SharePoint Time Tracking Solution Released

TimeCard was one of my first Outlook add-ons, created for a Swedish town even before we had our brand name, kalmstrom.com Business Solutions. Today TimeCard for Outlook is used  by companies and organizations all over the world.

It is therefore with great pleasure I announce the release of a SharePoint version of the kalmstrom.com application for time reporting directly from the calendar. Thank you team, for your great work and good cooperation!

kalmstrom.com Lead Developer Jayant Rimza has be responsible for the development of TimeCard for SharePoint, and he will tell you more about our new solution:

Report from a SharePoint calendar
Too many people spend time transferring time reporting data from their calendar into a time sheet. It is more efficient to directly report what is written in the calendar, but for that you need to add some time tracking information to each calendar entry. TimeCard helps you select that information quickly and correctly.

Global and personal settings
The extra information, that converts calendar events to time sheets, is selected from dropdowns.The administrator decides what tags should be used and enters all the values for these tags in the Global settings. We give two default tags Customer and Task, but they can easily be changed into something else.

Users can select which of the tag values they want to see in their dropdowns. This way an organization can have a very long lists of tag values, but each user only has to select among the values he or she needs.

Team work
It is a privilege to lead the work of transforming Peter's system design into a well functioning software solution. TimeCard for SharePoint has been such a big project that all team members have been engaged in it, and everyone rejoiced when our QA group finally gave the green light to this release.

The kalmstrom.com JavaScript team has played an important role in the development of TimeCard for SharePoint. They have created the TimeCard Settings and Reporting pages and made it possible to display data and save data into SharePoint lists.

Amin adds users
TimeCard for SharePoint is a Sandboxed Solution that supports SharePoint 2010 and 2013 and Office 365 SharePoint Online. The installation is easy: upload the setup file to the root site of the site collection and active it there and on the sites where TimeCard should be used.

Once TimeCard is activated on a site, the administrator can add the people who should have their TimeCard calendars on that site. TimeCard creates one calendar for each user, and the admin can see and edit them all. Other users will only see their own calendar when they open the TimeCard site.

Use on multiple sites
We have developed TimeCard to take advantage of the SharePoint structure. Therefore TimeCard can very well be used on several sites with separate settings, reporting and statistics for each site. Maybe your organization needs one TimeCard site for each department or workgroup?

Try it!
You are welcome to download TimeCard for SharePoint and try it for 30 days. If you don't want to create your own tag values and events, you can use our example data for an easier evaluation.

Free for Outlook version subscribers
Welcome If your organization is already subscribing to TimeCard Workgroup for Outlook, you may also use TimeCard for SharePoint without any extra costs.

We plan to make the two organizational versions work together, so that events/appointments are synchronized between them, but we are not there yet. That will be next major update of TimeCard Workgroup!

Jayant Rimza
Lead Developer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

Mars Orbiting Success For India

Early Wednesday morning an Indian space probe entered the orbit around Mars. I congratulate India to this achievement and let one of our proud Indian team members, Rituka Rimza, tell the story.

The 24 of September 2014 is a memorable day for all Indians, because that day India became the first country to successfully get a spacecraft into the Mars orbit on the first attempt. Early in the morning the Indian Space Research Organization's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft started orbiting the red planet.

Long wait
MOM departed from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the 5 November 2013, so the scientists had waited for more than 300 days while MOM journeyed on through space.

The last 54 minutes were virtually unbearable. It was during this period the orbiter first reoriented itself and then fired its engine and thrusters for about 24 minutes to get into the Mars orbit. Now it will work there for the next 6 months and try to solve so far unsolved mysteries.

Life on Mars?
When the 1350 kg spacecraft has been fixed into the planet's circumference, MOM's actual mission will begin.It will study the planet's surface and minerals and search for the presence of methane in the atmosphere . It will help the scientifics to understand the possibilities of living life on Mars.

Low cost
I think it is amazing that the success could be possible at a very low cost. Space travels are always discussed and questioned, because they are so expensive and high-profile.

