Have You Overlooked the Obvious? 12 Ways to Win Major Value with SharePoint Apps

Transcription

1 WHITEPAPER March 3, 2014 Have You Overlooked the Obvious? 12 Ways to Win Major Value with SharePoint Apps By Sameer Jain

2 Introduction It's no surprise that SharePoint is one of the most widely used corporate collaboration tools on the market. Almost 80% of Fortune 500 companies are using SharePoint, according to Microsoft estimates. 1 However, many IT and business leaders quietly admit their usage of SharePoint has not kept up with available functionality. Even though the release of SharePoint 2013 has been successful and Microsoft estimates the overall usage of SharePoint is growing rapidly, 2 many previously installed accounts have been slow to upgrade to SharePoint 2013, or are still lagging in their adoption of SharePoint 2013's new capabilities. These executives are missing out on enhancing their return on investment. Extraordinary value lies within their reach with the Apps model of SharePoint 2013, which they have yet to tap into. But given the right conditions, it isn't difficult to realize this value, and drive greater returns for corporate efficiency. Apps for SharePoint offer powerful new functionality that allow businesses to convert their previous SharePoint installations into true enterprise platforms, with a minimum of effort. Find out 12 major benefits you could exploit for your firm s advantage with your SharePoint installation, quickly and easily. What is an App for SharePoint? Apps for SharePoint are self-contained units of functionality that extend a SharePoint website's capabilities. Apps for SharePoint are easy for users to Install Use Manage Upgrade Remove This white paper is written for IT and business leaders, providing perspective on Apps for SharePoint, exploring their benefits and challenges, and offering advice on when to put this tool into action and when SharePoint Apps might not be the best choice. Also included are tips on assessing whether to build custom apps for your organization and how to improve your ROI calculations October 2, July 31, 2013 Nagarro, Inc. Page 1 of 14

3 Background With the advent of new devices like smartphones and tablets, there has been an ever growing demand for apps in the marketplace. End users are increasingly comfortable with their use, and app stores are growing in popularity, fast becoming a profitable business prospect for enterprises. Once confined to smartphones or tablets, apps are now available for PC's (Windows 8) and MacBooks, as well. SharePoint has gotten the message. With its 2013 release, SharePoint recognized that apps not only satisfy end user's changing expectations, but can also solve technical problems with the product. Because of its breadth, SharePoint can appear complicated and confusing for end users, and can also prove unstable when changes are made without proper expertise. By including an Apps Model in the 2013 release, SharePoint has solved many of these issues, providing lightweight, singlepurpose functionality that won't break the SharePoint farm and is easy to use by nontechnical employees. Key features of SharePoint s App Model: Three basic features of SharePoint s App model set the stage for much of its new value: 1) SharePoint Apps are isolated from the core SharePoint framework; 2) They offer hosting flexibility (with three hosting options); and 3) They are distributed through two types of app stores ( public and private ). Apps for SharePoint Are Isolated from Core Framework Similar to mobile apps, Apps for SharePoint run outside of the core SharePoint framework, using familiar web standards like HTML, IS, CSS, REST, and.net. By functioning in isolation of the core, Apps for SharePoint become easily supported by farm administrators, with back-up from the SharePoint Online Service Administrators who can monitor and respond to issues remotely App App App Core SharePoint Farm Nagarro, Inc. Page 2 of 14

4 Apps for SharePoint Offer Hosting Flexibility Provider-Hosted Apps The Cloud App model in SharePoint provisions an isolated sub-web on a host web, to use: Auto-Hosted Apps SharePoint-Hosted Apps Out of box web parts; HTML and JavaScript for UI and client-side logic; Workflows for middle tier logic. With its Cloud App Model, SharePoint 2013 expands the number of options from which your company can choose to host your SharePoint Apps to include any of these three: "Provider or On Premise" hosting, by a dedicated internal SharePoint installation; Azure or Auto-hosting on Microsoft's developer cloud service, with web and SQL Azure components provisioned. Note that cloud-hosted apps can contain some sort of server-side logic; "SharePoint" hosting, offering site elements and declarative content only, such as HTML and Javascript support. Note that SharePoint-hosted apps cannot contain server side code. Apps for SharePoint can be Distributed in Two Ways Two Types of App Stores: Microsoft's "Public Store" offers Apps for SharePoint that can be accessed by users within their SharePoint environment, for direct download. A "Corporate Store", also known as an "app catalog", offers organizations with SharePoint the ability to centrally control which Apps are accessed by their users, with direct download simplicity. The overall outlook for corporations with SharePoint has become bright with opportunity, given the new capabilities engendered by the Apps model. Business leaders looking to maximize corporate efficiencies should note the numerous advantages presented by SharePoint Apps. Nagarro, Inc. Page 3 of 14

5 Twelve major benefits with SharePoint Apps 1. Integration Opportunities Arise for True Enterprise Platforms: Imagine integrating your corporate collaboration activities with lines of business or other enterprise systems such as payroll, ERP, human resources, financial or accounting systems? Apps for SharePoint allow you to do this, creating gorgeous websites that connect or communicate with all sorts of enterprise systems. In addition, you can customize your sites with Apps that are lightweight and self-contained, such as news, social, feeds, photo viewer, etc. Your SharePoint installations could be portals, intranets, or extranets. The enterprise systems you connect them with could include hosted services and/or applications, in addition to LOB systems. The bottom line is that the integration opportunities provided by SharePoint Apps can transform your existing SharePoint installations into major enterprise platforms with remarkable ease. 2. Cost and Time Savings with Quick, Flexible Development Previously, you would need a trained SharePoint developer to integrate your corporate intranet or workgroup activities with outside systems. But now with Apps for SharePoint, you can use other, non-sharepoint developers to make this happen. And since the application is no longer being developed from scratch, your business saves time and money with speedier development. Testing for new apps is also simpler and quicker, since apps run outside the SharePoint server and the testing process is less destabilizing for core SharePoint operations. Time and expense is reduced, for bottom line benefit. Nagarro, Inc. Page 4 of 14

6 3. Easier Access to Apps / Broader Reusability for Internal Apps End-users appreciate the simplicity and ease with which SharePoint Apps can be discovered and downloaded, from either the Public SharePoint Store run by Microsoft, or alternatively, through the Corporate Store run by your own firm. Additionally, your company benefits when internal apps are published in the Corporate Store, opening up broader usage among employees than might otherwise have been possible. 4. Rich Solution Set (Given Technology Independence) Developers of Apps for SharePoint can use any web programming skills or web platform to build Apps (PHP/Linus, LAMP,/Java/Oracle, Azure, F#, Hadoop, or any system allowed to make REST calls). This versatility opens up a wealth of Apps to choose from. 5. Broader Reach (Given Platform Independence) SharePoint Apps give your business an edge to reach a broader audience base, spread across wide-ranging user groups and platforms. The market for apps in general is growing, with increasing numbers of developers and businesses creating apps for tablets, smartphones, and PCs. With platform independence increasingly the norm, your company benefits with its resources reaching a broader base. Nagarro, Inc. Page 5 of 14

7 6. Enhanced SharePoint Performance and Stability (with Apps running outside of core) SharePoint is sometimes considered a resource hog, so any feature that can offload the server will increase the farm's performance. Apps for SharePoint accomplish this goal quite nicely, moving the server-side code off the SharePoint core, and boosting the overall performance of the SharePoint farm. Another way that Apps for SharePoint increase overall performance is to protect the core installation from human error, making it more stable. Because of its complexity, SharePoint has a reputation for being finicky and unstable if not handled with expert care. Problems can arise either during the installation process for new components, or sometimes due to custom-built software that hasn't been appropriately designed for SharePoint's exacting specifications. With Apps for SharePoint running outside the core framework, there is less cause for impact to the core, leading to a more stable computing environment. 7. Enhanced Security and Reduced Data Exposure Because Apps for SharePoint run outside the core SharePoint server, they prevent security breaches and unauthorized access to users data in the core SharePoint installation. The flow of data is better controlled, protecting SharePoint farms against attack and improving data security. Nagarro, Inc. Page 6 of 14

8 8. Improved Software Capability With SharePoint 2013, Microsoft has greatly improved the capabilities of the client-side scripting and the REST API for creating a wide range of custom client-side solutions without using the server-side API. 9. Empowered Internal and Commercial Developers Building apps for SharePoint 2013 is a paradigm shift from traditional SharePoint programming. Apps are a welcome change, opening the door to best practice methodologies such as layering code with MVC architecture for better manageability and easier identification of code defects. As mentioned previously, Apps for SharePoint also allow developers to use the language of their choice, further stimulating development with greater ease. 10. Empowered Citizen Developers A user who develops or configures new business applications for use by other companies is called a citizen developer. Apps for SharePoint create an encouraging environment for citizen developers, which in turn can Improve your company s SharePoint implementations Free up IT to focus more on value-added projects; Help IT better understand business needs. Nagarro, Inc. Page 7 of 14

9 11. Simplified Central Management Each App for SharePoint offers discrete and compartmentalized functionality, and cannot communicate with another SharePoint App. As a result, management requirements are simplified and offloaded to local farm administrators, freeing up central IT resources as less-technical employees take on more oversight. 12. Greater Corporate Agility The simpler, more efficient qualities of Apps for SharePoint contribute to a more agile workplace, as evolving business needs can be more quickly addressed with self-serve ease. Here s how different members of your company can perceive the benefits of SharePoint Apps: User s Perspective Administrator s Perspective Developer s Perspective Easy install / uninstall Easy availability Easy upgrade Familiar user experience Isolation of Process and Page parts Multiple options for hosting Access control Reduced workload Simple configuration Familiar tools and access to rich set of features Flexible environment Fast deploy and test Less development effort required Nagarro, Inc. Page 8 of 14

10 Challenges in using apps for SharePoint In contrast to so many benefits, the challenges for using SharePoint Apps are rather limited. Resource Contention: With many more applications running under SharePoint 2013, resource contention becomes a bigger concern, sometimes affecting performance and availability during peak workloads. These issues can be mitigated by working with networking experts to map out improved network plans. Server Challenges: Server challenges such as hardware sprawl and underutilized resources contribute to hardware management complexity. These are heightened by SharePoint 2013 s heavy use of local servers to support SharePoint farms. Again, networking experts deeply familiar with SharePoint and other enterprise systems can help to reduce these challenges for your business. When to use apps for SharePoint Here are several cases where corporations should be building Apps for SharePoint, to take greater advantage of the software s capabilities: You can extend the functionality of your SharePoint farm by using Apps to integrate other cloud-hosted services and/or applications (such as Salesforce.com or Workday.com), without requiring installed customizations. Similarly, you can integrate corporate collaboration sites with Line of Business (LOB) systems that are hosted internally in other web applications (such as payroll systems, time tracking, leave management systems). When a self-service deployment model needs to be followed, Apps for SharePoint reduce the strain on IT resources, enabling less technical employees to handle their own needs. Nagarro, Inc. Page 9 of 14

11 Here are examples of Nagarro clients who have used Apps for SharePoint with great results: Reduced Development Time A leading car manufacturer wanted to integrate its payroll system with their SharePoint portal. Nagarro advised this client to use Apps for SharePoint, which cut the development cycle to half the normal length by leveraging UI experts from other technologies. Reduced Support Costs A leader in Electronic Media coping with a limited IT support team was looking for a solution which involved less administrative overhead. Nagarro suggested Apps for SharePoint, which resulted in dropping their support costs significantly, as users catered to their own needs, and administrators simply set up the corporate store for the Apps. When apps for SharePoint may not be the best option Although Apps for SharePoint offer numerous advantages, there are certain cases where it may not be the best option for your goals and computing environment, as outlined below: Ideally, your computing environment would be cloud-ready before deploying Apps for SharePoint, meaning you would typically be capable of hosting applications off-site. If this is not the case, and if instead your installation is intended to remain on-premise, EXAMPLE: ON-PREMISE INSTALLATION A European manufacturing company was considering Apps for SharePoint, but their SharePoint farm was not cloud-ready, nor did they anticipate moving to a cloud in the long-term. In this case, Nagarro advised against Apps for SharePoint, concerned that building Apps would prove unnecessary, and might add complications that could be detrimental to the company s objectives. Instead, Nagarro recommended more closely evaluating the benefits of building Apps versus the cost of building them in an on-premise installation. Nagarro, Inc. Page 10 of 14

