The understanding of QA (Quality Assurance) and QC (Quality Control) gets thrown around carelessly in our line of work. Both of these terms are often interchangeably used by junior developers and non-techy clients which tends to create confusion for everyone. 

Even though this tends to look like a minor issue for people who don’t live and breathe software development, mistaking these two aspects of quality management is not something that should be ignored. 

Proper and clean communication is everything in our industry. Software development is a delicate process filled with many carefully planned steps. All of these steps have a significant impact on the final outcome of the product. 

To move the needle forward, it’s imperative that both clients and developers speak the same tongue. 

To ensure that our future clients and hires don’t confuse these vital roles in the quality management process, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) have decided to produce a new piece for our blog that will make it clear to everyone why QA and QC shouldn’t be viewed as synonyms.


## Quality Assurance vs Quality Control: Understanding Both Concepts



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/3658a18752f446f3bb18a0f69aa70d7a.png)

According to the American Society for Quality ([ASQ](https://asq.org/)), **quality assurance** is defined as a “planned and systematic process of activities implemented in a quality system so that the quality requirements and goals for a service can be fulfilled”. The same website explains **quality control** as an “observation technique that comes with certain activities that are there to fulfill requirements for quality”.

So, right off the bat, there is a difference between these two aspects of quality management. 

Quality assurance ensures that the approaches, techniques, methods and processes that are designed for the projects are implemented correctly, while quality control focuses on the actual quality of deliverables that are being produced under these tested methods, processes, approaches, and techniques.

## Quality Assurance vs Quality Control: Differences in Terms of Goals And Focus

The main and most obvious difference between these concepts boils down to the **goals and focus**: 

- The main goal of QA is to set procedures and processes in place that will minimize risk and prevent any predictable defects from happening. 
 
- The main goal of QC is to inspect the quality of everything concrete that’s done under these processes and determine if the work is meeting the quality standards of the project. QC is often used to accept or reject solutions.

Quality assurance is a process that is used to ensure that the project team is operating on “best practice principles” that prevent the creation of known bugs typical for developing similar solutions.

On the other hand, quality control looks for all the bugs at the end that tend to happen for any number of reasons and flags them so that the development team can jump back in polish all recognized issues.

As you can probably see, both of these concepts are tied to each other, but they are based on different needs. Quality assurance revolves around the creation of a roadmap for creating high-quality products, while quality control focuses on the verification of the product’s actual performance.

The former represents the system that should be adopted by an entire team, while the latter is usually executed by dedicated personnel.

## Quality Assurance vs Quality Control: Additional Differences


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/0f3fb3d1b6474c3ebe2e75898da4b226.png)

**Duration** is one of them. Quality assurance requires some time to implement. It usually enters the picture at an early stage of the product development process, while quality control is something that happens later in the game; at the last quarter, to be precise. 

Quality control is the final link in the chain that either makes or breaks the entire project. As mentioned above, QC people are the ones who decide if the product is good enough to be shown to clients or if it needs to be sent back for additional work.

Quality assurance and quality control teams use different tools to manage their work. QA relies on utilities for helping them do cost-benefit analysis, while QC uses tools that help them review quality of work. 

**Responsibility** is also a factor. QA teams set the stage for the entire operation, so, in a way, QA is responsible for the ENTIRE software development cycle. Since quality control enters the picture at the very end, once the product is at least somewhat functional - QC people end up being responsible for the software testing life cycle.

## If Quality Assurance is Done to Perfection, Does it Eliminate the Need for Quality Control?

Since we are now fully aware of the differences between QA and QC, let’s take a deeper dive into the subject matter. Everyone who has thought deeply about QA and QC for longer than a minute, has probably asked themselves the following question:

*Does top quality QA eliminate the need for QC?*

Since QA is a proactive process that is supposed to foresee possible pitfalls and make sure that all the processes and procedures set the team up for success, does QC even need to happen if the QA really locks everything down?

The short answer is: yes, quality control still needs to happen. Here’s why:

Quality assurance doesn’t guarantee anything about the overall quality of the end product. The responsibility of quality assurance is to create solid processes and ensure that they are being followed. QA focuses on the operations, not the actual quality of deliverables. 

On the other hand, quality control doesn’t guarantee quality either. It measures it and maps out the elements that could be improved to the overall quality goal of a product.

Both QA and QC are instruments of quality management. They are pieces in a bigger puzzle that help the developers create great products and meet expectations of the customers.

## Final Thoughts

Thank you for taking the time to read this article in its entirety. As you can probably see from everything written above, both quality assurance and quality control have their unique role to play in quality management. They are equally important for the overall success of a project. At Share IT, we do both QA and QC to ensure the end results are optimal. In addition, we dedicate enough time to educate our clients and adjust our procedures to best fit their needs.

If you have any additional questions about this topic that you would like to answer for you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. If you have a project in mind that you would like to discuss, reach us at [Share IT](mailto:contact@shareit.rs).

-

Related readings:

[Why is Software Project Estimation so Difficult?](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/software-project-estimation)
[The Importance of Service Delivery Management](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/service-delivey-management)
[Web Development Services: How to Choose the Right Experts?](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/web-development-services)
[Looking to Outsource a SharePoint Developer? Here's What to Pay Attention to](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-developer)



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Quality assurance vs quality control - what is the difference? Read more about these complementary concepts in software and web development.

Quality Assurance vs Quality Control: What is the Difference?

Building digital products is a complicated process that requires more than just an understanding of different programming languages. It requires proper planning and execution. 

Regardless of how good you’re at writing code, the success of an entire development process depends on your ability to identify challenges in advance and figure out the best plan of attack. 

In this field, nothing happens by accident. Nothing is chosen at random. Successful projects are the ones that are managed well. Before moving an inch into development, experienced managers and team leads take the time to properly analyze the project at hand and figure out which software development methodology will work best for it.

Alas, choosing the right software development methodology is far harder than most developers think. Every methodology exists for different reasons and has its own strengths and weaknesses. But how does one know which methodology to choose for an upcoming project?

