USMC SharePoint Course Developments...

Just to update everyone on some of the latest developments in the SharePoint Course...

First, we have two new instructors. One instructor just started at the Camp Lejune, NC office and another instructor just started at the newly created Hawaii office.

Both instructors are planning on coming to SoCal so we can meet and get on the same sheet of music (so to speak). We also have two instructors trained at 29 Palms, CA to provide SharePoint training/support as needed.

A lot of changes are being made to the course itself. Not necessarily in what is being presented, but more on how it is being offered. We are breaking the course up differently to give students more training flexability, in addition to adding more days to the training to offer more advanced features/functionality. Expect more focus on MOSS 2007 and InfoPath as the Marine Corps gets around to upgrading all of their servers to the full Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. Some other items we are looking to integrate into the advanced training are Content Types, WorkFlows, Access Integration and KPI/Excel Services.

I'm expecting to be able to start teaching the new course by June. By the end of the year we should be pretty close to offering some additional courses/training to include SharePoint Designer/Web Development, SharePoint Server Installation, and perhaps even some generic Office Suite classes (still pending approval on that one :).

Hope everyone is as excited as I am for the upcoming changes!

Access in SharePoint...

I started following one of my Facebook friend's blog on SharePoint Issues. His name is Michael Gannotti and I highly suggest you look him up and connect with him. He'll definitely accept your friend request, and you will get all kinds of great information from his status updates.

One in particular I liked was a video he made regarding Microsoft Access 2007 and SharePoint integration. It was really easy to follow and pointed out some of the great integration features of the Office 2007 suite.

Ironically, the integration features were a big topic today for one of my students that uses Access. The link to the video is HERE.
Eventually I'm going to create a slide presentation that discusses typical military applications of SharePoint/Access integration. Enjoy the video, check out his blog HERE, and SEND ME MORE STUDENTS!! :)

Future of SharePoint in the Corps..

I think the USMC SharePoint Symposium was a huge success and will pay off huge dividends in the near future.

From the event, a USMC SharePoint Best Practice Community forum is being developed and a lot of great contacts were made to not only further develop the MISTC SharePoint Operator's Course, but to develop SharePoint within the Marine Corps community as a whole.

More info from the event will be posted soon.

Thanks again to all that participated!

USMC SharePoint Symposium

Things are really shaping up for the MISTC West USMC SharePoint Symposium going Nov. 17th - 21st on Camp Pendleton, CA.

We already have many companies traveling from all over the country to have the opportunity to present some outstanding SharePoint knowledge in a variety of topics.

There is still plenty of space for any military/DOD employee to attend. Simply e-mail me at brian.reeves.ctr@usmc.mil for more information.

Hope to see everyone there.

International SharePoint Professionals Association

This new Association looks like it will be a great resource for SharePoint users on a global scale...and believe me SharePoint is indeed INTERNATIONAL.

I've been in contact with SharePoint Designers/Administrators from all over the world and they are all hungry to collaborate on all things SharePoint.

This organization exists to lend support to SharePoint End User Groups (one of which is right in San Diego).

Check out the link to the ISPA...right now they are not accepting open membership, but they are providing some great information to get connected with the community.

International SharePoint Professionals Association

SharePoint Magazine...

A new resource available to SharePoint users is the newly released online SharePoint Magazine.

Here is the link...

http://sharepointmagazine.net/

From the site you can register and receive their e-mail based magazine. This looks like something that is going to become huge in the near future. There are already some great articles posted on the site...strongly suggest you sign up today!

Lookup Columns...

Something I have been glossing over in my End User SharePoint class has been working with the Lookup Column option in a List or Library. It has taken a while for me to figure out a functional use for this feature from a military perspective.

Basically, the Lookup Column acts like an automatically updating Menu List, based on a column you choose from a DIFFERENT list or library.

I created a powerpoint on My SharePoint Site that shows how to use this feature.

There are a couple of different reasons to use the Lookup Column. The first is to separate permissions. Perhaps one shop or section is resposible for adding points of contact (like the S-1), and other is responsible for uploading LOIs (Letter of Instructions--like the S-3).

By using the Lookup Column, you can create a Custom List called POC that the S-1 has contribute permissions over so they can maintain/update contact info, and the S-3 can upload their files and have an automatic list of possible Points of Contact from the command added to the 'metadata' for their uploaded file.

Another reason to use the Lookup Column is to save typing. If you find that you use the same menu over and over again for your SharePoint lists/libraries (like a column called Section that lists all the command sections...or better yet, a RANK column--it is really annoying to type every possible rank without even talking about the Navy rank structure).

In these scenarios, you can create ONE custom list with the items you need (like Section or Rank) and enter all the options into that list. From there, any time you want to use those options create a Lookup Column and link to it.

One drawback, you have to create the Lookup Column in the Site you want to use it in. That means that if you create it on your home page, you will not have it available for sub-sites without doing some heavy programming work arounds.

Again, if you want to see the Lookup Columns Step-by-Step, go to http://usmc-sharepoint.com and use the login/password of Marine/password. From there go to SharePoint Support.

Hope this helps!