SharePoint 2013 boasts of an incredible number of features compared to its predecessor. The new version has several inbuilt social capabilities too.
SharePoint is quite popular in the enterprise segment but has never been known to be a top-notch social computing platform, which Microsoft hopes to change for the better with SharePoint 2013, which is also the latest version of the solution.
SharePoint 2013 is available with a preview version of Office 365 Enterprise, which includes Microsoft Office’s suite of applications and most of the hosted versions including Exchange Server and SharePoint Server. Office 2013 is also expected to be rolled out in the first quarter of 2013.
SharePoint 2010 was the first solution that had some social attachments with improved My Sites and features such as social tagging which helped in creating a social platform for all. SharePoint 2013 represents Microsoft’s commitment to the field of social computing. The solution carries familiar social experiences which can benefit users and enterprises alike.
Social computing includes personal sites and feeds along with communities and forums. These components are part of the various aspects of SharePoint 2013, which now boasts of enhanced modules, integrated search features, better document management capabilities, and business intelligence. Yammer’s inclusion in Redmond’s master plan for socializing SharePoint has been eventful and positive. But as of now, Microsoft’s latest acquisition would not be part of SharePoint 2013 but as a standalone product till now.
SharePoint 2013 is now more of a social enterprise platform with the inclusion of Community Sites and Portal templates. They have a forum for encouraging discussions as in boards wherein people across your organization can discuss on topics of interest. The new Community Portal enables users to conduct searches for SharePoint sites which utilize the template.
The Newsfeed displays now allow users to follow different aspects of the enterprise including people, documents, sites, and the like. One can show-case 20 items in reverse order, like any external social network. It is one of the most important feeds which are available through My Sites option. One can see the last 20 posts and replies related to the people you are interested in and want to follow. The Activities feed can be seen too while browsing through the profiles.
SharePoint enterprise search features with social components. The admin can specify multiple locations from where results can be part of SharePoint index or any online search engine. Search results now display authored documents and info on past projects. The new navigational tools also consist of query suggestions and a click-saving panel which displays additional information on mouse over event.