Today, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) have decided to dig a bit deeper into the most popular software development methodologies and list some of the pros and cons behind every one of them.

## What Is a Software Development Methodology, In a Nutshell? 




![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/b4281452f33d49d7b0168bde5d9d69c9.png)

In its essence, this is a process where you split the software building work into different stages that have different types of activities assigned to each phase. The main purpose of this is to help software development teams effectively plan and manage their workload. 

In most cases, the methodology includes pre-defined deliverables and artifacts created and then completed by a project team in charge of developing/updating/maintaining a specific application. Each methodology has its own artifacts, while each software development company is usually responsible for defining its own deliverables. 

Each software development methodology is created in a way to guide the development team through the following stages:

- Requirements
- Design 
- Implementation
- Testing
- Debugging
- Deployment
- Maintenance

However, even though every popular software development methodology is designed to cover each of these stages, the way they prioritize and organize is what sets them apart. Keep reading to find out the differences between top three methodologies and when are each of them best used.

## Waterfall Methodology

Also known as the “traditional methodology”, this specific approach to software development can be described as a process of flowing steadily downstream through the stages of "conception, initiation, analysis, design, construction, testing, production, and maintenance".

Originally used in manufacturing and construction, this methodology slowly found its way to software development where it soon became a go-to approach for professional developers.

Although most younger developers feel that this methodology is now obsolete, there are still plenty of professionals in IT who still frequently rely on it; especially when they work on lightweight projects that come with super clear and stable requirements. We’re talking here about small apps that come with clear-cut instructions and can be implemented relatively fast.

With Waterfall, you can concentrate fully on quality. Plan, collect requirements, design software architecture, and build software. That’s it. Later on you test and debug what you created, and, finally, deploy the solution. It’s a pretty straightforward process. Zero fuss, zero need for jumping from one task to another.

It’s a really simple and cost-effective approach for small projects. However, once things get more complex and you find yourself in a situation where you need to properly define requirements which are not likely to change in the process of development - the Waterfall model becomes obsolete.

## Scrum



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/52c8b90c23ae4a76ac96d305dc364ff0.png)

The whole philosophy of Scrum is that the problem at hand can't be fully understood and defined right from the start. Thus, this methodology adopts the empirical approach focusing mostly on the project team's ability to react quickly to the changing requirements. That's why Scrum is often referenced in conversation as the only true agile software development model.

As mentioned above, Scrum is perfect for big projects where teams need to prioritize work and build a frame that can be reworked endlessly in the future. 

The process basically looks like this: a team working together with the client to come up with ideas for features of the product. Those features are then arranged by priority and placed into a so-called “product backlog”. From there, the team picks out sets of features that are most important to the client and then tries to arrange them in a “sprint”.

The sprint usually lasts 2-4 weeks. During the sprint, the team meets to discuss the progress each week to ensure that everything is going according to plan and to figure out how to eliminate all roadblocks that pop up during the development process. The goal of each sprint is to come up with something to show to the team leads or the client. 

Even though there are many advantages to Scum, this methodology can be a double-edged sword. Implementing quality can be hard, if you don’t have a rigorous testing process. Working in Scrum usually means that there's a defined end-date. This tends to be a problem, especially in scenarios where you’re using Scrum to develop a project for a client. Time means money. If there’s not a fixed deadline in place, the client might need to invest more money than planned. 

In addition to this, adopting the Scrum methodology to a large team can be difficult - especially because everyone has a strict role to play. For instance, if a team member leaves in the middle of a project, that can easily push the whole team off tracks.

## Kanban

Even though Kanban is also an agile software development methodology, it's not quite the same as Scrum. Kanban is all about tracking the capacity of team members and giving them more time to do quality work. Unlike Scrum that focuses on sprints and doing new things in short runs, Kanban focuses on reaching milestones. In this methodology, you have three stages:

- Backlog
- Active
- Done

The main idea of Kanban is to focus only on the work that is currently in progress and to do it well. Once the team is finished with one task, a new one gets picked from the top of the backlog. 

As with Scrum, the product owner (client or his representative) can easily re-prioritize the tasks in the backlog without distracting the team, because any outside changes that have no connection to the current task have no impact on the team as well.

This means that, as long as the product owner keeps the most important tasks on top of the backlog, the team will deliver what’s needed the most for the current business objective.

Kanban is a very flexible model. It is a cost effective solution because there is no planning. It can even be seen as a more “budget-friendly” solution than Scrum because no time is wasted on delays or “flashbacks” of the development process. [Cycle time](https://getnave.com/blog/kanban-cycle-time/#:~:text=Kanban%20cycle%20time%20is%20calculating,to%20measure%20your%20team%20performance.) is the most important factor in Kanban. As long as this part of the work is up and running, the team will be able to precisely optimize time and make solid predictions for the final delivery. 

The board needs to be up to date and clutter-free because that’s how the developers can do their work properly.

## Why the Basics of Software Development Methodologies Matter for Clients Looking to Outsource

The choice of software development methodologies can mean a difference between a successful project and the one that has eaten up too much of your resources. This is why we at Share IT take the time to assess which methodology would be optimal for each specific project. 

In addition to the above-mentioned software development methodologies, we also use Scrumban, which is basically a hybrid methodology of Kanban and Scrum. We know that our clients appreciate the flexibility and that they want to get the best value for their money. This is why we designed two different models to adapt to your needs.

Check out [how we work](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/how-we-work) and [contact us](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) to get a time and cost estimation.

-

Related readings:

[Looking to Outsource a SharePoint Developer? Here's What to Pay Attention to](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-developer)

[3 Major Reasons Why You Should Invest in SharePoint Consulting](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-consulting)

[Web Development Services: How to Choose the Right Experts?](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/web-development-services)


What are software development methodologies? Why do they matter? Read more about Scrum, Kanban, and Waterfall, as well as when to choose which one.

3 Software Development Methodologies Explained

As a software development company, we face the same challenge as most of our colleagues do: setting up realistic preliminary estimations.