The Indian cost is 70 million dollars, only a few cents on each Indian. The US spacecraft that is also orbiting Mars cost at least ten times as much. The Indian mission is actually cheaper than any other mission.

First images
The special spacecraft tools are developed in India and run by electricity generated from solar panels. MUM has now started its work and has sent the first spectacular images today.

This photo was published on MOMs own Twitter account with the text "The view is nice up here". Note that this is a real photo – not like the wallpaper above. I think it is only a first glimpse. There will be lots of surprises during the coming months.

Rituka Rimza
Technical Writer Trainee
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

Create SharePoint 2013 Hotspot Image

In earlier versions of SharePoint you could create a hotspot image directly in SharePoint Designer, but from SharePoint Designer 2013 this possibility has been removed. But you can still use hotspot images in SharePoint 2013, and in a new tutorial in the SharePoint links series I show how to do it.

Hotspot image, HTML map
Images that link different areas to different destinations have several names: hotspot images, HTML maps or map images. "Map" comes from a common use for such images – maps where you can click on countries or towns to get mer information.

One such image with clickable regions can replace several text links or buttons on a SharePoint page, and with a good design it makes the page look better. My design in the demo below might not be optimal, but I hope it serves its purpose: to show how to add a hotspot image to SharePoint 2013.

Get the code
In the demo below I use SharePoint Designer 2010 to create the hotspots in an image that shows the names of different SharePoint subsites. Regretfully it is not possible to create such images in the 2013 version of SharePoint Designer.

Hotspot or map images can also be created in other ways, but whichever method you use, you need the image HTML code to add the image to a SharePoint 2013 page. Once you have the code, you can just paste it into the page in edit mode.

Image changes
If you have good knowledge of HTML, you may of course also write the code directly in the SharePoint page, but for many SharePoint administrators it is easier to take the first code from SharePoint Designer 2010 or another editor.

Once you have the code in place on the SharePoint page, you only need basic HTML skills to change it. You don't have to create a new image each time you want to change a link, for example. You can just go into edit mode again and change the link directly in the code on the SharePoint page, just like you do with other links.

SharePoint links series
The tutorial about adding a hotspot image to SharePoint 2013 is the last one of those I planned on SharePoint links, but suggestions on more subjects are always welcome. All the demos are published with step by step instructions in the kalmstrom.com Tips section.

By Peter Kalmström
CEO and Systems Designer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

English Proficiency Proof - 10/10

Although I am Swedish, important parts of my professional and personal life have been spent in English speaking environments. I feel comfortable with my English language, but for curiosity I took a test to have an objective rating, to see how good – or bad! – I really am. The result was flattering!

TOEFL iBT
This was not my first English exam. When I came back to Sweden after a year as an exchange student in Pennsylvania, USA, I took the TOEFL iBT test, which is a test for non-native English language speakers who want to  study at U.S. universities. My score was very high, and that made me feel confident I could pursue a career where English proficiency would be necessary.

Duolingo
Duolingo is a platform for language learning and translation. From this year Duolingo offers English exams that they claim relate very well to tests like TOEFL. The tests are taken online, and via a web camera a human proctor makes sure that no assistance is received. It took me only about 20 minutes to get my proof of proficiency.

Practical use most important
With all due deference to exams, the real test of language skills is the practical use. For my own sake, I don't care about the exam at all. I know that I can manage all situations in English, my second language.

However, some potential customers might think there will be a language problem when they see that kalmstrom.com is a Swedish company. I hope they will not hesitate anymore when they read this. Some Swenglish might sneak into my speech even if it does not do so in an exam situation, but there will never be a problem with the understanding.

The Doulingo statement
The text under Language Status in the certificate above reads as follows:

"Expert. Can understand virtually anything heard or read, even intellectually demanding material such as an academic lecture or a book on philosophy. Can use the language fluently and spontaneously in a way that can even be more advanced than an average native speaker."

