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On Wednesday, we spent our lunch break discussing what we liked about SharePoint, what we considered to be its biggest challenges, as well as what we looked forward to most with SharePoint 2013. But just because we spent an hour talking about SharePoint doesn't mean it was serious business. Who knew that SharePoint could be this much fun?!
With SharePoint 2013 on the brain, many of us were eager to dive in, but that would come later. First, we needed to focus on SharePoint 2010. What is it that we appreciate most? Overwhelming, managed metadata was the most popular, followed by the Ribbon, document libraries and workflows.
Not surprisingly, user adoption drives SharePoint implementation. We all know that SharePoint's usage within companies is constantly called into question. Rest assured, though, EIMChat participants were also focused on issues of planning and governance, as well as storage, price and flexibility when deciding to take the SharePoint plunge.
Whether or not SharePoint's slow rate of release is an issue or not depends on who you ask. Many are able to put it into perspective, arguing that a 3 year cycle provides ample opportunity for users to gain familiarity with the platform. However, others are less forgiving, claiming that it's bad for customers and really good for its competitors, who can release updates quicker.
Again, People, Process and Planning tops the list for how companies can best develop a successful SharePoint governance strategy. However, within those steps, there are many other factors to consider, like identifying risk, having the right organizational culture, the right rules and buy-in.
If you're a SharePoint service provider it's important to outline which editions you'll continue to sell and support, as well as providing enough resources to keep up with increasing demand for cloud computing, and greater flexibility for consumers.
The enthusiasm around SharePoint 2013 is palatable. From the first question, participants were very eager to tell us what they loved most or were looking forward to in SharePoint 2013. What's most popular -- social functionality, mobile support and an app store -- are a sign of the times.
Overall, this Tweet Jam served as a nice reminder of why people flock to SharePoint. Regardless of what frustrates you most about it, there are definitely features you appreciate greatly, which somehow keep it alive and thriving within the enterprise.
Thank to everyone who joined us (here's the full Tweet Jam archive) -- we had a great time and hope you did too! Did we miss anything -- tell us in the comments!
