News - Ballard Chalmers

SharePoint Server 2019 is on the way…

17/10/2017

SharePoint Server 2019 was announced by Jeff Teper at the recent Ignite 2017 conference. Microsoft has released little details to date though some of the “big bets” it listed in this blog post are:

Next-Gen Sync Client support
Modern UX throughout the product
Flow / Power Apps integration
Other SharePoint Online innovations

SharePoint Server 2019 is currently scheduled for release in the second half of 2018 according to Jared Spataro in this Office blog post.

^{Source: Microsoft}

What’s new in SQL Server 2017?

15/10/2017

SQL Server 2017 became generally available on 2 October and represents a major step towards making it a platform that gives you choices of development languages, data types, on-premises or cloud, and operating systems by bringing the power of SQL Server to Linux, Linux-based Docker containers, and Windows. Read this documentation from Microsoft for a summary on what is new for specific feature areas.

At Ballard Chalmers we know SQL Server inside out! If you are looking to upgrade or would like to simply discuss your options give us a call.

Discover the benefits of Cognitive Services in our upcoming Collab365 Global Conference livestream

15/10/2017

Cognitive Services has opened up the ease of introducing greater intelligence to applications that can take real value from your content. Pulling this together with Office Add-Ins and the SharePoint Framework helps provide users with dynamic integration where they are using it, whether it be Outlook, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams or even the standard Office apps.

Kevin McDonnell, Senior Technical Architect at Ballard Chalmers, will be delivering a livestream talk on this topic at the Collab365 Global Conference on November 2 at 19:00. For a brief overview of what to expect watch the video below.

To avoid missing out, register for the Collab365 Global Conference here.

You can also read Kevin’s blog for headstart on the topic: Cognitive Services – How You Can Add Intelligence to Your Applications.

BizTalk Server 2013 R2 Cumulative Update 7 now available

12/10/2017

The BizTalk Server 2013 R2 Cumulative Update 7 is now available. For more information, see the Microsoft Support website: Cumulative Update package 7 for BizTalk Server 2013 R2.

^{Source: Microsoft}

SharePoint Server 2007 Extended Support ends 10 October 2017

08/10/2017

Extended Support for SharePoint Server 2007 ends this Tuesday, 10 October 2017.

So what does this mean if you are running this version? Your SharePoint Server 2007 farm will still be operational after this date, but no further updates, patches, or fixes will be shipped for the product – including security patches and fixes. As End of Life approaches for SharePoint Server 2007 it is strongly advisable to upgrade to a newer version of the product, or migrate important data. This SharePoint 2007 migration options to consider article from Microsoft is a good starting point to help you plan what to do next.

Microsoft has a dedicated lifecycle FAQ page where you can read more about its general policy on support. Read it here.

As a Microsoft Partner Ballard Chalmers can help you with an upgrade to a newer SharePoint Server iteration.

^{Source: Microsoft}