Next step is to reach the same excellence in Spanish!
Peter Kalmström
CEO and Systems Designer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

Faster kalmstrom.com Solutions In Shared Mailboxes

Today we have released an update of HelpDesk OSP, the kalmstrom.com Solution that makes it possible to create SharePoint list items directly from Outlook. For users who have HelpDesk OSP installed in a shared mailbox this is an important update, as it makes both Outlook and HelpDesk OSP faster.

Cached Exchange Mode
When Outlook is configured to use Cached Exchange Mode, it works from a local copy of each user's Microsoft Exchange mailbox. The mailbox is stored in an offline .ost file on the user's computer and is updated periodically from the Exchange Server.

Cached mode is the default setting, and most organizations prefer to use it as the alternative, Online Mode, will slow down the Outlook performance. This has been a problem to kalmstrom.com, because some of our solutions require Online Mode when they are installed in a shared mailbox.

Problem solved!
Now our clever Lead Developer, Jayant Rimza, has found a solution to the problem. He has figured out a way to make our products work also with the Cached Mode, and now when his idea has been tested we know that it works well.

HelpDesk OSP is the first Outlook add-on to have the new resolution implemented. Before release our developers also fixed a two minor bugs that only affected a few users.

More updates
Two more of our products has the same issue with Cached Exchange Mode and shared mailbox installation as HelpDesk OSP, and we will of course implement the resolution there too. We will soon update our resource booking solution Calendar Browser and our add-on for issue tracking, Folder HelpDesk.

Soon users with shared mailbox installations of these two kalmstrom.com Solutions will be able to switch to Cached Mode and thus get a faster Outlook.

Upgrade
If your organization uses HelpDesk OSP with a shared mailbox I recommend you to upgrade your installation. Upgrades are always included in the kalmstrom.com Subscriptions, just like support.

Try
Do you need a solution that can convert Outlook e-mails into SharePoint list items? Or do you want to be able to create SharePoint list items directly from Outlook? In that case I hope you want to download HelpDesk OSP for Outlook and SharePoint and evaluate it for 30 days.

By Peter Kalmström
CEO and Systems Designer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

SharePoint Archive Solution - First Test Version

Today I welcome my mother, Kate, to the blog. She is responsible for the kalmstrom.com documentation and has just tried the first version of SP Archive, our new solution for SharePoint list archiving. Here she will tell you how it is used.

In an earlier blog post Peter wrote about his idea for a new solution that would archive SharePoint list items. Now the development is in its final phase, and the responsible developer, Jitu Patidar, has given me the first version to try and comment.

Backup or clean lists, libraries and calendars
SP Archive can be used with all kinds of lists – common lists but also libraries and calendars, because technically they are lists too. There is a checkbox for removal of the archived items, so SP Archive can be utilized either as a backup tool or for cleaning SharePoint lists without having to delete items when lists get too long.

SharePoint list limit
SharePoint has a list limit of 5000 items, and when you exceed it you will get problems. This is especially important to know if you are using Office 365 SharePoint Online, as it gives less control than other versions.

Because of this list limit you have to clean long lists either you want to do it or not. List items can often be archived with a workflow, and we have instructions on how to do that in the kalmstrom.com Tips section. However, with a workflow you can never decide in detail what should be archived. SP Archive gives you that possibility.

Choose site, list, field and item
SP Archive can send items from all kinds of SharePoint lists to a database, and you can select in detail exactly what to archive. The selection is made in several steps, but of course you don't have to make them all each time you archive:

1. SharePoint site
2. SharePoint list
3. List fields to be included
4. Items to be included

When you only use SP Archive for one list and always include the same list fields, you only have to make the fourth selection each time.

Settings and Archive dialogs
When you open SP Archive you will see a window with buttons for Archive and Settings. In the Settings dialog you can add or remove sites and lists. Once you have added a site or list to the settings, you can go to the Archive dialog and make your selection on what to archive.

Next time you will open the Archive dialog directly and only use the Settings when you want to change something that concerns the sites or lists.

