Thinking about mixing your on-premises intranet system with a cloud-based platform? Then a hybrid solution that uses Microsoft SharePoint may be the right choice for your organization. There are many benefits to this kind of hybrid solution, including increased convenience for users and good integration of search results.
That said, there are some potential pitfalls that you will need to watch out for when implementing a hybrid solution. Read more to find out what a hybridsolution is, why it could be right for your company and what you need toconsider before greenlighting a hybrid initiative.
What is a Hybrid Solution?
Put simply, hybridsolutions marry on-premises intranet with the cloud with a seamless and transparent authentication. This isn’t a new idea; SharePoint has allowed for the creationof a hybrid environment to connect search indexes for several years. However,this option has not been widely adopted because search results are not integrated.For example, searches can deliver duplicate results — one that is hostedon-premises and another that is hosted in the cloud. The result? A poor experience for users.
State of Hybrid SharePoint in 2015: SharePoint Online
Thelatest version of SharePoint is SharePoint Online. Today, SharePointOnline provides better integration between online and on-premises contentthan many alternatives. The federated search engine included in SharePointOnline connects the two sets of content, preventing duplication of searchresults between on-premises and the cloud.
Why Use a Hybrid SharePointSolution?
Now that hybrid SharePoint is a viable solution, many businessesare adopting this kind of solution. It is a very convenient choice if youcurrently have a lot of content stored on-premisesbut want to branchout into using a cloud-based solution. And SharePoint Online makes the processof implementing a hybrid solution simple. With the upcoming SharePoint 2016 release and Cloud Search provider, the process to configure SharePoint hybrid has been simplified.
Considerations When Implementinga Hybrid SharePoint Solution
As with any solution under review, it is essential to understand thecapabilities of the current technology, as well as its limitations. Youalso need to carefully plan your transition to the new system in orderto minimize disruption to the day-to-day running of your business – from theimplementation of the actual technology to user adoption.
MisconceptionsAbout SharePoint Online
It’s not uncommon for users to be unclear about what SharePointOnline can and cannot do. That means it’s important to manage expectations. For example, many assume that any items storedon-premises will automatically be visible from online menus; that is notalways the case.
In addition, SharePoint Online doesn’t currentlyoffer unified SharePoint group capabilities. Finally, although the newfederated search engine in SharePoint Online is much better than that offeredby older versions of SharePoint, there is still the potential for confusionamong users. Sometimes, an on-premises item can appear in a search list,but the user may not have direct access to the item stored on-premise.
Planning a Transitionto a Hybrid SharePoint Solution
Planning is essential to ease the transitionto a hybrid SharePoint solution – and not just from a user adoption standpoint. You need to decide which items will behosted on-premises and which will need to move to the cloud. During thisplanning stage, you should also consult with the end users to find outwhat their needs are and manage their expectations of the new system. Withclear governance and careful management of expectations, you can make asuccessful transition in a reasonable timeframe.
