With the creation of their Search Genius tool, it is hoped that productivity, collective knowledge and collaboration throughout PerkinElmer will be significantly improved.

The application allows text and structured searches of documents stored on the SharePoint framework. Able to interrogate data held in reports and technical data, there will also be a facility to search data on the multinational organisation’s E-Notebook system, save their results, annotate and create links.

The aim is clearly to facilitate more successful collaboration – with the generation of analysis often found to be lacking in life science research at both an academic and corporate level.

Through allowing results to be found quicker and aiding the correlation of otherwise overlooked associated results, workable and deliverable decisions will hopefully be made more coherently.

Announcing the platform’s launch, PerkinElmer’s General Manager of Informatics, Michael Stapleton, said:

“Search Genius provides researchers with access to data that enables them to make decisions faster, based on its ability to collect, consolidate and analyse, so they can act on disparate pieces of information that may otherwise not be thought of or known to be important or relevant.”

The launch should see a fast roll out.

Through the use of Microsoft’s FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint, it is essentially an out-of-the-box solution, requiring no additional IT involvement, which is the kind of approach we take at Web Media 360 when working with our clients.

The west Sussex-based university, with a student populous of over 21,000, adopted SharePoint 2012 in preference to working with cloud based platforms. The reasons such a choice was made are many, though the way the platform dovetails with the institution’s needs at every level was key.

Due to the sensitive nature of many of the data files, there is a restriction on the use of off-site hosting services. However, with more than 2,500 staff members, a coherent way of sharing files both on-campus and off-campus was needed.

It was the My Sites and Team Sites features which really delivered in this regard, allowing for complete data security but with the freedom of access required for modern working practices.

This offered a practical way to replace existing personal private networks and afforded greater flexibility. Now, teams and departments can support document sharing and library sharing far more effectively than ever before, with access restricted on a case by case and person by person level.

Though the decision to go with SharePoint was made ahead of cloud solutions, the next release of the platform will allow for its use too. As such, allowing for off-site hosting where it is practical and allowable could easily be introduced – a benefit many organisations working with us at WebMedia360 are interested in.

With greater social networking aspects from SharePoint 2015 too, it is also something likely to interest the student faculty.

The MirageTable was showcased earlier this week in Austin, Texas in the US, showing people from different locations working with the same object. With far reaching potential, users of collaboration tools such as SharePoint could be set for a more interactive future.

Using a 3D-video projector, images are beamed against a curved white plastic sheet which sits in front of each user. Kinect camera sensors then track each user’s eyeline and capture the dimensions of both the users themselves and the objects they place on the table’s surface.

Researchers have said it creates a “seamless 3D shared task space” and that it will improve present conferencing tools significantly. For shared working on documents too, it is easy to see the benefits.

There is still a good way to go before the product will be ready for commercial release however. The image capturing technology still has a few flaws for example, whilst shutter glasses – such as those used to watch 3D films, need to be worn by users.

However, it certainly offers an exciting glimpse of where augmented reality is heading.

Business users will be excited by how meetings and conferences, and even daily working, could be enhanced of course, but things go a good deal further than this. From interactive gaming and TV, to assisting in surgical procedures, it is hard to see a limit to where the technology could be employed.

The opening salvo by the Irish based company is to turn its attention to the iPad, as companies concentrate efforts on turning the device into a workable business tool.

The plugin will work in much the same way as the Outlook equivalent. It will feed Sharepoint updates through to a side toolbar, allowing the user to interact with the information as and when required.

Speaking about the development the CEO of the company, Yaacov Cohen, said:

“It’s definitely the same concept, but adapted to the platform. You can open a document with an app like QuickOffice, update the document on SharePoint, and check it back into SharePoint without leaving the document in iOS.”

It is a continuation of the digital world rapidly switching to enterprise platform working, as businesses become less reliant on emails. With greater security and improved speeds, allowing file share through collaboration tools such as SharePoint is seen as a sensible progression.

Security is ensured as all the work on any document is done within SharePoint. Copies are not downloaded to the local device. The use of a local editing software may capture data to the device though, something which is not controlled by the app itself.

It shows a great new direction for SharePoint, which we at Web Media 360 very much welcome and look forward to working with in the future.

In essence, all companies do maintain organised information in standard practice, be it through payroll, Intranets or even a litany of Excel spreadsheets. The reason is simple: with organisation, decisions can be better made and operations better controlled and if charted, everything is clear to all.

However, it was not too long ago that org charts were just basic forms with names, titles and reporting infrastructure laid out. With the amount of data now available to companies however, they can go much further than this.

At Web Media 360, we have found this is certainly the case with the SharePoint Org Chart, which as well as being data rich, allows Intranet hosting and thereby allows great accessibility throughout the company.

There are many ways the org charts in SharePoint can be created and displayed too. The most simple and often most effective way is through the included features with SharePoint 2010. The ‘Organization Browser’ powered by Silverlight creates the hierarchy by interrogating user profiles.

Once built, users can navigate through the chart simply and effectively, accessing a whole range of information. Meanwhile, upgrading to SharePoint Org Chart Web Part allows greater search functionalities and pulls information from other sources.

It is also possible to use other services working alongside SharePoint Enterprise, such as Visio and Bamboo.