My first impression of SP Archive is very good. It is easy to understand and use, and I think many organizations will find it helpful. Now I will make sure that everything is documented in time for the release, which should not be too far away.

Kate Kalmstrom
Sales and Marketing
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

SharePoint Dynamic JavaScript Loading

Two weeks ago we published a blog post written by kalmstrom.com Lead Developer Jayant Rimza, where he described several solutions to the JavaScript problem that occurs with SharePoint 2013 Minimal Download Strategy.

That post has been so popular that we decided to create a SharePoint development entry in the kalmstrom.com Tips section. We hope our developers will contribute with more tips in the future. There you can find the SharePoint MDS and JavaScript article now, and the post below is also published in the Tips section. Once again Jayant "holds the pen", this time to explain how to best load JavaScript files in SharePoint:

When you are coding SharePoint using JavaScript, you need to load JavaScript files, and SharePoint offers multiple ways to do that. The major methods are to register the file on a page, to always load the file by using the SharePoint CustomAction in Module and to load the file on demand by using the Script on Demand function. This is valid for all SharePoint versions.

When a JavaScript file is registered on a page it is only available for that page, and this normally works good.
The problem comes when you are modifying the SharePoint ribbon using CustomAction and your CustomAction requires multiple JavaScript files. Then there are two loading methods available, to always load the files or to load them on demand.

 It is not good to always load JavaScript files. It will slow down the entire SharePoint performance, because it loads the JavaScript files on every SharePoint page and most often you do not need them all. You might only need them when a page is loaded or custom actions are executed.

JavaScript Always Loaded
Here I will first explain how to always load JavaScript or JavaScript code blocks. By using this method you can write check or condition when you want to load other JavaScript files.

From SharePoint CustomAction in Module you can register a JavaScript file and the file will be loaded in the entire SharePoint site. Only use this method when you really need to use the file all over SharePoint.

You can use this code to check condition and load other JavaScript files. You can use below code to register JavaScript in entire site:

<CustomAction

    Location="ScriptLink"

    ScriptSrc="/mymodule/js/myjavascriptfile.js" Sequence="100">

ScriptSrc is the Path of the JavaScript file.

You can directly write a block of JavaScript using CustomAction of the SharePoint module.

<CustomAction

    Location="ScriptLink"

    ScriptBlock="alert('script block loaded');"

    Sequence="100"> 
 

 Script on Demand 
SharePoint provides a function to load JavaScript on Demand (“SP.SOD”). By Script on Demand you can load a JavaScript file by a SharePoint function, and it will provide a callback to execute code when the JavaScript file is loaded. This is a good approach to load JavaScript files and improve overall SharePoint performance. 

There are three steps to load a script on demand: first add “notify script” at the end of the dynamic load JavaScript file, then register the file and finally execute the load function.

1. SP.SOD.notifyScriptLoadedAndExecuteWaitingJobs
   At the end of the file that is going to load dynamically you need to add this line of code:
   
    SP.SOD.notifyScriptLoadedAndExecuteWaitingJobs("myjavascriptfile.js");
   
   The Argument in the function "myjavascriptfile.js" is the key for that file. It does not have to be a file name, I only used the filename to avoid confusion. This key should be the same when you register the dynamic loading file and execute the load function.
   
   The key should be different for different JavaScript files, because internally SharePoint stores them in associate array with this key and value as path.
2.  SP.SOD.registerSod
   This function is used to register the file for the Script on Demand that you want to load later.
   
   
   var thisUrl = "";
   
   
           if (_spPageContextInfo.webServerRelativeUrl !== "/") {
               thisUrl = _spPageContextInfo.webServerRelativeUrl;
           }
   SP.SOD.registerSod("myjavascriptfile.js", thisUrl + "/mymodule/js/ myjavascriptfile.js");
   
   SP.SOD.registerSod accepts two arguments, the key for the file and its SharePoint path. This function registers the file in the SharePoint memory so that it will be loaded dynamically.
3.  SP.SOD.executeFunc
   Use this function when you want to load the JavaScript file and execute the method.
   
   

   SP.SOD.executeFunc(“myjavascriptfile.js”, functionName, fn);

   function fn(){

           alert(“my JavaScript file loaded dynamically”);       

   }

   
   This SharePoint function accepts three arguments: the key, the name of the function and the callback function that is executed after the file has been loaded. The key should be the same that you used in the method “SP.SOD.registerSOD”. (You can pass null into the second argument, because it is not mandatory. I always pass null in SP.SOD.executeFunc(“myjavascriptfile.js”, null, fn)
   
   Note that the callback function “fn” should not be in the file that is going to load. Instead it should be in the file or block that is loading the JavaScript file. After this callback function you can use all functions and variables of the dynamic loaded JavaScript File.

Summary

• Do not always load all your files in SharePoint using CustomAction. It will slow down SharePoint performance.
• You can load files when they are needed by SOD at event, button click, page load etc.
• First add a line at the end of the JavaScript file that will notify SharePoint that the file is loaded completely: SP.SOD.notifyScriptLoadedAndExecuteWaitingJobs("key");
• Register the file using the function SP.SOD.registerSod("key", “jspath");
• Use executeFunc to load the file when needed. This method executes a callback function once the loading is done by SharePoint: SP.SOD.executeFunc(“key”, null, callback);
• In all three steps to load the files dynamically, the key must be the same as for the JavaScript file.

Jayant Rimza
Lead Developer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

Microsoft Buys Swedish Minecraft Company?

The big business news here in Sweden today  has been Microsoft's acquisition of the Swedish game company Mojang AB. So far none of the parties have confirmed the purchase, but according to The Wall Street Journal the deal is near.

Mojang and Minecraft
Mojang AB is the company behind the independent game Minecraft, a survival sandbox game that has been sold in 50 million copies. But Minecraft is more than a game, and I think that is the reason for Microsoft's interest in Mojang.

Minecraft is used in schools, and in the Block by Block project Mojang has partnered with The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to let people plan urban public spaces using Minecraft.

"Notch"
The owner of Mojang is a young Swede, Markus Alexej "Notch" Persson. When he founded his company in 2009 he gave it the name "gadget" – "mojäng" in Swedish. The Minecraft success has attracted interest from many important investors, but so far "Notch" has refused all outside investments. Now it sounds as if he has changed his mind.

Third Nordic acquisition
If the Mojang deal is completed, it will be the third Microsoft acquisition of a Nordic company in a few years. Being a Swedish software developer, I cannot help but feeling proud of being part of the Nordic ingenuity. Even if Microsoft has shown no interest in a kalmstrom.com investment – yet!

In May 2011 Microsoft bought Skype, a company I still have strong feelings for as I worked there between 2005 and 2010. I was one of the first 100 people employed, and during my time as Product Manager for Skype Toolbars I experienced the immense growth of the company.

In April this year came the long awaited purchase of Nokia Devices and Services. The affair with Mojang is more of a surprise, and it will be interesting to see what it will lead to.

Peter Kalmstrom
CEO and Systems Designer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

Adventurous Release Celebration

Creating kalmstrom.com texts is not only about writing. To compose a blog post, for example, you must also know HTML code and photo editing to be able to present the text and images in an appealing way.

Today's post is created by our trainee Rituka Rimza. She wants to become a really good technical writer, and as she learns quickly and works hard I am sure she will reach her goal.


After releasing version 9 of Calendar Browser
(the kalmstrom.com Outlook add-on for resource booking) the Indore team members celebrated with a trip to an adventurous place called Safari Park.

It was a most memorable trip for all of us. The day was full of joy and physical activities. As we are sitting at computers in our daily routine, this was a new experience for all of us. There were lots of physical tasks we had to do within a given time.

When we reached Safari Park we could not imagine how much fun we were going to experience. That small park had lots of activities. There were trained staff members who guided the visitors.

