The kalmstrom.com developers are not only adding new features and fixing bugs. They also improve our software on long time basis, to keep them strong in the future. One part of that work is to allow use of Microsoft SharePoint with more kalmstrom.com products than the current HelpDesk OSP and ShareTask.
SharePoint site instead of database
The first step of implementing the extended use of SharePoint is to add a SharePoint site as a an alternative for sharing data to an Access or SQL Server database in the kalmstrom.com products. When the SharePoint sharing option is selected the data will be saved in SharePoint lists instead of database tables, and neither a shared file server nor an Exchange server is required - only a SharePoint site that may very well be hosted. kalmstrom.com Business Solutions uses SharePoint 2010 on Office 365, which works just fine.
Kanban Task Manager first out
The first product to be released with the new SharePoint sharing alternative will be the new kalmstrom.com product Kanban Task Manager for Outlook.
With Kanban Task Manager you can share information about projects and tasks within the workgroup. All the ongoing projects can be seen in Outlook on all PCs, and when one member of the group creates a new task, changes a task or drags it to another phase, all the other group members can see it in their PCs also.
The Sharing Options dialog above is from Kanban Task Manager, and eventually similar dialogs will be used in more kalmstrom.com applications.
KBase V3 coming next
Work with version 3 of KBase, the kalmstrom.com knowledge base, is well on its way. KBase has up till now worked totally inside Outlook. It is installed in a public folder or a shared mailbox, and everyone who wants to read, add or edit articles must be connected to the local network.
You can publish articles as webpages or embed them in a SharePoint site, but KBase V3 will be a better alternative for those Community Members who today have KBase embedded in their SharePoint sites.
With KBase V3 and the SharePoint sharing option selected, there will be a direct contact between the KBase installation in Outlook and the SharePoint site. As soon as an article has been added or edited in Outlook it can be read on the SharePoint site.
TimeCard reporting to SharePoint
For our more complex products a SharePoint addition will give even more benefits. After the Kanban Task Manager and KBase releases we plan to give the kalmstrom.com time reporting Outlook add-on the same new option. This will mean that users will be able to report their time to a SharePoint site and no longer have to be connected to a databasen or report via an ASP page. All they need is an internet connection!
Our kalmstrom.com CEO has all available Microsoft certifications for SharePoint 2010, so I am sure he will develop the new SharePoint alternatives to be both user friendly and efficient. I will of course come back with further info about our development projects in future blog posts.
SharePoint site instead of database
The first step of implementing the extended use of SharePoint is to add a SharePoint site as a an alternative for sharing data to an Access or SQL Server database in the kalmstrom.com products. When the SharePoint sharing option is selected the data will be saved in SharePoint lists instead of database tables, and neither a shared file server nor an Exchange server is required - only a SharePoint site that may very well be hosted. kalmstrom.com Business Solutions uses SharePoint 2010 on Office 365, which works just fine.
The first product to be released with the new SharePoint sharing alternative will be the new kalmstrom.com product Kanban Task Manager for Outlook.
With Kanban Task Manager you can share information about projects and tasks within the workgroup. All the ongoing projects can be seen in Outlook on all PCs, and when one member of the group creates a new task, changes a task or drags it to another phase, all the other group members can see it in their PCs also.
The Sharing Options dialog above is from Kanban Task Manager, and eventually similar dialogs will be used in more kalmstrom.com applications.KBase V3 coming next
Work with version 3 of KBase, the kalmstrom.com knowledge base, is well on its way. KBase has up till now worked totally inside Outlook. It is installed in a public folder or a shared mailbox, and everyone who wants to read, add or edit articles must be connected to the local network.
You can publish articles as webpages or embed them in a SharePoint site, but KBase V3 will be a better alternative for those Community Members who today have KBase embedded in their SharePoint sites.
With KBase V3 and the SharePoint sharing option selected, there will be a direct contact between the KBase installation in Outlook and the SharePoint site. As soon as an article has been added or edited in Outlook it can be read on the SharePoint site.
TimeCard reporting to SharePoint
For our more complex products a SharePoint addition will give even more benefits. After the Kanban Task Manager and KBase releases we plan to give the kalmstrom.com time reporting Outlook add-on the same new option. This will mean that users will be able to report their time to a SharePoint site and no longer have to be connected to a databasen or report via an ASP page. All they need is an internet connection!
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