New product guide

As we ramp up to the full release of a swag of new software (Office 2013, Exchange 2013, Office 365 etc) we are beginning to see more resources become available for IT Professionals.

You can find all the products at:

http://officeignitelabs.cloudguides.com/default.htm

or if you just want Office 365 that is at:

http://officeignitelabs.cloudguides.com/Office%20365%20Labs.htm

At these locations you’ll find a swag of helpful videos that will give you a good overview of the new features and get you on the road to understanding how they can be used effectively. Jump on board now as it is going to be a big year.

Podcast Episode 44–Ishai Sagi

http://ciaops.podbean.com/2013/01/08/episode-44-ishai-sagi/

In this episode I speak with SharePoint MVP Ishai Sagi about the latest features coming to SharePoint 2013 whether on premise or via Office 365.

You can support this podcast via http://donation.ciaops.com

Don’t forget all the other podcasts at http://ciaops.podbean.com and appreciate a like over at http://www.facebook.com/n2kpodcast.

Remember if you want to be a guest please contact me (director@ciaops.com).

Foundation 2013 Search challenges

This was going to be a post about the fact that I managed to get Search working on SharePoint Foundation 2013, and I did have it working. Honest. The initial issue I experienced seemed to either be the fact that I had accidentally installed SharePoint Foundation 2013 on the member server as a local (rather than a domain) administrator or that the times on the workstation and the server were too different. Whatever it was I did have it working.

That was until I powered up the machines (server and members server) to get some screen shots of it all working. Problem is now it does again! I also noticed the the SharePoint machine was really, really slow and when I took a look at the resources I saw:

From this you can see how much memory and processing is being consumed by SharePoint Search alone! Wow. You are doing to need more hardware grunt of you are planning to implement SharePoint Foundation 2013 from what I can see.

Now admittedly I am only running this on a virtual machine for testing purposes but I can tell you I didn’t have these issues with SharePoint Foundation 2010! The more I work with Foundation 2013 the more I am beginning to dislike it. Don’t get me wrong, I love SharePoint 2013 but getting this blighter to work is proving very, very difficult. I certainly hope others aren’t seeing these issues. Another reason to focus on Office 365 in my books.

The positive thing, when I did get SharePoint search working, was that SharePoint Foundation 2013 now incorporates all the features of Search Server Express (obviously the reason why there is no more stand alone Search Server Express product). It also includes the ability to index PDF documents WITHOUT the need to install separate iFilters.

Now, if I could only show you that actually working but as I said, when I booted the machines backup SharePoint search no longer worked on Foundation 2013. Back to the drawing board yet again.

Getting Started with SharePoint 2013 eBook

My final eBook for 2012 is now available in a variety of formats.

This book helps novice users understand the basic usage and operation of SharePoint 2013. It examines the following basic components of SharePoint: Documents, Calendars, Tasks, Picture Libraries, Recycle Bin and Search. The reader will be taken through a tutorial process on how to use each item. Much has changed since previous versions of SharePoint, however there are still some similarities. As such, this book may still provide some insight into the basics of older versions of SharePoint. It will show you how to start interacting with SharePoint 2013 so it can be put to use in your business as well as provide a number of resources for continuing familiarity with SharePoint 2013.

This booked is aimed at users who have never used SharePoint and is only $1.99 and available in PDF, ePub and Kindle formats.

The best place to pick a copy of this and other title from the CIAOPS is at the Publications page at – http://www.ciaops.com/publications, however most titles are also available from Lulu and Amazon.

MVP for 2013

It is with great pride that I announce that I have been renewed as a Microsoft MVP for 2013. This is now my second year. It is truly an honour and I thank Microsoft for the award as I know there are so many worthy candidates out there. I also thank all those people who support what I do such as read this blog, listen to my podcast and attend meetings that I run. Without you there would be no community.

Once again, I am honoured and will aim to live up to the standard again in 2013 and share all the existing news that is to come on Office 365 and SharePoint.

Technologies to bet on

Given that it is the time of year to be making predictions I thought I’d get into the swing and have a look a three technologies that I reckon are going to be big. Maybe not this year but soon.

Voice recognition

We have all seen the Apple Siri ads and for those of you who have iPhones you know that the technology doesn’t always live up to that but going forward I believe we are going to see more and more devices accept voice commands.

It really makes a lot of sense when you start thinking about it. Imagine if all car GPS units could understand voice navigation commands (some already do). Imagine telling your PC to turn on and read you your emails. Imagine being able to cut and paste text without touching a mouse.

I don’t see touch and mice disappearing but I see voice becoming a much greater part of the way we communicate with our devices. It is how we communicate with each other and the technology is getting fast and smart enough now to be able to understand more and more of what we say.

As the power of devices increases (especially mobiles) I think we going to see the of voice greatly increase. Roll on Star Trek communicators.

Augmented reality

People scoff at the Google Project Glass but if you read Daemon and Freedom™ by Daniel Suarez then you begin to get an insight into what maybe possible.

Basically, imagine that instead of a mobile phone you don a pair of glasses. These glasses provide you with a head up display of the world around you. It provides you with additional information about the things around you. For example, when you meet someone new you automatically see their name above their head. With a few gestures you can see their resume or other pertinent information. Imagine if you had to repair your car, simply by looking at it through these glasses. You’d not only automatically see all the diagnostic information but also step by step instructions on how to repair it. In short imagine it like having a transparent web browser in front of you at all times.

There are already a few apps around on devices that allow you to experience this One of most interesting is a real estate app where you hold up the device in a street and it recognizes each property based on its location and appearance and provides all sorts of information like sale history, rates, value, etc, etc.

To get a good idea of what is possible (and enjoy a good story) I strongly recommend you read Daniel Suarez’s books.

Robotics

Computer are REALLY good at doing repetitive jobs. Automation is what computers are all about, the problem has been the mechanics. Little by little however we are seeing robots take over jobs that humans used to do.

The greatest example of this at the moment is the military and it use of unmanned drone such as the Predator. Such aerial devices now regularly carry out not only reconnaissance but also combat missions. They are piloted remotely from within the United States while being active just about anywhere on the planet (but mainly in the Middle East).

That stuff is only for the military I hear you say. Ok, so tell me what sort of present was probably the most popular this festive season? The remote controlled drone and helicopter, most with a mounted video camera. Now imagine similar drones to what the military currently have but to monitor traffic conditions or speeding drivers, perform search and rescue (by day and by night). I think you can see that the list goes on and that is just one example of the growth in robotics.

Most people think of robots like Rosie from the Jetsons or R2-D2. These are probably a ways off yet but don’t underestimate how our use of robots is growing and how much more intelligent they are becoming each and everyday.

The reason why?

One of the great things about being a kid is that you get to constantly ask Why? even when you know the answer. Why is it so? But why? Why? etc as any parent will attest. The adult version of this is being a philosopher but still being able to ask the same question, Why? So if you’ll indulge my philosophical tendencies, I want to ask you why?

At this festive time of the year many people attend functions with people they have never met. Sooner or later the conversation turns to ‘So what do you do?’. To which we all provide the standard ‘resume’ answer. Like a good philosopher I like to ask why? rather than what?

So here’s my question. Why do you do what you do? Why do you work? Why do you get up in the morning?

Try this experiment yourself. Ask people why they do what they do. I’ll bet you get one of three answers in the following percentages.

70% of respondents will simply say ‘I don’t know’. Amazing eh? They are doing something everyday (like working) but they can’t tell you why they are doing it. This is kind of like using a map without knowing the destination isn’t it? It kinda makes the map useless doesn’t it?

20% of respondents will say they want a ‘better’ this or ‘more’ of that, etc. This is certainly a more focused answer but notice how words like ‘better’ and ‘more’ are very vague. ‘Better’ than what? How much ‘more’? They are vague because people are afraid to set definitive goals because if they do they run the risk of failure. It is much easier to be vague because if you fail you can cover it up by saying ‘well we did more’ or ‘we actually did better’ even if that is not the case.

The last 10% of respondents will tell you with great details why they do what they do. For example, they may say they are saving to buy a purple Bell Jet Ranger helicopter so they can learn how to fly and use it every weekend. You see the difference? A very definitive goal.

There are some major benefits of setting very specific goals as well. The first is measurement. If you say you want ‘more’ money how do you measure that? Is that $1 more or $1,000 more? However, if you say you want $1 million more then you can measure exactly how close you are to reaching your goal. I also believe that having a very specific goal can provide you with that extra little incentive when things are tough and not looking so bright. Chances are if you have set yourself goals like ‘more’ you’ll quit or accept far less than what you really want to achieve. However, if you have a very specific goal it provides focus and generally provides a greater drive to achieve simply because it is far more real. That little extra push through the tough time is generally what separates those who succeed and those who don’t. It is such a tiny thing but it makes such a world of difference.

You can have as many goals as you want but my advice is to make them as specific as you can. Sure, you may not achieve them but I think you’ll be surprised how many you do actually achieve if you make them specific. Have the confidence to go after what you really want and don’t be afraid to be specific. People who do achieve normally have very, very specific goals and don’t forget to constantly measure and adjust as you go along. It is only the unfounded fear of failure that is holding you back.

Of course don’t forget to act like a child, a-hem, I mean philosopher at the next social function you attend and ask why? rather than what? Listen to the responds you get to see whether my thumbnail demographics are correct. Getting specific is a small and subtle change but, in my experience, it separates those who do from those who want.