One of them guided us. He started with some words we all had to speak loudly. According to him we would be filled with energy after that, and he was actually right.

Now we were all ready for our first task, which was Rope Pulling. He divided us into two teams, one led by Jayant and the other by Rinku. Eventually Jayant’s team won the contest.

In the second task we had to climb on a net of rope, while we competed in pairs. It may sound simple, but it was risky because one wrong step could throw you to the ground. Jayant and I climbed together, and I won.

We showed our art in Archery also, where we had to target an arrow at the center of a board. The bow was heavy, so it was difficult to hold it, but still we all tried Archery.

In the Image below you can see our third task. It had many stages that we had to complete one by one. It started with walking on a rope without any support. As I mentioned before, it seems simple, but it is difficult when you have to do it yourself.

Stage by stage the team members were expelled from the task. The most difficult part was when we had to cross tires of three colors (see the image below) without touching the blue tires. Only 3 members completed this task Ankit, Sharad and I, and could continue to the last stage.

Now we had to walk on wooden plates hanging in ropes. Here Sharad and I also failed, so only Ankit could finish all the stages and win the task.

That day, Vipul had a leg injury,so at first he said he would not be able to do any of the tasks. But after watching us and seeing how much we enjoyed it, he could not prevent himself from joining us. It was a miracle that he managed all the tasks while he could not even walk properly.

I think this is significant for the kalmstrom.com spirit, "never give up without attempting", that makes our team unique. I sometimes feel that the kalmstrom.com team is like a glorious pearl in the ocean.

After all these efforts we enjoyed a delicious meal together. I believe this kind of trips bring everyone closer together and inspire us in our work with the kalmstrom.com Solutions.

Now we are focusing on our new product TimeCard for SharePoint, which will be published soon. Then we will have cause for another celebration!

Rituka Rimza
Technical Writer Trainee
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

SharePoint Wiki Links Can Do More

With SharePoint wiki links you can create links to pages that don't exist yet, and you can make a list item show up in a new window on top of the page with the wiki link. In a new Tips article about SharePoint wiki links I show how you can create and manipulate such links.

Only for the site
Wiki links can only open pages, libraries, lists or items inside the same SharePoint site. They cannot point to another site in the site collection or to something outside it. This means that you seldom can manage with only wiki links on a site.

Type in the syntax
Wiki links cannot be added to a SharePoint page via the Insert tab, Link button. Instead you have to open the SharePoint page in Edit mode and type in the link. Microsoft has made that easy by showing options, but you still have to know that you must start with double square brackets to get going, and there are no hints to what the use of the tab key can achieve.

Advantages that compensate
So, if wiki links are a bit more complicated to create than other links and only work within the site, why use them at all? The answer is that wiki links can do things that is difficult to accomplish with other methods.

Link to nothing
One of the wiki links advantages is the possibility to create a link to a page that has not yet been created. Such a link gets a dotted line under it, and when you click on this link you are asked if you want to create the page that the link points to. Such wiki links work as placeholders for future pages, so that you can show what will come without having to create all pages a once.

Open list item on top
Wiki links can open a list item in a new window on top of the page where you have clicked on the link. To achieve this, a wiki link is absolutely the best and easiest method. But you must be aware of how you select the list:

Go to the list you want to link to and use the TAB key when you select the list and then the item. When you just select the list with a mouse click, the link will be finished and you cannot select an item.

In the demo below I show more wiki links and describe how to manipulate what anchor text is displayed on the SharePoint page. This demo belongs to a series on SharePoint links, and you can find them all in the kalmstrom.com Tips section.

Peter Kalmstrom
CEO and Systems Designer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

HelpDesk For Outlook Folders Updated

Today we have released a minor update of the kalmstrom.com incident management add-on for Outlook. It is often used by helpdesk staff, and as it is installed in an Outlook folder we call it Folder HelpDesk.

