2017 in Review

2017 is coming to an end, and I am looking back upon yet another successful kalmstrom.com year. It has brought lots of work, new books and product updates and a boom in requests for SharePoint services.

17 years of development
My brand "kalmstrom.com Business Solutions" was launched seventeen years ago. At that time, the name was "kalmstrom.nu Outlook Solutions", because Outlook was the platform I built on. SharePoint was not even released!

During the years after that, I have built a strong team and a solid place on the market, and SharePoint has become our main platform. The past year has consolidated this development of the brand, so I am glad I changed the brand name in good time.

Kanban Task Manager
The most popular kalmstrom.com product is Kanban Task Manager. We have now four editions of this tool for project and task management and visualization, but the first editions were for Outlook. Then Kanban Task Manager followed the general kalmstrom.com trend and came in two SharePoint editions.

When we have new subscribers these days, many of them want to use one of the Kanban Task Manager SharePoint editions – often in combination with one of our other standard products or with a custom solution. Therefore, we have made it a priority to enhance the SharePoint editions of Kanban Task Manager, and when applicable we also update the Outlook editions with corresponding features.

SharePoint services
In 2016 I decided to stop lecturing on advanced IT courses, and since then I have had more time for development and systems design. This has led to a considerable increase in the number of custom solutions and other services that the kalmstrom.com team has given during 2017.

The whole team feels encouraged by these commissions, because they always bring new challenges and put our skills to test. We also get to know IT professionals in other organizations, and the exchange of ideas gives a fresh input to our work.

Books and videos
Even if I have stopped lecturing, I have continued to teach. In 2017 I published two new books: Office 365 from Scratch and SharePoint Online Exercises. With the help of my mother Kate, I also updated SharePoint Online from Scratch to include more about the modern interface. However, Microsoft has recently added many new features to SharePoint Online, so Kate has already begun working with a new update!

The books are connected to free Tips articles with YouTube videos on kalmstrom.com, and in July we reached 10,000 Subscribers to the kalmstrom.com YouTube Channel. After that, there has been around 300 new subscribers every month, so the interest for SharePoint and SharePoint solutions is increasing.

Manage Office templates in SharePoint
Not only Kanban Task Manager has been updated during the year. We are especially proud of the latest version of Templates Manager. This fairly new SharePoint solution is now rich in features, and we hope it will be useful for templates distribution and usage in many organizations.

Team
The kalmstrom.com success should not have been possible without my skilled and dedicated co-workers. Many of them have been working with the products for long, and these esteemed colleagues and friends form a solid group that keep everything running smoothly.

To keep up with demand from customers and evaluators, we have hired several new employees in 2017, and they have merged well into the team and strengthened it further.

Most of us will not take long holiday leaves, so you can count on our assistance during the holidays if necessary. But for now, I and the rest of the kalmstrom.com team wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

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

HelpDesk for Outlook and SharePoint – Soon Without Outlook!

One of our current development projects is a new edition of HelpDesk OSP, the kalmstrom.com product that converts e-mails into SharePoint list items. The current edition is an Outlook add-in, but the upcoming edition will run on a server and not require Outlook at all.

Convert e-mails into SharePoint tickets
Many organizations need to convert e-mails into SharePoint list items. It might be support e-mails or different kinds of information that need to be published to SharePoint, so that it can be shared and stored in a better way than in Outlook folders.

For nearly ten years, our client-side edition of HelpDesk OSP has handled this e-mail conversion very well  –  and still does. We have long-time and satisfied subscribers all over the world.

Outlook add-in
The current HelpDesk OSP requires that Microsoft Outlook is installed on each computer from where e-mails should be published to SharePoint. That works without problems in most situations, but it requires a bit of management with upgrades, license checks etc. This is one of the reasons that we now want to create a server edition.

Outlook must be running to convert
HelpDesk OSP has a setting that automatically converts incoming e-mails into SharePoint list items, but if Outlook is not running, no conversion takes place. Some organizations solve this by leaving an instance of Outlook where HelpDesk OSP is installed running all the time – maybe on a server with Outlook installed, like we have done.

Unfortunately, it happens that Outlook crashes when it is left running for weeks and even months. In short, Outlook is not built as a server-application. This is another reason for developing a server edition that not requires Outlook.

Run on server instead!
For organizations who want e-mails to be converted automatically 24/7, we will soon release a new edition of HelpDesk OSP that is optimized for running on a server.

With this new edition, users don't have to install neither Outlook nor HelpDesk OSP, and no user will be required to be signed in to the computer where the HelpDesk OSP server is running. As long as the server is running, HelpDesk OSP will keep converting incoming e-mails into SharePoint tickets.

The development of the HelpDesk OSP server edition is going well, and I hope to come back soon and tell you more!
Peter Kalmström
CEO and Systems Designer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

Archive SharePoint List Items To Database

If you have been a long-standing SharePoint user, you might have faced problems with SharePoint list limits. To solve this dilemma, kalmstrom.com Business Solutions has developed a SharePoint solution called SP Archive.

SharePoint list items limit issue and the solution
A SharePoint list can store more than 5000 items, but in a given view, the list cannot display more than 5000 list items. Hence, when the list items are more than 5000, SharePoint fails to display all of them.

There are two solutions to this problem: create a new list, or archive old list items and continue using the same list. With SP Archive, the second option is both quicker and safer.

SP Archive, a kalmstrom.com Silver solution, helps you to both archive and keep a back-up of all your SharePoint list items, from as many SharePoint sites as you want. With SP Archive, not only the list items but any attachments in the list items are archived.

Use multiple databases and export to Excel
With SP Archive, you can store your archived data in two different databases, Access or SQL Server, and it is just a button away to switch between them.

When you check the “Export to Excel” checkbox, the archived data can also be seen in an Excel sheet.

Use detailed filters and delete archived items
SP Archive helps you to archive exactly the list items you want to save, because you may apply detailed filters to archive specific SharePoint list items. The next time you open the same list, SP Archive will remember the applied filters and use them by default.

You may delete the archived data from the SharePoint list by just checking the “Delete archived items” checkbox. Should you make a mistake, the items can be restored from the SharePoint recycle bin within 30-45 days after deletion.

Trial and Subscription
If you wish to try SP Archive and take advantage of its benefits, download the SP Archive installation file and evaluate the solution for 30 days.

You may subscribe to SP Archive on monthly as well as yearly basis. Organizations who already use a kalmstrom.com product, might be allowed to use SP Archive for free or at a discounted fee. Our Sales Department is always here for you, should you have any queries regarding the product subscription.

Documentation and Support
On the kalmstrom.com website, in the SP Archive “See Also” section, you can find video demonstrations that describe the installation and how to work with SP Archive. There is also a detailed manual and a slideshow, both downloadable.

We give free support to our evaluators as well as users. Therefore, do not hesitate to contact our Support team, if you have any questions and need assistance.

So, if you are looking forward to enhancing your SharePoint and want to use it more efficiently, I recommend you to evaluate SP Archive.
I hope my blog post turns out to be beneficial for you, and I will be waiting for your feedback and suggestions on SP Archive.

Dipti Francis
Executive Assistant
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions

SharePoint Statistics Tool Soon to be Released

Excel has an excellent statistics tool: the pivot table. Wouldn't it be superb if you could use data from SharePoint lists for business intelligence in the same way? When we release our new SharePoint add-in you will be able to do just that!

As Pivot Explorer for SharePoint Lists works in SharePoint Online, it has the scalability and sharing options of a web-based application. But Pivot Explorer also has the speed and flexibility that you are used to with your desktop Excel.

Understand data
When you have a lot of numeric data in a SharePoint list, for example sales figures, it can be difficult to interpret it. Maybe you want to show colleagues or customers all or some of the data, but for that you need a way to order the information to make it more understandable.

The traditional way to arrange data to make it easily comprehensible is to use an Excel pivot table or chart. This is however not optimal when you have the information in SharePoint. With Pivot Explorer you can instead just click a button in the command bar/ribbon and directly see the data in a pivot table. Another click gives you a choice of charts.

Save and share statistics
Pivot Explorer lets you manipulate the data like you are used to do in Excel. You can for example filter, sort and drill, to get the information you are interested in.

When you have achieved a view that displays the data in an illustrative way, you can save it and have it at hand for another occasion. You may also print the view, whether it is a pivot table or a chart, or export it to HTML, CSV, XLSX, PNG or PDF. Therefore, Pivot Explorer makes it is easy to share statistics with colleagues and customers.

I hope to come back soon and announce the release of Pivot Explorer for SharePoint Lists!

New Voice In kalmstrom.com Customer Contacts

Today I have the pleasure to introduce Dipti Francis, kalmstrom.com Executive Assistant since July this year. We were looking for someone who could assist us in sales and documentation, and Dipti has proved to be just the right person for this. In addition, Dipti can also help with recruitments – an important enhancement of a team that is continuously growing!

Many of you have met or will meet Dipti in e-mails and chats, and here you have an opportunity to learn more about the person you are communicating with:

I wrote my first blog post for kalmstrom.com Business Solutions about an Indian planting campaign, and now I have been given this opportunity to officially introduce myself.

Family background
I was born in a nuclear family, and being the youngest one, I had the benefit of having all my wishes being fulfilled at once. My father always has a very practical and logical answer to my questions, whereas my mother always helps me to foresee the emotional side of a situation. I believe that the combination of these two personalities has added value to my decisions, because it helps me to look at both the sides of any situation.

I owe my life to my parents, because whatever I am today it is because of their sacrifice and unconditional support.

Educational and professional life 
I completed my Bachelors of Engineering in 2015 from Malwa Institute of Technology, Indore. I was a very introvert student in school, but with the recognition and appreciation from my teachers and friends in college I realized my other talents of sketching and singing.

I started my career as a US IT recruiter at a global staffing firm. The daily talks to different people who had diversified experience and gaining knowledge from them, were great experiences. We often worked under immense pressure, so this was where I learned how to manage myself under stressful situations.

The work also helped me to fling off my hesitation of talking to different people outside India, whether it was face to face or in a call or email. To reach somewhere, you need to leave from somewhere, so eventually I decided to look for another job.

Working with kalmstrom.com Business Solutions
I joined the kalmstrom.com team in July 2017 as an Executive Assistant to the General Manager, and here I am gradually taking over the responsibility for sales emails, documentation and recruitments. I have now learned most of our products and updated the manuals for the new versions of the SharePoint products Kanban Task Manager and Templates Manager.

With kalmstrom.com Business Solutions, I get the chance to challenge my abilities in different areas, apart from recruiting. I work closely with Kate Kalmström and Rituka Rimza, who are my actual mentors in the company. They always help me to understand things in the best possible way, and I thank them for always keeping their faith in me. Working under these two guides, I believe that I can learn a lot and bring out the best in me!

Personal life and hobbies
In my spare time, I like reading books, playing keyboard, painting, singing and sketching. Sketching tops my hobbies list, because it makes me feel self-possessed. Below are a few sketches that I have made.

                 

Apart from this, I love spending quality time with my family and writing a diary.

Attitude of gratitude
I have always believed that being grateful for everything you have, is the key to happiness and abundance. Thus, I want to conclude this blog post by expressing my sincere gratitude to Peter, Kate, Jayant, and Rituka for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of the kalmstrom.com team. I want to specially thank Kate and Rituka for always being there for me whenever I need any help at my work place.

I get a very healthy working environment at kalmstrom.com, and all the team members are very supportive. I will continue to support the company's growth to the best of my abilities as an Executive Assistant or in whatever role I will work in the future. I look forward to having a great career with kalmstrom.com Business Solutions!

Dipti Francis
Executive Assistant
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions