5 years experience with Microsoft Enterprise products. The candidate should have extensive experience with SharePoint, Business Intelligence consulting engagements, data warehouse (Data CUBE) experience, and theoretical and practical experience with SSAS/SSRS/SSIS and Performance Point. A strong programming background is desirable. This candidate should possess a working knowledge of an ITIL (MSF/MOF) centric services discipline. The candidate’s primary focus will be to analyze data collection sources and recommend solutions and processes for rapid integration into the overall mission capability. The candidate will be expected to demonstrate and give examples of their ability to function and contribute to a team-oriented environment. Excellence in written documentation and public speaking is expected.

 

Microsoft Updates
National Careers Service Website on Track to Meet the Needs of 20 Million Citizens (Microsoft Case Studies)
The National Careers Service for England is a United Kingdom (U.K.) government initiative. The Skills Funding Agency is responsible for developing the service, built around an interactive learning and careers website. Working with Microsoft Services and using Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 communications and collaboration software, the agency is confident that its site meets government expectations and the needs of 20 million users.

 

SharePoint Events*

• May 30, Charlotte, North Carolina – Microsoft Collaboration and Virtualization: A Real World Deminar
• May 30, Online – SharePoint for HR – Cut Costs, Reduce Risks, Empower Employees
• May 30, Online – Strategies, Techniques and Best Practices for Workflow & BPM in SharePoint 2010
• May 31, Birmingham, U.K. – Effective SharePoint Requirements with Serious Games
• June 2, St. Louis, Missouri – SharePoint Saturday
• June 2, Silicon Valley – SharePoint Saturday
• June 2, Atlanta, Georgia - SharePoint Saturday
• June 5, Online – Bamboo SharePoint Project Management Central Webinar
• June 6, Online (APAC Region) – Why Social at Stockland, Why Right Now?
• June 6, Online – The Essentials of SharePoint Disaster Recovery Planning
• June 6, Online – Optimizing SharePoint Search & Findability
• June 6, Online - Five Pillars of SharePoint Governance – Supportability
• June 7, Online – Bamboo SharePoint Knowledge Management Webinar
• June 7, Online, Bamboo SharePoint Project Management Central Webinar
• June 9, Orlando13, Florida – SharePoint Saturday
• June 13, Online – Bamboo SharePoint Project Management Central Webinar
• June 14, Online – Bamboo SharePoint Workflow Conductor Webinar
• June 19, Online – Bamboo SharePoint Community Central Webinar
• June 20, Online – Bamboo SharePoint Project Management Central Webinar
• June 20, Online – Selecting and Protecting the Right SharePoint Backup Targets
• June 21, Online – Executives Beware: 5 Risky SharePoint Temptations for Executives
• June 25-27, Denver, Colorado – SharePoint Fest
• June 26, Online – Bamboo SharePoint Project Management Central Webinar
• June 28, Online – Bamboo SharePoint Time Tracking & Management Webinar
• June 30, Dayton, Ohio – SharePoint Saturday
• June 30, Adelaide, Australia - SharePoint Saturday
• September 25-27, Chicago, Illinois – SharePoint Fest

 

SharePoint Training*

• May 30-31, Online – InfoPath 2010 Power End User – Mindsharp
• May 30-31, Nashville, Tennessee – Exploring SharePoint 2010 – New Features – SharePoint Solutions
• June 4-8, Calgary, Alberta, Canada – SharePoint 2010 Core Technologies – Mindsharp
• June 4-8, Washington, D.C. – SharePoint 2010 Foundation Developer – Mindsharp
• June 5, Online – Workflow Conductor Designer Training – Bamboo Solutions
• June 5-6, Nashville, Tennessee – Introduction to SharePoint Foundation 2010 – SharePoint Solutions
• June 5-7, Arlington, Virginia – Introduction to SharePoint 2010 for Server Administrators – SharePoint Solutions
• June 5-8, Nashville, Tennessee – Introduction to SharePoint Server 2010 – SharePoint Solutions
• June 7, Huntsville, Alabama – SharePoint Re-Design And User Adoption Seminar – Mindsharp
• June 8, Online – Bamboo Select – Bamboo Solutions
• June 11-15, Minneapolis, Minnesota – SharePoint 2010 Advanced Administrator – Mindsharp
• June 11-15, Calgary, Alberta, Canada – SharePoint 2010 Foundation Developer – Mindsharp
• June 12-15, Dallas, Texas – InfoPath 2010/SharePoint 2010 Workflow Deep Dive – SharePoint Solutions
• June 18-21, Minneapolis, Minnesota – SharePoint 2010 Power End User – Mindsharp
• June 18-22, Minneapolis, Minnesota – SharePoint 2010 Foundation Developer – Mindsharp
• June 20, Online – Project Management Central (3.0) Application Administrative Training – Session 1 – Bamboo Solutions
• June 21, Online – Project Management Central (3.0) Application Administrative Training – Session 2 – Bamboo Solutions
• June 25-29, Minneapolis, Minnesota – SharePoint 2010 Core Technologies – Mindsharp
• June 26-27, Arlington, Virginia – Introduction to SharePoint Foundation 2010 – SharePoint Solutions
• June 26-29, Arlington, Virginia – Introduction to SharePoint Server 2010 – SharePoint Solutions
• July 3, Online – Workflow Conductor Designer Training – Bamboo Solutions
• July 9-13, Online – SharePoint 2010 Foundation Developer – Mindsharp
• July 10-13, Nashville, Tennessee – InfoPath 2010/SharePoint 2010 Workflow Deep Dive – SharePoint Solutions
• July 10-13, Online – SharePoint 2010 Power End User – Mindsharp
• July 13, Online – Bamboo Select – Bamboo Solutions
• July 16-20, Minneapolis, Minnesota – SharePoint 2010 Advanced Developer – Mindsharp
• July 16-20, Minneapolis, Minnesota – SharePoint 2010 Designer – Mindsharp
• July 17-18, Chicago, Illinois – Introduction to SharePoint Foundation 2010 – SharePoint Solutions
• July 17-20, Chicago, Illinois – Introduction to SharePoint Server 2010 – SharePoint Solutions
• July, Online – Project Management Central (3.0) Application Administrative Training – Session 2 – Bamboo Solutions
• July 19, Online – SharePoint Re-Design And User Adoption Seminar – Mindsharp
• July 23-27, Online – SharePoint 2010 Core Technologies – Mindsharp
• July 24-26, Dallas, Texas – Introduction to SharePoint 2010 for Server Administrators – SharePoint Solutions
• July 30-Aug 3, Online – SharePoint 2010 Power End User – Mindsharp
• July 30-Aug 3, Online – SharePoint 2010 Foundation Developer – Mindsharp

* Please contact Chris Dooley (chris.dooley@bamboosolutions.com) to be included in SharePoint Daily™.

 

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