New design
I call this update a minor one, as most of the changes are made to remove non-crucial bugs. Standard Subscribers will however see the difference at once as we have replaced the old Folder HelpDesk logotype with a new and more modern one. (Premium Subscribers will not see this, as they have
their own logotype in Folder HelpDesk.)

As I told you in an earlier blog post, also the Folder HelpDesk statistics reports are updated with new design. I hope you have looked at the demo and like what you have seen!

Search closed tickets
A new feature has also been added – or two, actually. Both are enhancements of the search closed tickets application.

Folder HelpDesk shows the open cases as tickets in Outlook, where you can work with them without leaving Outlook. When they are closed, they are still stored in an Access or SQL Server database, and you just have to press a button to search and re-open them.

Big organizations with many incidents or support cases will have a large number of closed tickets when they have used Folder HelpDesk for a while. To speed up the search they can now avoid to include the ticket body when searching closed tickets. For many hits there is also a new possibility to decide how many of them should be shown.You can select any number, from 1 to 999.

Public folder or shared mailbox
Folder HelpDesk can be installed in any Outlook folder, but for sharing support cases it should be installed in a public folder or a shared mailbox. The earlier versions were called Public Folder HelpDesk, but from version 12 we changed the name to just Folder HelpDesk.

We no longer wanted to point to a public folder installation, as installation in a shared mailbox also works well. In the kalmstrom.com Tips section, under the Outlook heading in the table of contents, we have instructions on how to create a shared mailbox on the Exchange server or in Office 365 and on how to add a shared mailbox to a local Outlook installation.

SharePoint
Another reason for the name change from version 12 was that we already saw the need for SharePoint as a third sharing and storage option for Folder HelpDesk. When that is implemented, there will be no need for an Exchange server at all.

Folder HelpDesk will no longer rely on a shared network folder and an Outlook public folder/shared mailbox. Instead we will use the three options for sharing and storage of data already present in Kanban Task Manager for Outlook and KBase for Outlook: an Access database, an SQL Server database or a SharePoint site.

I hope this vision for Folder HelpDesk will become reality in 2015. While enhancing the solution the kalmstrom.com developers are always aware of the direction we have agreed on. Today's update was one step of many.

Upgrade or try
Subscribers who are using an earlier version of Folder HelpDesk for Outlook are welcome to upgrade their installations.

Have you not tried Folder HelpDesk yet? Please download the solution and evaluate it for 30 days. The manual and the various video demonstrations will help you get started, and you are always welcome to contact us if you have questions.

Peter Kalmstrom
CEO and Systems Designer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

Tag SharePoint Events With Time Reporting Data

The TimeCard for SharePoint documentation is almost finished, and today I can show one of the new demos: how to tag SharePoint events with TimeCard values.

Dropdowns
TimeCard for SharePoint adds one, two or three dropdowns to each event in the TimeCard calendar. Here users may select tag values for each event, values that transforms the SharePoint event into a timesheet. The values only need to be defined once for all who have their TimeCard calendars in the same SharePoint site.

Report the events
As the events are transformed into timesheets, they can be used for time reporting directly from the calendar. Just click a button, review the data and make changes if needed before you report the time with another button click. Given permissions, users can also help each other to report time.

Expenses
If the Expenses feature is enabled in TimeCard, the user's expenses for each event may be filled out in the event and reported with the hours. The default captions of the expenses form can be edited, so the TimeCard administrator may enter any suitable captions in the Global Settings for the site. Then these captions will be shown to all users and in the various Excel reports that TimeCard can generate, instead of the default ones.

TimeCard Demos
The demo above is intended for new TimeCard users. As you see it is very easy to tag the events, and the dropdowns minimize the risk for errors. The TimeCard for SharePoint Demonstrations page have three more demos for users. Personal Settings, Reporting and Statistics .

We have already sent the Beta version of TimeCard for SharePoint to some TimeCard Workgroup for Outlook subscribers, who were eager to test how TimeCard works on the new platform, and now we are looking forward to hearing their comments. Hopefully the next setup will be the release version!
Peter Kalmstrom
CEO and Systems Designer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions