September was described as a month to remember for SharePoint with a host of exciting features introduced to improve the overall user experience.
Like other monthly update cycles, Microsoft’s decisions are based largely on customer feedback, with changes made to address the most pressing issues currently faced by the community.
From updated web parts to a new page diagnostics tool, there have been a lot of significant changes made in recent times, all designed to help clients deliver better results.
In this blog, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at some of the biggest updates of the past month, analysing the impact these will have on SharePoint’s core userbase.
Power up SharePoint with Yammer
While most users choose to access the Yammer interface directly due to its simplicity, there is sometimes the need for more versatile options.
These options can be accessed by combining the structured page approach of modern SharePoint with the conversational capabilities of Yammer.
Given our integrated mindset, this is an update that particularly stands out, as it allows users to enjoy the combined benefits of two popular platforms, extracting maximum value from their existing investment in Microsoft.
SharePoint comes with three ready-made web parts for embedding a Yammer feed on a page, including Yammer Conversations, Yammer Highlights and Yammer Classic, all of which offer different appearances and can help bring a SharePoint page to life.
New and updated SharePoint web parts
When it comes to displaying and digesting pages, web parts are the key to creating rich and beautiful experiences.
For this reason, improved web parts have been highly requested in recent months, and as usual, Microsoft have delivered on their promise to provide updates based on community feedback.
Some of the new web parts include the Button & Call to Action, which engages your page viewer by providing focussed text on and above a button, and the World Clock & Weather web part, which allows you to add individual cities or a group of locations to highlight local times and weather.
Adding personality to your pages, these web parts are responsible for transforming important news into visually appealing information, enhancing communication and collaboration throughout your business.
Updated page diagnostics tool
Acting as a browser extension for Chrome and Microsoft Edge, the new page diagnostics tool will help you identify the site pages that aren’t delivering optimal performance.
Comparing the characteristics of a site page to best known practices, the updated tool provides remediation guidance, like identifying images that are too big or CDNs that are out of place.
This in-depth investigation leads to suggested fixes across three analysis results: Attention required, Improvement opportunities and No action required.
With this update, users can ensure their news and pages are always running smoothly – if there are any issues that require immediate attention, then the diagnostics tool will find these and alert you.
Manage settings from site permission panel
The ongoing management of your site or page should be a priority for your business, ensuring important operations are operating as they should
Instead of going into Advanced Permissions, users can now follow the ‘change sharing settings’ link and access everything they need to view and edit their site’s sharing options.
Site owners can use the new panel to restrict access to files, folders and the site, meaning only those given permission can share content.
It’s another important step forward for the platform, as it means businesses can keep a closer eye on their pages, preventing sensitive information being shared without consent.
More updates on the horizon…
Rather than implementing updates sporadically, Microsoft has built a reputation for improving features on a monthly basis, engaging its userbase for feedback and advice.
Not only will SharePoint enhance collaboration and communication within your business, but it will unlock a wealth of new opportunities, allowing you to deliver better results across the board.
Understandably, finding the right solution for your business can be difficult, so if require assistance then contact our in-house team of experts for advice.
If you’d like to read about some of the other recent SharePoint updates, visit the Microsoft blog here: http://bit.ly/2MLLn1H