We go to great lengths to ensure that our operation runs smoothly and that we deliver on agreed deadlines. According to what people say on Reddit and Quora - a great number of other software development companies don’t do the same. 

Certainly, there is no shortage of both anecdotal and evidential examples of “failed” software projects due to missed deadlines. Thanks to that, the IT industry has developed a reputation over the years of being extremely bad at setting up realistic deadlines and delivering on them in agreed times.

In this article, we would like to dig deeper into this subject matter and try to explain why it’s so difficult for IT professionals to set up realistic delivery dates and follow through on arranged plans.

## No, People are Not Just Lazy - It’s More Complicated than That



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/4dc3cb12dacf4648821dc45e4bc7ce86.png)

While we appreciate the new business, this type of feedback always puts our minds in fifth gear and forces us to think about why most IT dev firms struggle with the same problem.

The clients that had previous bad experience with a software company are usually jaded and ready to enforce every micromanagement technique in the book to get us to deliver on time what they paid us to do. This is not a great foundation for us to kick things off.

Unfortunately, we can’t blame the client for being extra cautious and edgy. When they reach out to a software development company to help them develop a project, most clients usually have a deadline themselves that they need to respect. It can be a product or internal deadline - it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that their success depends on the software development company’s ability to correctly set expectations and deliver the goods on agreed dates.

That being said, it’s quite easy to understand why failing to meet deadlines is an issue that most clients don’t easily forgive and why they immediately change their tune when this sort of a thing happens. 

As a software development company, you need to put in as much work as needed to deliver what you promise. Bad reputation destroys all credibility for businesses and individuals that are associated with the problematic company and marks them as “unreliable partners” for life.

## The Main Culprits - Why It’s So Hard to do a Proper Software Project Estimation?

The job of a software engineer is never as simple as people like to think. Almost every software engineering project comes with a certain level of uncertainty, i.e. it's often extremely difficult to precisely estimate the time required to do the work when you’re not 100 percent sure what problems you’ll encounter along the way.

For a software developer, there are two primary types of uncertainty:

- **Requiremental uncertainty** - knowing in advance what you need to get a certain project done


- **Technical uncertainty** - knowing the technical side of implementing what you envision

Under these two groups, you can assign all the common problems:

- **Mythical measurement** - you can’t just throw more developers at a problem and expect them to move quickly. There’s a certain learning curve that you need to anticipate before adding new people to the mix. It takes developers some time to learn the ropes and to get properly organized. Throwing more people in without a rock-solid plan and structure will just create clutter.


- **Fixating on money** - when the client doesn’t like the long deadline that the developer gives them, project managers usually tend to pressure the developers to come up with a shorter deadline just to keep the client engaged. The problem is, you cannot just pretend that something will take less time because somebody doesn’t like the time/cost implications.


- **Lack of experience** - the less experienced developers are with a specific type of project and tech, the harder it will be for them to set realistic estimations. This is where assumptions enter the game and create problems. The developers find themselves in situations where they are pressured by their management and client to have certain estimates in an uncertain environment, so they might commit to a timeline that they haven’t fully worked out yet. 


- **Forgetting about testing** - The testing phase is often excluded from development estimates or just added onto the end almost as an afterthought or a nod to quality assurance. Testing, however, plays a much bigger role in the development process.

For most projects, this is the first time when all the components will be brought together in a system and actually tried out. It’s also the first opportunity for code to be executed in conditions other than those created by the developer. 

Testing is the process of finding problems with software – the more you do it, the better the product. You need time to take everything in and test all the elements. A few days at the end of the deadline is not enough time to find all the bugs and clean your mess before the client gives it a go.

## Tackling Software Project Estimation Through Organization 



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/9daa1a94d5cd488e8903e525f244f982.png)

**Extracting as much information prior to making a commitment** - Every project is full of big and small obstacles to conquer. In most cases, the small ones are usually the ones that hold us back and force us to miss deadlines. At Share IT, we tend to speak to clients and stakeholders deeply about the project, all its ins and outs, before making an estimate. We ask them to provide clarity around the business goal of the software and what features it will demand as possible. The more info we get at this stage, the better we can plan timelines.


- **Creating a spirit of trust and collaboration between us and the client** - we are talking about a relationship where any estimates are based on a mutual understanding of the risks and uncertainties associated with any estimates. That requires a mature and informed approach to estimation by both the business sponsors and the team providing the estimates.


- **Thinking about technical research** - All deadlines should have a decent window of time for the developers to perform proper technical research before they start sharing estimations. The adoption of new technologies is never as easy as people think, so having a deep understanding if the team will need to learn a new thing before kicking things off is of crucial importance. We build in time for troubleshooting whenever possible.


- **Estimating as a team** - Inviting as many people who will work on a specific project with you to discuss the scope of work and help you come up with the estimate can be a game changer. Regardless of how experienced a team of developers, sometimes you can miss some crucial steps that can throw the whole plan off track. This is why we practice group estimates which allow us to raise additional questions and cover more bases. Talking to the team prior to making an estimate helps us see all potential ambiguities or future hang-ups in a stage where we can still modify your plan.


- **Thinking about cognitive biases** - These things tend to sneak in during the estimation process. There are several cognitive biases that key stakeholders need to be aware of in this stage. The first one being [Hofstadter’s Law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofstadter%27s_law). As the famous American scholar of cognitive science’s once said: “It always takes longer than you think, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law”. People tend to ignore all potential negatives that could happen during the software development process and their estimates often end up being overly optimistic.

## Final Takeaway About Software Project Estimation

There is a commonly used tactic of adding 20-30% of time once you’re done with the estimation. That’s how you’re certain that you covered all potential surprises down the road and respect the deadlines. The truth is, teams that have a lot of successful projects under their belt are pretty good at foreseeing everything that can go wrong. 

If you’re searching for someone to handle your software development requirements, but you’re worried about the precision of time and cost estimations, have no fear: you can [reach out to us at Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) to discuss the project scope and specifications in great detail.

