Communication and collaboration is important to the survival of any organization. SharePoint 2010 development enables businesses to communicate through a central source and helps in sharing of information through a common repository. This Microsoft solution keeps relevant staff informed about the goings-on in the organization.

Analysts have praised SharePoint 2010 for it being an efficient collaboration technology. Knowledge workers have spent 50% of their overall production time searching for information and they find the SharePoint solution quite helpful for posting enterprise search queries. Automated solutions and workflows also help in cutting down on various expenses by storing information in a single source which can be accessed by authorized and disparate workers related to the same project.

Companies are increasingly turning to SharePoint according to a report. The prime reason for the interest was to improve efficiency and collaboration. The report stressed that SharePoint aids companies to streamline information perfectly and also prevents inaccurate information to get disseminated.

SharePoint 2010 has additional identifiable benefits which include:

• Consistent User Experience with simple yet profound features
• Increase in productivity through lesser business complexity
• Meeting of Compliance Requirements through better control on content
• Effective Content Management for business value
• Easy accessibility of Business Data in Dissimilar systems
• Connects People of Similar Skills and Expertise relevant to each domain
• Shared Business Processes with Extranet Features scalability as and when needed

With SharePoint 2010 services, Microsoft has found a perfect solution to converge the power of its previous products like Office and Exchange in SharePoint. SharePoint is expected to bring in better returns this year since it has effectively brought the Microsoft family closer.

On the other hand, Enterprise Content Management (ECM) has been in constant demand for many corporates. Integration of proven methods has largely been unrealized and tools to deliver information have not been successful enough.

There are many companies which harness MS SharePoint solutions to be the perfect ECM solution. Clients are empowered with demarcating features of SharePoint which sets them apart from other platforms. The integration features with Microsoft tools is a major plus many who just have to leverage the existing architecture and move over to SharePoint.

SharePoint provides comprehensive enterprise content management features at low costs. SharePoint solutions go beyond just ECM since it helps users to integrate itself with different social computing platforms, BI tools and search features too.

Here are some of the ECM features that SharePoint development can easily deliver

• Unique ID for each and every document
• Utilization of metadata information organization
• Document grouping and project management
• Enhanced and streamlined enterprise search with personalized features
• Enhanced and streamlined records and data libraries
• Social Computing collaboration with interactive features
• Integration of external platforms like BCS
• Quick and easy content publishing and authoring

SharePoint has gone through major changes in its capabilities and trends over the years. Here are the future trends of the Microsoft solution according to analysts:

• The universal adoption of social networking has forced Microsoft to let it be a part of SharePoint. But industry watchdogs, the feature may or may not work. The reason is stated that SharePoint lacks maturity as a social application. There are many Microsoft partners though who have introduced advanced social tools which blend well with the social networking environment.
  
• Personalization is expected to drive SharePoint adoption even further to a wide range of channels and sites. One can classify and aggregate their personal information easily now with SharePoint.
• Microsoft has managed to create a lot awareness about SharePoint and its foray into cloud computing. This may lead to more people preferring SharePoint solutions with cloud solutions and features. Chances are that its clients might opt for Office 365 or other Microsoft partner-specific solutions.
• Security and authentication in SharePoint needs to be given prime importance skills in SharePoint
• SharePoint governance will remain a key focus area when governance will be talked about. SharePoint governance has to be implemented and adopted widely since the number of SharePoint users is growing and all must be similarly guided too.
• The costs connected to custom solutions are expected to increase by several notches especially for SharePoint. Application developers who are specialists in SharePoint are few and far between. They are required to take care of overall manageability, portability and governance of the solutions that they create.
• SharePoint has immense data handling capability and has time and again proven that it can manage large content pools and hence there is no need for other ECM platforms. There will be pressure on SharePoint to deliver better cost of ownership. SharePoint capabilities on the mobile will be tested too.
• SharePoint implementation will soon incorporate governance across various SharePoint deployments for better content management. Governance plans are going to be favorable for both business and IT perspective with an efficiently strict
• With the advent of a wide variety of computing devices, the number of tools and platforms has increased in many enterprises. SharePoint is keeping up with the trends and has managed compatibility with various browsers and operating systems. Though the mobile integration part is not fully developed, third-party software is expected to make SharePoint more accessible.
• Microsoft has built into SharePoint a complex technical environment which includes a lot of processes. Training and education will soon be important for most SharePoint users since there are constant updates and features in the system. It is difficult to make optimum use of SharePoint if the knowledge is limited.
• Microsoft has built into SharePoint a complex technical environment which includes a lot of processes. Training and education will soon be important for most SharePoint users since there are constant updates and features in the system. It is difficult to make optimum use of SharePoint if the knowledge is limited.
• Concentration will be more on consolidating content in different SharePoint deployments. Third-party vendors and SharePoint implementation partners are expected to plug the gap through storage optimization.

2012 is set to be the year when businesses will change the way in which they interact with SharePoint. Emphasis would be on governance and planning while third party vendors and SharePoint developers will explore its cloud, mobile and social features.

Manufacturers always strive to improve performance against their cost, time-to-market ratio and product quality. They have to optimize their inventory and get real-time updates related to each and every section. Now globalization and the need for quick operational insight are posing new challenges and presenting some opportunities. Companies are required to execute multiple production strategies using both push and pull production control mechanisms. Dynamics® AX 2012 helps manufacturing companies to meet opportunities and overcome obstacles with its powerful ERP solution which is tailored for the industry.

“The ability to view and apply various manufacturing processes through a single ERP solution is the best solution for our business. With Microsoft we are confident we will remain on the cutting edge of technology.”

AX for Discrete Manufacturing

• Optimize production processes and materials planning while also boosting forecasting and scheduling accuracy.
• Schedule materials and capacity simultaneously
• Create, view, track, roll back and allocate production orders to categories
• Understand actual cost through production tracking and track detailed resources and overall costs. Identify and assess production variances too
• Plan simple as well as complex networks and use continuous routes
• Organize shop floor in parts of production units at each of the sites
• Schedule/reschedule jobs swiftly and also simulate additional alternatives
• Reassign to resolve scheduling overloads
• Use a unified resource model and scheduling engine for optimal scheduling of processes

AX for Process Manufacturing

• Define more than one inventory dimension including multiple units of measure
• Introduce new set of catch-weight calculations and various packaging codes
• Manage plethora of formulas efficiently along with co-products and by-products, e- signatures, and different packaging options.
• One can assign multiple quality specifications for each of the products so that machine utilization is optimized.
• Analyze and efficiently monitor production costs and sales order component requirements with the use of graphs and statistics
• Cut down on inventory costs and avoid waste by sequencing the inventory in an ideal arrangement of first expired/first out (FEFO) or first in/first out (FIFO) selection.
• Meet regulatory compliance requirements posed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by regulating manufacturing processes.

Microsoft’s unified approach has helped many manufacturing businesses to run and enhance its internal manufacturing processes. The solution has helped them to widen reach to a variety of geographies. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 reflects the spirit of innovation for meeting needs of manufacturers and to realize their vision of growth and stability.

Over the decade, the increasing regulatory and reporting requirements have necessitated LIMS for environmental organizations more than ever before. These new regulations have come up due to the advent of innovative measurement techniques and state-of-the-art instrumentation which are required to be integrated with an ideal laboratory informatics solution. There has been an influx of many user-friendly LIMS solutions in the form of COTS (Commercial off-the-shelf) applications which has made LIMS quite affordable for many organizations.

Along with regulatory requirements, the reporting requirements have evolved considerably and are continuing to evolve rapidly. EPA reporting requirements are different for each of the states; Electronic Data Deliverables including SEDD and EQUIS are necessary for a variety of clients who determine the data output formats along with structure. LIMS for environmental organizations are required to have features related to export of data in diverse formats including Excel, XML and the like. Additionally, the ideal LIMS solution is required to support integration with remote sensors and field data information as well as laboratory instrumentation. The comprehensive LIMS application can boost throughput, reduce the transcription errors involved and also enhance quality of data during analysis.

Selecting a LIMS solution: Why not COTS LIMS?
Selecting a new LIMS is never akin to get a solution for present requirements posed by various end users. Selecting a LIMS application is about finding a comprehensive solution to the current as well as future problems and a partner who is expert enough to meet current requirements as well as future needs.

Additionally, it is impossible, according to experts to have a true, all-encompassing COTS LIMS solution which can work for every lab and every scenario. There are several challenges involved here:

• The gigantic volume of tests and results that are required to be supported by the application along with the extensive calculations makes a COTS LIMS not feasible. To top it off, the plethora of reporting requirements include high variability and cannot be integrated in the application.
  
• It is highly unlikely that a COTS LIMS solution can be stand-alone can ever be completely, off-the-shelf and without any customization. The variations in requirements as well as the diverse workflows in various environmental agencies, the plethora of routes for administration, and the difference in working of every R&D facility makes it virtually impossible for creating a LIMS solution in the form of a one-size-fits-all solution.
  
• One can lessen customization to the maximum extent possible but there is no perfect solution without customization whatsoever. Most COTS solutions come with a “no customization” tag which is not true since additional code will need to be written for every specific lab. Alternatively, labs try to do the non-integrated processes manually which eats up time and resources.
  
• When examining COTS LIMS, never expect to find a 100 percent fit. Custom LIMS solutions are created by companies who have a complete understanding of the client’s strategy for closing the functional gaps. There are chances that some requirements crop up in the future too. A partner company can help you out in such scenarios. Developers are required to leverage modern architecture and open standards for extending the application.
  
• A COTS solution never eliminates the burden of responsibility on the part of the user. Validations may get reduced but that does not mean that the user will not have to check whether the system is working as per expectations.
  