12 we recommend more closely evaluating the benefits of building Apps for SharePoint versus the cost of building them in an on premise location. Consider the user experience you are creating with apps for SharePoint, and be aware that some cases may create too much user frustration to meet your corporate standards. EXAMPLE: USER EXPERIENCE CONCERNS One Nagarro client intended to use Apps for SharePoint on smartphones and tablets, but changed their plan after Nagarro helped them better understand the impact on the end-user experience. In this instance, the Apps for SharePoint would have been hosted in separate domains requiring multiple login prompts to access the Apps, which the client decided was too irritating to their end-users. Certain technical conditions prohibit the use of Apps for SharePoint, which include the following: Connectable app parts With the previous versions of SharePoint, developers had an option to exchange information with different web parts at run time. In the new SharePoint App model, app parts do not have this capability and app parts cannot pass parameters from one part to another. Deploying assets to physical folders like application pages, image/scripts/master pages (in hive), site definitions, user controls SharePoint App model provides an architecture that enables customizations to run in isolation so that they do not affect other apps or applications. SharePoint apps effectively have a zero deployment footprint on a SharePoint farm. To achieve this, apps cannot physically deploy any assets to the SharePoint servers. Timer jobs Creation of timer jobs is not possible within SharePoint apps even though external processes can deliver similar functionality. Requirements should determine if app can be an acceptable alternative. Permissions There are no remote APIs/permissions in SharePoint 2013 that supports access to farm or a web application. Permissions need to be added to an app for talking to the parent site or a site collection. Custom fields Custom field types cannot be created using an app. Nagarro, Inc. Page 11 of 14

13 Tips for improving your ROI calculations for custom apps Considering Custom Apps? As with most development projects, you'll improve your ROI by answering these questions before initiating development: What technical challenges would be involved in building the app? How much will it cost to build the app? How quickly can the app hit the market? How much would this app benefit the company? What's the best way to calculate ROI to justify the expense? Make a list of functionalities that are envisioned for the proposed app; Identify the benefits that each functionality will bring to your organization; Sort the benefits into qualitative vs. immediate quantitative estimates; Consolidate the quantitative benefits for a "big picture" summary; Ensure that each qualitative benefit is derived using a credible method, supported by data and case studies, if possible. Conclusion All indications from Microsoft are that the future direction of SharePoint will be Apps related, which echoes the growth of apps in everyday computing. Likewise, cloud-compliant solutions are on the rise, and becoming cloud-ready is emerging as an obvious trend. If you have a legacy SharePoint installation but are not yet using Apps for SharePoint, your company is probably losing significant opportunity for improved efficiencies and return on investment. Drive extra value from your SharePoint installation, and start converting your SharePoint portals into true enterprise systems today. If you are not sure about implementation details, acknowledged experts in SharePoint and related enterprise systems like Nagarro can help you bridge the gap. With a long history of supporting Microsoft and other products within Fortune 500 companies around the world, Nagarro is trusted to safely install SharePoint upgrades, quickly create user-friendly custom apps, and effectively build collaboration portals, intranets and extranets over SharePoint. Nagarro, Inc. Page 12 of 14

14 Nagarro specializes in building complex, business-critical software and IT projects for leading companies across multiple industries. Headquartered in Silicon Valley and a member of the Allgeier Group in Germany, Nagarro is recognized worldwide for its technical expertise, agile deployment, and bedrock commitment to customer service. In particular, successful companies around the globe leverage Nagarro s SharePoint expertise to meet their strategic objectives with confidence and ensure proven best practices. Nagarro's SharePoint services include: solution strategy and roadmap consulting, system architecture and user experience design, development of custom applications like collaboration portals, social intranets, globalized corporate websites, executive dashboards and mobile applications, enterprise integration, migration, maintenance and support. Nagarro is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for application development, collaboration and content. Nagarro has also been named to the Global Outsourcing 100 List by the IAOP (International Association of Outsourcing Professionals ), earning the highest possible scores in three categories Customer References, Employee Management and Executive Leadership. Identifying Nagarro among the 25 Rising Stars, this ranking reinforces Nagarro s reputation as a top global provider of business-critical outsourced IT services. Follow us on: [email protected] /company/nagarro /nagarro /nagarroinc Local US Offices: Our Locations: San Jose, CA 226 Airport Pkwy Suite 390 San Jose, CA (408) New York, NY 5 Penn Plaza 23rd Floor New York, NY (212) Atlanta, GA 400 Galleria Pkwy Suite 1500 Atlanta, GA (678) Monterrey London Frankfurt Munich Zurich Vienna Stockholm Timisoara New Delhi Jaipur Copyright Nagarro In. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission from Nagarro Inc. Specifications subject to change without notice. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. Specifications subject to change without notice. 226 Airport Parkway, Suite 390 San Jose, CA 95110, USA; Phone: +1 (408) / Fax: +1 (408) Nagarro, Inc. Page 13 of 14