The Kaspersky Security for Collaboration (SharePoint) will scan all files which are uploaded or downloaded to the SharePoint servers individually. It can also conduct broader scans of selected files and complete group file type scanning.

It is also able to run scans on designated directories whenever needed, or at scheduled times.

Speaking about the launch, the technical services manager for Kaspersky Lab Australia and New Zealand, Nigel Hedges said:

“SharePoint is a great way for businesses to collaborate and share documents, but (as with any collaboration tool and email) using the platform can also increase a company’s vulnerability to malware. If one company unintentionally posts a contaminated file, then everyone who accesses the same file can become infected.”

With the use of this product in addition to other measures, such instances are likely to be further limited. The tool can also be tailored to integrate perfectly with company governance policies which are already in place.

It has a user-friendly interface, with a single console management set up. Working across numerous SharePoint servers, it is aimed to be simple and effective, no matter how complex an individual company’s set up is.

Those companies that already subscribe to Kaspersky’s Total Open Space Security Solution will have already been notified of the product availability. However, it is also available as a stand-alone product, for those with other tools in place for system security.

The major problem lies in the complexities which surround the product, requiring expertise and skilled staffing. Though recognising the benefits it can bring, many companies fail to find the resources to elevate the product above the foundation level it freely offers.

It is for this reason that engaging third party experts proves so successful.

The developed and honed knowledge they have allows applications to be enhanced throughout the channel. By applying product acumen and creating effective architecture systems, content and data can be effectively migrated, governance improved and support guaranteed.

They also allow a system to evolve, and be evolved, in line with internal strategies.

The most successful providers of SharePoint support and expertise know that it is important to integrate smoothly with the operations of a company, manage joint plans well and clearly identify targets. It is essentially being a super user of the whole IT structure.

Through this harmonious working, growth can not only be aimed for, but effectively achieved.

The number of SharePoint licenses grows by more than 20,000 each day, with those businesses taking it up finding their operations significantly improved. Ensuring that companies maximise this most powerful of tools is what Web Media 360 do and will continue to do for our growing base of satisfied clients.

It was news that the industry largely expected, though it is perhaps surprising that it has taken so long in coming. Nokia had held the top spot since 1998, having taken it over from Motorola.

The figures, announced by research company Strategy Analytics, show that in the first quarter of the year Samsung shipped over 93 million phones – 10 million above that of Nokia.

These seem to be good times for the Korean electronics giant, who have also recently posted their highest profits since the global downturn and maintained their position as top dog in the world of flat screen manufacture.

A large proportion of the success of the company can be put down to the popularity of Samsung’s Galaxy range, sales of which are outstripping the once all-conquering iPhone.

The company is also targeting the business market far more strongly than before, though recurrent chip problems do still need to be addressed. In the past, the problem has prevented the smartphone running SharePoint adequately for example.

All in all though, it is a very bright time with a promising future for Samsung.

However, Apple are not going to be happy about the development and will no doubt launch the iPhone 5 to much typical fanfare. It is also likely that Nokia will not just sit back either, having already worked hard to refresh their brand over recent years.

The roll out will also include SharePoint 2010, with WMAS having procured both packages through the government’s G-Cloud CloudStore.

WMAS presently uses three versions of Exchange, with none of them being large enough to cope with the service’s workload alone. A move to the NHSmail system was considered, but this would not deliver the collaboration tools that SharePoint offers.

With the intranet also moving to the platform, the staff spread right across the West Midlands will also be able to share content and discuss situations in real time. WMAS IM&T manager Phil Collins said:

“What we saw is the advantage [of] videoconferencing… so people could potentially travel less or be more efficient in their use of the time.”

The return on investment is expected to be realised within three years but that is only in regards to the technical savings from lower licensing fees, hardware costs and reduced administration costs.

With a significant increase in productivity expected, the true ROI could be significantly more.

Additional savings through productivity improvements aren’t taken into account by the three-year ROI, with Mr Collins saying:

“We would expect to see savings on some of the travel costs coming through next year (but) we haven’t made a case for that yet…”

The rollout, which took two months of preparation, is a huge undertaking. Due for completion in June, it will run alongside other projects such as moving away from Active Directory servers.

Early rumours suggest that there will be many benefits, with a new interface and greater social capabilities just two of the aspects being discussed.

However, companies across the UK from Chester to London are encouraged to ensure they are ready to exploit the opportunity.

One task that IT managers should be looking at is shoring up infrastructure, whether through refreshing operating systems, upgrading software or installing new hardware. Companies still running older versions of Windows should now be upgrading too.

As much as consolidation of systems is important, the same can be said for content too. Islands of content can be eliminated, whilst by making an inventory at the same time, retention policies can be updated.

The release of SharePoint 15 also provides an opportunity to ensure governance plans are working effectively. There are still many companies that do not have effective plans in place, but as the essential part of control, drawing one up is highly recommended.

The introduction of far greater social capabilities is something many businesses are looking forward to, but there are those not using existing functionalities. As such, considering how best SharePoint can be used for collaboration across departments is something which could be worthwhile.

The latest release should be available in early in 2013, with the beta version likely to be presented to some users in late 2012.