• Historically, despite extensive customizations of the LIMS systems, environmental labs have been unable to implement one solution to meet needs of regulated users.
  
• Most COTS LIMS applications do not include definition of compliance rules based on type of manipulated data.
  Custom LIMS systems and Custom EDD applications serve as a better fit for most environmental agencies and the like since they can be tailored to their needs.
  

Silverlight, as most of you would know is Microsoft's answer to Flash for building rich internet applications. How do you think will it feature in SharePoint development and what are the chances of they combining together in the near future?

Silverlight was launched in April 2007 and Microsoft left no stones unturned to make the right impression. Silverlight 5 introduced video decoding with GPU acceleration and 64-bit support recently. The final release was in 2011 and now Silverlight is expected to be no more, according to many, although there has been no word about this from Microsoft. There are chances that it will most certainly cease to exist. Is there any scope for a partnership between the final installment of Silverlight and SharePoint’s next version too?

Utilization of Silverlight by SharePoint
Silverlight is used to build rich web parts and many developers suggest it to be very good. There are various media player web parts which exist to leverage Silverlight's ability for displaying great videos over the net. The SharePoint 2010 media web part is an excellent Silverlight control used during SharePoint development and implementation. A number of third party web parts are in vogue which can prompt Silverlight to interact well with pictures and audio in different ways possible.

SharePoint 2010 customization features also include generic Silverlight web parts which can be utilized to host Silverlight applications. This process allows applications to be quickly added to content pages. Microsoft has encouraged SharePoint integration with Silverlight and for controlling the source code. It has also given out samples for helping developers. The SharePoint 2010 interface relies on Silverlight to radiate and offer a slick experience. The animation and interaction effects with the aid of Silverlight are tremendous.

SharePoint Development and Silverlight

What is the Future?
But if Silverlight 5 happens to be the final release, what will SharePoint do? Silverlight's slow growth might get stalled and it might be replaced altogether by a new technology. Most would bet their money on HTML5 as the future technology.

Microsoft is backing HTML5 for app-style development in its new operating system: Windows 8. It is likely that Microsoft will do the same for its next SharePoint version too. One can expect out-of-the-box Silverlight web parts based on Silverlight to disappear in the near future. There might be some support to Silverlight applications which constitute existing legacy implementations. SharePoint 2010 had made considerable changes to its UI and utilized HTML in its pages effectively. There might be an overhaul of sorts in the next version of SharePoint if it opts for HTML5 as its rich media platform. Silverlight is expected to play not much of a role on SharePoint implementation too.

Silverlight has always been a very powerful and useful tool for RIAs but over the years, it has only acquired a niche audience. SharePoint 2012 will most likely use HTML5 in place of Silverlight. Most analysts agree here that Silverlight will not be the future, unless and until Microsoft throws in something out-of-the-blue!

SAP is huge; AX is not. But that does not take away the value which Dynamics AX brings to the fore. Here is a critical comparison between the two battling giants in the ERP world.

Enterprise Resource Planning solutions are in great demand in various organizations to streamline their business processes. But to choose between the best of ERP solutions is very difficult. Here are some reasons why Microsoft Dynamics AX has an upper edge of SAP in terms of features and functionalities.

Flexibility of options
One of the various reasons why MS Dynamics AX beats SAP is because SAP implementation is extremely cumbersome and extremely inflexible. Dynamics AX is extremely flexible in this regards. This might not mean much for many people but businesses realize the value her. This also affects the future decisions of business growth. SAP implementation would necessitate company’s goals to be aligned with SAP's thoughts even in the future since the investment here is humungous. It is very difficult for business owners to embrace SAP and then implement by its rigid rules rather than work according to the goals. Dynamics AX allows for fulfilling custom needs of an organization where the system can be tailored to the goals of the organization.

The Overall Product Stack and Familiarity Factor
The product stack of Microsoft is extremely popular and right from servers, workstations, and even its Office software is found in most organizations. The familiarity works in the favor of Microsoft since most custom applications are designed by Microsoft too. Databases like SQL server are MS products too. Thus choosing an ERP solution from the Microsoft stables is beneficial in the long run.. Currently Dynamics AX The latest Microsoft Dynamics AX version is well connected to other Microsoft products which are tightly integrated with AX. One can work through SharePoint, Excel Services and yet access HR data from AX. Microsoft runs the overall network, as well as the workstations, whereas SAP is a standalone ERP solution.

Future Growth
Microsoft is at the top of the IT industry with its diverse offerings and hence they have a set roadmap for each of their products. The Microsoft Dynamics AX product roadmap is astounding to say the least.

The SAP roadmap in contrast is less than visionary. They are barely releasing a host of web services that are again based on rigid business logic. The entire Microsoft product suite is expected to offer SOA benefits by 2012-2013 and it would definitely change the way one views Excel sheets and MS Access databases and AX data. SharePoint would render control on access though in a decentralized way.