With Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services and the Microsoft SharePoint Server, there are two new interesting solutions available for realizing intranet functionalities. When the Business Content Management solution contentXXL, based on the same technology, is applied as CMS in intranet or extranet applications, a number of synergies result.
Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services, which are free of charge, provide the infrastructure for creating numerous small subwebs. Subweb pages can be used, e. g., for communication within one department, for the preparation of a meeting or for organizing a project. They allow - at least in connection with Office 2003 - direct storing, checkin/checkout and version marking of documents, displaying an online indicator (Microsoft Messenger) as well as the simple creation of fully customizable lists, such as a phone or project list. Tasks or contacts can be managed as in Outlook. All data is stored on a Microsoft SQL server. Different Webparts are provided for developments with specific requirements. The built-in search functionality is always limited to one subweb.
When the search functionality is to cover the entire website, and the subwebs of a company are consolidated and globally managed, a pay-for Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server is required. This server can index subwebs as well as any other data source, such as Exchange mailboxes or even other internet applications, and can integrate them in an overall search.
But the creation of internet or extranet applications is not the primary target of these solutions. When the Business Content Management System contentXXL, based on the same technology (ASP.NET) is used as a CMS in the internet, there are a number of synergies that go beyond technology.
Integration of SharePoint Contents in contentXXL
A frequent requirement in such projects is the easy publication of selected contents maintained on the intranet for the internet appearance in the CMS without repeated data entry.
This can easily be done with the SharePoint Integration Module for contentXXL which allows addressing any SharePoint listings as well as their presentation via the usual contentXXL templates. The listings are made available via web services for the duration. The templates for presentation can be created quite simply by the editor using the WYSIWYG layout editor contained in contentXXL. No experience with XML, XSL or Microsoft Frontpage is required. These templates also control which attributes will be presented to the visitor.
Fig.: Presentation of a contact list maintained in SharePoint and rendered in contentXXL
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Integration of contentXXL Contents in SharePoint
Just as often, the representation of content from the internet pages in the intranet/extranet application is requested without double data maintenance.
Fig.: The contentXXL news section can be integrated in SharePoint Webs via a Webpart on the server.
Here it is recommended to us a cost-free SharePoint Webpart for presenting RSS Newsfeeds. Alternatively, the XML-Webpart can also be used directly. The Business Content Management System contentXXL provides content per web services as Newsfeeds without extra expenditure or programming. These can be integrated seamlessly in SharePoint via Webpart, and can be adapted freely as required. To improve performance and availability, various options such as cache duration or date selection are available.
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CI/CD-save WYSIWYG Editor for SharePoint
To make the co-operation between the Business Content Management System contentXXL and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services or SharePoint Server even smoother, a suitably adapted SharePoint WYSIWYG Editor can also be used. Unlike the original editor, this does not allow free formatting with color or local fonts. The corporate CI/CD is guaranteed using styles defined in the stylesheet for paragraphs, font ranges and templates.
Fig.: Modified SharePoint Editor which allows only the use of predefined styles.
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Importing /Exporting Contents Between CMS and WSS
Often the display of listings does not suffice for an integration. In these cases, the contents must be imported or exported. In contentXXL, this is done by defining a connection between a CMS module and a SharePoint listing in the Import Manager. The allocation of the individual elements is done via XSL transformation within contentXXL.
Only list elements in the current version are imported, and only after approval on SharePoint side. Data can be imported either manually or event-driven, i. e., automatically after modification of the corresponding SharePoint listing, for example. Both simple Sharepont listings as well as documents and form libraries are supported. It is possible, for example, to capture offline any freely structured contents from Microsoft InfoPath forms and transfer them later into a SharePoint document library. The contentXXL module linked with the library is kept automatically updated. The integration includes images: an image placed per Drag & Drop in an InfoPath WYSIWYG form is extracted during import, filed in the contentXXL Resource Manager and linked back again with the content object. This opens up the possibility of quite comfortably (e. g., with spelling checker) capturing contentXXL contents with customized forms, both online and offline (i. e., without internet connection), to give it a version number (checkin/checkout) in SharePoint, to discuss and approve it—and thus publish it automatically in the internet.
Fig.: Possible workflow for managing product data with InfoPath, SharePoint and contentXXL
Following import, all functions of the contentXXL Business Content Management framework, such as Content Relationship Management, the category system or the full text search function, are available. In addition to the XSL transformations, a programming interface (API) for complex, customer-specific applications with special business logics is also provided.
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Enhancement: Customer-specific Workflow
Where the integration of Microsoft SharePoint technology into the Business Content Management System is to be effected via customer-specific workflows, the use of freely available standard components for Microsoft .NET, such as Captaris Teamplate, for example, makes sense. This solution offers all required features from simple Wizzard to the definition of desired flows and graphic workflow editor with full Visual Studio .NET integration.
Fig.: Captaris Teamplate Workflow Editor for SharePoint
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Enhancement: Media Management
There are enhancements available for the management of media data such as graphics and other assets. The meta information, measurements, etc. are read during uploading and are made available as meta information in SharePoint. This information can later on be searched for.
The media files can be identified with a version number, checked in and out, commented and approved. For exporting the files, various target formats (BMP, EPS, Flashpix, TIF, GIF, JPG, PCX, PSD, PICT, PNG, SWF etc.) and resolutions can be selected. It is even possible to select a suitable section directly in the browser. Predefined, complex modifications (such as fixed image size or black/white) can be defined as a script.
The scope of functions for managing graphic information is excellently suited for agencies as well as for companies in general (e. g., for product images).
Fig.: Media management in Windows SharePoint Services with enhancement module
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Enhancement: Finance Management - Business Scorecard Accelerator
With the Business Scorecard Accelerator you can monitor your business performance on the basis of performance indicators. These can cover, for example, financial of operative aspects, customer satisfaction or overall growth. Scorecards display detailed analysis views in your intranet. Your performance indicators can be analyzed periodically, and you can determine yourself the design of these analyses. Tailor the views to meet your requirements: bookings, budgets, maximum or minimum values, totals or averages.
Fig.: Balanced Scorecards as WSS Webparts
Monitoring progress and performance is not only vital for Management. By accessing this data, staff members can monitor their own performance and achievement as well as those of the company. Finding your way around is easy, and it is possible to highlight the relevant measures and results. So-called control panel views visualizing the measures can be fully configurated to meet your preferences and provide optimum overviews on the screen.
Effective Project Management at portamundi
portamundi offers all customers free of charge a project work area on the basis of Windows SharePoint Services and the Business Content Management System contentXXL. With this combination, the co-operation of decentralized project groups can be organized in a very effective way:
- Specifications, protocols and other documentation can be mutually maintained, commented, discussed and version-coded on the internet—through access directly from the corresponding Office application.
- Task lists are maintained centrally; they provide a quick overview over what needs to be done.
- The contact data of all project members are provided centrally.
- An online indicator shows whether a project partner is currently online and can be reached by Messenger.
- A calendar with all project deadlines, such as milestones and meetings, is centrally available.
- Information requests can be addressed to all project members.
- Fully customizable lists can be maintained and edited.
- All relevant links are centralized in one spot.
- The project partners are automatically informed of any modifications in the work area.
- The centrally managed information can be synchronized with local systems (e. g., Outlook).
You can try out this project work area immediately and without registration.
Access Data:
User: WORKUS\Demo
Password: Kunde$
Current Project Experience
In addition to the above, SharePoint is currently in the public focus: The Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. DLR (German Center for Air and Space Travel) has commissioned a relaunch of approximately 30 internet/extranet appearances of the DLR and its associated institutions with portamundi’s Business Content Management System contentXXL. For their intranet application, the DLR will use Microsoft’s SharePoint Server and Windows SharePoint Services. The project includes numerous functions which concern the co-operation between the two solutions.
The cross-office use of the Microsoft .NET framework for application integration and of ASP.NET User Controls for realizing special functionalities makes the outstanding co-operation between the two applications possible. SharePoint and contentXXL are a powerful team.