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There are a lot of anecdotal and evidential examples of failed software projects due to missed deadlines. So, why is software project estimation so hard?

Why is Software Project Estimation so Difficult?

It’s no secret that the vast majority of enterprises use SharePoint as their go-to solution for collaboration and communication. From NASCAR, UPS Store and Nestle Nutrition Institute, to Emerson, Goodyear and Philip Morris International - the list goes on.

The use of SharePoint has seen nothing but growth. The last recorded number of [200 million organizations](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration) has been well surpassed for sure.

SharePoint has been praised for its features and benefits, as well as outstanding support; you wouldn’t expect anything less from Microsoft. But, the tool is only as good as its user. Or, to be more precise, the tool has to be customized in order to be fully utilized.

That’s where SharePoint consulting steps into the picture.

Investing in SharePoint consulting helps companies achieve long-term cost optimization and significant productivity savings, and avoid user frustration and resistance to the new environment.

Read more to find out why smart organizations approach SharePoint implementation strategically.

## 1. SharePoint Consulting Helps You Get the Most Out of SharePoint


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/4969c063f70c4c87a3e505409600c30c.png)

The goal of every management team is to try to uniform these procedures so that they are logical and relieved of any unnecessary steps. If there are some mundane tasks, the aim is to automate them. If the organization is aware of the operational bottlenecks, the aim is to remove them from the equation. For instance, [SharePoint workflows can be optimized](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/The-ABCs-of-Optimizing-Your-Workflow-with-SharePoint) and [intranets can be adjusted](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-intranet) to serve the actual needs of the company.

Customizing the SharePoint platform brings numerous benefits to the organization. Here are some of the examples:

- User experience and interface can be adjusted to user preferences
- Advanced functionalities can improve efficiency
- Business-oriented and social side of the corporate portal can be well balanced through tailor-made solutions
- Structured document storing can be enabled to fit the organization’s needs
- An optimal hybrid environment can be created for the easiest management of compliance requirements

...and much more

Everything from design and navigation to content and workflows - can be customized. However, to do it right, you need an experienced professional or a SharePoint team of experts that will map out your vision and present the best cost-efficient options to you.

## 2. SharePoint Consulting Helps You Create a Roadmap for Business Success

SharePoint consulting experts are there to create tailor-made solutions that expand the functionalities of SharePoint. It all begins with asking the most important question: why?

If you’re looking to revamp your current SharePoint platform, you need to know why you want to change it. This is how your chosen [SharePoint expert](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-developer) can propose the best design and define project steps and timelines that will bring great results.

The same is for the case if you are just starting out with SharePoint and you want to build a solution from scratch: it takes quite a bit of time and effort to list the pain points of your organization and see how they can be resolved. Plus, your chosen SharePoint consulting firm is responsible for making the overall deployment costs as low as possible.

Truth be told, SharePoint has useful features as an out-of-the-box solution. But in order to really make the most of it, you need to customize it for success. SharePoint consulting experts serve as guides that have prepared answers for all your dilemmas. The DIY approach is not recommended, especially for large companies that need to have a high performing, centralized system with multilayered security.

Companies that manage to tighten up their internal operations note higher productivity levels, better employee engagement, and optimized usage of resources (both financial ones and in terms of time and energy).

In a nutshell, SharePoint can be your strategic ally and help your team focus on other business segments that lay the groundwork for your company growth; the right consultant has the expertise to make this happen.

## 3. SharePoint Consulting Ensures the Technology Serves the People (Not the Other Way Around)


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/b538fd8c15d245c593e90b238aea215f.png)

The situation gets especially difficult when the company has a past record of failed initiatives; these tend to solidify the negative attitude employees have toward anything new. It often happens that the upper management underestimates these previous failures and the consequences they hold on future attempts of implementing any type of changes.

Nothing ever happens in vacuum. People have limited capacity to handle change and overwhelming them is easier than you think. Good communication is the key to success, but it is not sufficient for successful SharePoint adoption. 

It’s always smart to make a list of people that are likely to be early adopters and a list of those who are likely to resist. By including needs and work habits of different groups in the early phase of developing a custom SharePoint solution, your employees will be more open to adopting the new technology.

Remember: people who will essentially be the users of the new technology you introduce, need to feel comfortable and to take ownership of the platform.

The technology must serve the people; not the other way around. This is especially why SharePoint consulting is worth the investment. Professionals who are well-versed in SharePoint already have a ton of experience under their belt and they know how to create intuitive, simple solutions that won’t bring additional stress and frustration to your employees.

In addition, the company won’t need to waste additional money and other resources on training. 

## SharePoint Consulting: Is it the Right Choice for You?

The ultimate goal for any company that uses SharePoint is to get the most value of their investment and to keep their employees happy, productive, and engaged. Some companies are reluctant to invest an additional amount of money to SharePoint consulting services because the deployment is often quite an investment by itself.

However, be wary of where you try to save up money.

You know the saying: buy cheaply, pay dearly. When companies stint and try to optimize their expenses by excluding what they think are “unnecessary” costs, they might regret their decision later down the road, when things get a bit complicated. Precisely because SharePoint is an investment on an enterprise-level, it needs to be deployed and designed in a way that matches the business needs perfectly.

To assess whether or not you should hire a SharePoint consultant, start by asking yourself the following questions:

- Do I have someone in-house who can handle all SharePoint updates, developments in the future?
- How much time and money are my employees wasting on a daily basis due to the inefficiency of our collaboration and communication platform?
- Is our company position on the market jeopardized because of the way we handle our operations internally?
- Do the existing workflows truly match the way it’s natural for our company to handle procedures?
- Which business goals do we want to achieve and how is our tech helping us?

When you try to see a bigger picture and assess the complexity of the project, the scope of it might scare you. This is easily handled by hiring a SharePoint consultant. Think about it like outsourcing your worries so that you can focus on other things that matter, i.e. your core business.

If you’re searching for the best SharePoint consulting services, look no more. Share IT has more than a decade of experience in SharePoint: [get in touch with us today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us).

Investing in SharePoint consulting helps companies achieve long-term cost optimization and significant productivity savings. Read more on Share IT’s blog.

3 Major Reasons Why You Should Invest in SharePoint Consulting

A while ago, we wrote about [Vue.js - a useful progressive javascript framework](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/beginner-guide-vue-vuex) created as an alternative to Angular. Vue has proven to be great for building user interfaces. It is considered to be an approachable, versatile, and performant framework that helps developers create a more maintainable and testable code base. 

Ask any skillful Vue developer and they will tell you just how much the component-based approach of this framework comes in handy when creating interfaces.

On today’s menu, we’re going to go a bit technical and share several different ways of defining a coding component in Vue.js.

### What Are Components? What is Component-Based Architecture?  


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/b5821c813d9d4b33984313e70169d8d7.png)

Before we dive in, we’ll take a moment to define components and the essence of component-based architecture.

Vue.js is not the only framework or language that relies on component-based architecture, and it’s certainly not the first one to adopt this concept. As a matter of fact, it was Facebook that first introduced component-based architecture in 2013, when they released React.js. 

By definition, components are self-contained units of code that represent a logical block of one application. In this case, they are reusable Vue.js instances with a name.

User interfaces contain many different elements that exist within the same space, but are also independent from one another. For example, one app may have a chat function, and that’s a separate component. It might have a navigation bar, a special button, or a comment section - and those are all individual components.

Think of it like a human organism: our bodies have organs and each organ has its own function. But organs are still a part of a larger system. Just like doctors can address specific health issues and treat different parts of the human body, developers can isolate individual components and work on them without jeopardizing the rest of the application.

In a nutshell, thanks to the independent nature of each component - developers have the freedom to change them, reuse them, and have overall better control of the entire UI. This makes the coding experience more pleasant, it reduces time to market, and supports productivity.

### What Are Vue.js Components Made of?

If you take a look at the single-file Vue.js components, you will notice they have three separate sections: its own HTML markup, script, and style for presentation. 

Developers register components by doing Vue.component, passing the name as the first parameter, and the options subject as the second. In it, they can define a template for the component. They can then use that component inside of the root Vue instance.

Bear in mind that, if developers need to pass HTML to the components, they should use slots. If they need to pass data, props are the way to go.

To sum up: the template section is where developers can put their HTML markup code and variables. In the script section, they can register any child components and define local data, computed properties methods, etc. Style section is all about deciding how the components will be presented via CSS.

### What is the Difference Between Registering a Component Globally vs. Locally?



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/0f6a4919d7904bec9f051854f255cdcc.png)

There are two ways of registering a component: globally and locally. The above-mentioned way of registering a component (Vue.component) is global registration, which means that it makes the components globally available in the application.

Although it sounds neat, creating a global component is not always smart. You should think about the actual functionality you’re trying to create. By creating exclusively global components, the amount of JavaScript increases.

To avoid repetition and huge sizes of files that need to be downloaded, developers can define a component as a javascript object and register it where they need it. 

By registering components locally, they can be used only within the chosen template. In case developers try to use it outside of the template, they will encounter an error message and whatever they inserted in the code won’t be displayed in the frontend. 

It’s a good rule of thumb to register only essential components globally. In any case, Vue.js allows you to go back and optimize your application if you decide you want to organize components better.

### What Are the Most Common Ways of Defining a Component?

There are several different ways of defining a component in Vue.js. However, the most common three are the following:

- Basic components (also known as inline components)
- Functional components
- Single-file components

Let’s go over these three types quickly.

With basic or inline components, developers define the component’s template inside the parent template by using the attribute inline-template.

Functional components are ultimately just render functions. Opposed to other components, functional ones don’t create Vue.js instances. They merely enable developers to make the most of the virtual DOM. This is why functional components might be a good option if developers need a reusable piece of code, but that particular app element doesn’t require reactive data.

Single-file components are arguably the most popular because of their versatility. If developers opt for this type of component, they can keep component definition in one file and then simultaneously write markup. It’s worth mentioning that single-file components have great runtime performance.

### How to Properly Name a Component? 


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/c65f6d6a3dd841fb8aad670ab345a132.png)

Before naming a component in Vue.js, developers should consult this [official style guide](https://vuejs.org/v2/style-guide/). This resource helps anyone explore what are the naming patterns and how to name the components properly. Because the naming conventions are defined, developers that work on group projects can navigate the component files easier.

Here are some of the things developers should bear in mind when naming their components:

- Component names should always be multi-word, with the exception of root app components (this prevents conflicts with HTML elements which are all single words)
- Base component names should start with a prefix (e.g. Base, App, V.)
- Single-component names should always begin with ‘the’ as a prefix
- Child components that are tightly linked with their parent should include the parent component name as a prefix
- Components names should start with the most general words and end with descriptive modifying words
- Component names should consist of full words opposed to abbreviations

For full explanation and concrete examples of good and bad practices, check out the above-linked style guide on Vue.js official website.

### What Developers Need to Know About Vue.js Component Lifecycle Hooks?

Once Vue instances are created, each of them goes through a series of initialization steps. Along the way, each instance runs functions called lifecycle hooks. This allows developers to add their own code at specific stages and run it in that particular part of the application.

If you check Vue.js [Lifecycle Diagram](https://vuejs.org/v2/guide/instance.html#Lifecycle-Diagram), you will see which hooks will be triggered and in what order.

The first one is ‘beforeCreate’ and then Vue calls the ‘created’ hook. After that, it decides if and how to mount the instance in the DOM. When this is done, it calls the next hook (‘beforeMount’) and the ‘mounted’ hook as well once the template is rendered.

When the data changes, hooks ‘beforeUpdate’ and ‘updated’ are triggered. Afterwards, when the component is about to be destroyed, the ‘beforeDestroy’ and ‘destroyed’ hooks get triggered.

This is just the basic theory, of course. Developers are encouraged to explore the Vue.js documentation and the API section for more details on advanced practices.

## Final Thoughts on Coding Components in Vue.js

Developing in Vue.js is amazing because its component-based architecture enables controlled application altering and various integrations.

From the client point of view, Vue.js is great because it reduces the costs of development and maintenance. The fact that code is reusable also increases the level of reliability and it simplifies the maintenance process for specific elements. In addition, existing versions can be easily replaced without disrupting the code and causing complications in the overall app functionality.

If you want to make the most of Vue development and you need a helping hand for your project, search no more: [ontact Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-usc) to get a cost and estimation.

While you’re here, check out how we handle [service delivery management](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/service-delivey-management) and ensure our clients are always heard and well taken care of.





















Component-based approach of Vue.js comes in handy when creating interfaces. Read more about how to define a coding component in Share IT’s new post

Defining a Coding Component in Vue.js

If you’re looking to outsource a SharePoint developer, you know that finding good and trustworthy experts is always a delicate matter. This is especially true if you don’t have much experience working with external partners. 

SharePoint is one of the best and most popular web-based collaborative platforms out there and it integrates with Microsoft Office. This means your business organization can easily connect SharePoint with all the other features of Office 365 (e.g. various apps you use, access to email), and enjoy the convenience of having a centralized system for secure and simple document management.

Undoubtedly, there are numerous [benefits of using SharePoint](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-benefits-across-different-industries), but whether or not your company will make the most of the platform depends on the way it utilizes it.

Most enterprise-level companies acknowledge the value of having a tailor-made SharePoint solution, which is why they search for established experts for help with development, deployment, adoption, and migration. 

At Share IT, we specialize in SharePoint development. Today, we prepared an article that explains exactly what you should pay attention to when assessing different SharePoint developers.

Keep reading to discover three key questions you should ask yourself while considering a hire of an external SharePoint developer.

## 1. Does the SharePoint Developer Have Necessary Qualifications?



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/c4d2e923aea840fa83f222ce573c3460.png)

Let’s take a step back to make a stronger point. We can agree that the main benefit of outsourcing a SharePoint developer is the access to the expertise you don’t have in house, correct?

This is why you should ask as many questions as you can to determine and test the ability of your SharePoint developer; just like you would do with any potential hire.

Be transparent and direct if you want to learn more about their technical, domain, and resource expertise.  

In addition to testing the waters on an exploratory meeting, you should do the following:

- Search for social proof (e.g. testimonials, reviews, social media)
- Take a look at the expert content they publish
- Look for partnerships and company announcements
- Search for official Microsoft certification 

If you’re looking for seamless communication and a single point of contact for your project, you might be considering a SharePoint developer team. In that case, you need to be sure that the team has certified project managers and experts in SharePoint development and implementation.

More specifically, you would want your external SharePoint team to have:

- Analysts
- Architects and tech consultants
- QA professionals
- Account managers

Always ask your potential SharePoint IT partner for information about the project steps, milestones, SLA agreements, and the level of involvement expected from your side.

## 2. Does the SharePoint Developer Have Previous Experience with Similar Projects in a Similar Industry?

Even though a strong portfolio tends to speak volumes about your potential external SharePoint developer, digging a layer deeper into their experience will help you understand more about whether or not you’re compatible. 

Nothing can hurt you more in this phase than tunnel vision.

If you focus solely on the big names that you see in someone’s portfolio, you can unknowingly set yourself up for failure. Likewise, if someone has successfully worked on a big project with a company you respect, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the same quality of work will be transferred to your partnership as well; especially if the developer doesn’t have necessary experience working with companies from your niche. 

In a nutshell, experience matters, but relevant and niche experience matters even more.

To find out more about your potential SharePoint developer, search for [case studies](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/case-studies) to see the tangible results they generated for their clients so far. You can also send an inquiry for additional materials that explain the value of their services in a specific niche.

For instance, we at Share IT have valuable experience under our belt when it comes to the healthcare industry. In this domain, we built solutions that:

- Safely store sensitive medical data and are HIPAA compliant
- Enable instant access to medical documents and patient data
- Enable effective internal and external collaboration
- Ensure employee contract management is efficient and secure
- All required policies are respected and up to date

… and more.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we specialize only in SharePoint for healthcare. Rather we make sure our potential clients have access to relevant materials and case studies so that they can make an informed hiring decision.

## 3. Does the SharePoint Developer Have an Established Process and a Work Style We’re Okay With?


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/a5d78e011d3d42e1b5781c404f561e50.png)

Many fear hiring external SharePoint developers because they feel they’ll lose control of the project or miss the opportunity to work closely with their chosen dev team. This is a common risk of outsourcing, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

This is what separates experienced and professional outsourcing experts from frauds or low-quality experts. [Service delivery management](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/service-delivey-management) is of key importance.

So, apart from looking at a particular partner's development skills, you should also try to learn about their client management experience. 

As any other business professional or organization in the world, you must have a preferred style of collaboration and you need to be sure that the external partners you decide to hire are able to work in a way that suits you best. Maybe you like a more hands-off approach, maybe you want to be included in each step of the process. In any case, it’s crucial that you’re on the same page with your external SharePoint developers to avoid frustration and additional costs. 

For instance, SharePoint developers might have an exceptional portfolio and proven quality of work, but they might not function well under strict deadlines. If you plan to release a new product on time and this particular type of work is of crucial importance for reaching all your internal milestones, this could quickly become a huge problem. 

So, before you sign a contract with an individual SharePoint developer or an outsourcing company, snoop around.

More specifically, ask for:

- Direct references from their clients and examples of work
- A nonbinding call where you would get them to explain their process to you
- An example of statement of work, SLA agreement, or some other type of doc with set deadlines and possible penalties for not meeting agreed goals on time

Typically, you would want to find a long-term partner that you can count on for both SharePoint development AND maintenance, consultancy, workflow and cost optimization, etc. 

## With Share IT, Your Search for SharePoint Developer Can Finally End

Share IT’s main area of expertise is SharePoint, with particular focus on web development, mobile development, enterprise software, and cloud infrastructure.

We have over 10 years of experience, dozens of successful projects in our portfolio, and great knowledge of Microsoft products. In addition, 90% of our clients come to us through referrals.

All of this allows us to bring value to our clients and help them make the right, informed decisions by identifying their IT needs.

If you’re still looking for SharePoint developers, your search might finally end. Our team can create custom SharePoint solutions for your business. We’re here to help you overcome your business challenges by enabling you access to functionalities you truly need. 

Get value for your money and achieve cost-efficiency in the long run with the right IT solution. [Contact us today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) to find out more about our SharePoint services. 



prva.png

Are you looking to outsource a SharePoint developer? Finding good and trustworthy experts is a delicate matter. Read more on how to tackle this challenge.

Looking to Outsource a SharePoint Developer? Here's What to Pay Attention to

Today, having a functional and aesthetically pleasing website is a must, especially for big companies.

The website is the cornerstone of one company’s presence, the most important touchpoint customers will have with the brand, and a place where the company controls its narrative. In addition, the website represents the core of digital marketing efforts, it helps companies build credibility, connect with their audience, and ultimately - grow their business.

In a way, a websites+ vouches for your company, 24/7. It bridges geographical and time zone gaps, and automates some part of your business operations. This is why it needs to be remarkable and representative of your brand values.

Alas, finding someone who provides high-quality web development services is not easy.

So, how do you hire the right team for the job that can surely provide the best web development services? How do you know you’ve chosen the right experts?

In today’s article, we’ll share valuable tips on this topic to help you make the right decision and ensure your website speaks volumes about your business. 

### Choosing the Right Web Development Services is About Asking the Right Questions


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/c5e72f2cfe5448e896dc4c5eab41f570.png)

When you first start researching companies that offer web development services, you might find it difficult to differentiate one company from another and separate wheat from the chaff. This can be rather stressful, especially when you know you’re committing to a long-term partnership.

As you probably know, web development is usually not a once-off thing because it requires maintenance afterwards. Once it gets published, [the website needs to be properly monitored and maintained](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/why-quality-website-maintenance-matters-for-enterprise-level-businesses). This is important for enterprise companies, especially from a cyber security perspective.

Essentially, choosing the right web development company comes down to some reasoning, weighing pros and cons, and mapping out what your company needs (or at least what you want to achieve with your website). To do so, you need to ask the right questions.

In the following segments of this article, we’ll share three key questions that have proven to help a lot when it comes to the decision making process and finding the best match for web development.

### 1. What Type of Web Development Services Do I Need?

From branding experts, UX professionals, and graphic designers to content and SEO teams and of course - web developers, a lot of people are responsible for making one website happen.

If you’re browsing through web development services, we advise you to take a step back and do two main things:

- Identify your in-house resources
- Define what type of website you need

This can help you narrow down your search and it’s also useful for assigning the main in-house points of contact who are going to be responsible for communicating everything with the company you choose for web development services.

For example, do you have a dedicated web designer or are you looking to outsource everything in a ‘one-stop shop’? Perhaps you have prepared the full web design, but you need someone to make it functional, secure, and responsive? Maybe you have a list of security requirements and are not sure which technology would be the best choice?

Web development services do not refer only to the creation of websites. These services include the development of:

- Websites (which can be static or dynamic)
- Web applications
- Web portals (which can be horizontal or vertical)
- Web services (which can use an open API to connect your server to other external apps)

If you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, but are not sure which web development services you need - that’s completely ok. This is why it’s smart to outsource web development to a company that has a lot of experience under its belt.

PRO TIP: Don’t be afraid to reach out to experts and ask for a consultation, as well as time and cost estimation. Think about this as a hiring process: it’s ok to snoop around until you find a web development company that fits you. As a matter of fact, it often takes a single reply to get a good feel of the way the company handles its potential clients. 

### 2. Do I Need Web Development Services From a Specialized Company?



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/8a33b0565d86462091a4d34e7235f4f2.png)

When looking for web development services, you may notice two different types of companies:

- Companies that have developers generalists who cover various back-end and front-end technologies
- Companies that have unrivaled experts in a specific technology, but also have a team of people with vast experience in other widely used program languages
 
Enterprise-level companies that are looking for web development services may seek tech consulting prior to hiring experts from an external web development company. In most cases, they search for specialized experts to ensure the website they are planning to build is [safe and complies with security requirements](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/enterprise-security-threats). 

For instance, it is estimated that [up to 80% of Fortune 500 companies rely on SharePoint](https://www.cmswire.com/cms/information-management/whats-up-with-sharepoint-msignite-029080.php) and there are some rock solid reasons for that. In case a company decides to create their intranet in SharePoint, it makes sense to reach out to those who are fluent in SharePoint and have been around ever since it emerged, right?

In most cases, enterprises will seek reliable solutions (like the mentioned [intranet](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-intranet)) which can’t be created with premade WordPress themes. Such projects often require outside-of-the-box thinking, custom design, complex database and server configurations, data security protocols, and a lot of back-and-forth collaboration with the corporate IT sector.

The design and the functionality of such websites have to perfectly match the corporation's brand and values, but they also have to complement the company’s sales funnel and help optimize its conversions. 

PRO TIP: Think about your website requirements and budget. Whether or not you would benefit from collaborating with a specialized company that would handle all your web development needs is highly dependable on this. In any case, search for references and go through the portfolio to see what you can expect.

### 3. What is the Work Style and Reputation of the Company I’m Considering to Hire for Web Development Services?

In addition to assessing the company’s expertise in web development, you should also think in advance when it comes to your preferred work style. Also, make sure to invest some time in researching the company's reputation.

This matters a lot more than you think. For instance, one company might have exceptional talent in its ranks, but it may be terrible at client management or notorious for breaking deadlines and setting unrealistic milestones. A simple online search usually reveals scams and previous unsatisfied clients. Be cautious if your gut feeling tells you there’s something wrong or if you notice some low-key red lights (e.g. emails you’ve sent that they haven’t responded to, rude communication tone).

Pay special attention to the established procedures and work methodologies the company uses. When it comes to outsourcing web development services, companies usually have a separate section on their websites to explain how they work.

If you’re interested to see how we at Share IT work, see [here](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/how-we-work). In a nutshell, we know how important it is for our clients to get the best value for their money, enjoy flexibility, and save time. Because each project is different in terms of scope, size, and cost, we designed two different constructional models that ensure the much-needed flexibility.

PRO TIP: A great rule of thumb is to pay attention to transparency and the way your potential web development company responds to your query from the very start. The more transparent the company is about the way it provides web development services, the better.

In the end, you want everything written down in an easily understandable contract that defines responsibilities, deadlines, and the type of work you hired the company for. To see how we handle service delivery at Share IT, see [here](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/service-delivey-management).

## Web Development Services at Share IT

Thank you for reading this article from top to bottom! We hope it helped you form the core idea of what you should be looking for from companies when it comes to web development services.

If you’re curious to find out more about how Share IT handles the process of web development for enterprises, read [this article](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/website-for-enterprise-companies). Also, bear in mind that besides SharePoint, we’re also fluent in .NET, JavaScript, HTML5 and other languages and that we ensure every piece of code we write is structured, properly tested, and search-compliant. 

Our team’s dedication, expertise, and problem-solving mindset are the main reason why 90% of our clients come to us through referrals. Want to join these successful businesses? We’d love to have you. [Reach out to Share IT for web development services](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) and we’ll get back to you right away.





 






Finding a company that provides high-quality web development services is not easy. However, it gets easier if you know the right questions to ask.

Web Development Services: How to Choose the Right Experts?

A while ago, we wrote a [beginner’s guide to Vue and Vuex](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/beginner-guide-vue-vuex) and explained both the basics of Vue as a progressive JavaScript framework and Vuex as the official state management solution. 

As you probably know, Vuex serves as a single source of truth given the fact all components are consolidated into one global location. It is a centralized library that enables developers to have a clean top overview of every segment. Vuex relies on Actions, Mutations, and Getters to provide a full state management pattern. 

When you bear in mind all its characteristics and the way Vuex influences the coding process, it’s safe to say that it provides a great way of simultaneous front-end and back-end development.

Today, we’re going to take a closer look at Vuex plugins and when they are useful. So, if you are well acquainted with Vue.js and Vuex and you want to learn more about Vuex plugins and how we at Share IT use them, keep reading.

## What Are Vuex Plugins?




![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/7bfbae89d71f43ddb39d234bb6081e51.png)

- Vue plugins (they add global level functionality or new kinds of components to Vue)
- Vue-cli plugins (they modify the build system and add functionality to webpack/cli-service)
- Vuex plugins (they add functionality to Vuex by getting access to all mutation hooks)

Vuex plugins is an option that exposes hooks to each mutation. A plugin is a function that receives the store as the only argument, which makes it very useful. There are a lot of Vuex plugins out there made by other developers and they are free to use.

Vuex plugins cannot directly mutate states, they can only commit mutations. By committing mutations, it’s possible to use a plugin to sync a data source to the store.

To summarize, Vuex plugins are triggered on every mutation, they receive name and payload of the mutation, and they receive a new state of the store after the mutation.

When building Vuex plugins, developers need to consider what to do when a mutation occurs, are actions different for different mutations, is another mutation needed during the process, etc. 

Now, let’s move on to examine how plugins differ from mixins.

## Plugins vs. Mixins: What is the Difference?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/02b8dce3a5564da286bd2b31fa8047c8.png)


Mixins are much like extended components, but they also add functionality to existing components.  A mixin in a plugin is global, which means it is applied to all components. Whether a developer chooses a plugin or a mixin depends on whether or not the introduced functionality makes sense only to some components or to all of them. 


You could say that mixins provide much-needed flexibility for distributing reusable functionalities for components. As it is stated in the [official Vue documentation](https://vuejs.org/v2/guide/mixins.html#Basics), when a component uses a mixin, all options in the mixin will be “mixed” into the component’s own options.

For instance, [routes and state management are a good fit for a plugin](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/50474317/vue-js-components-vs-plugins-vs-mixins/50475189#:~:text=Similar%20to%20extending%20existing%20component,you're%20trying%20to%20achieve.) because in this case, a plugin enables you to affect changes without setting up props or listeners. However, this wouldn’t be the optimal choice for a functionality you intended for a specific component.

If you’re dealing with enterprise-level projects that have up to 500 or more files, mixins are not advisable. Here, hooks will run on each one’s life cycle, which is not quite cost effective. Also, there is always an option of exporting both the mixin and the plugin independently. 

## Great Vuex Plugins You Can Use

Vue developers have created lots of great and free plugins that you can instantly pick-up and apply to your project. However, like any other community that offers free solutions, dividing wheat from chaff requires some critical thinking and experimenting.

Since we at Share IT have been down with Vuex for a while, in this part of the article we have decided to share some of our personal favorite plugins.

Let’s dive right in:

## 1. [Vuex-persistatedstate](https://github.com/robinvdvleuten/vuex-persistedstate)

This is a great tool that doesn’t do a lot, but its impact is absolutely huge in the ecommerce world. With vuex-persistatedstate, users can refresh browser pages and close tabs without whipping their data clean from them. 

This is incredibly useful for people who run online stores. If, for instance, a user adds multiple items to the shopping cart while browsing a website, his/her activity won’t be immediately whipped out if he/she accidentally exits the site. 

Nobody likes to go through multiple product pages again and try to remember everything they considered worth buying. In the ecommerce development, vuex-persistatedstate is an absolute must have.

## 2. [Vuex-shared-mutations](https://github.com/xanf/vuex-shared-mutations)

This amazing plugin synchronizes states between different browser tabs by storing a mutation on a local state. 

The storage then sets off an update across all the tabs and windows that are connected, which replays the mutations and thus, keeps the state in sync.

##  3. [Vuex-i18](https://github.com/dkfbasel/vuex-i18n)

Perfect plugin for sites that come in multiple languages. Vuex-i18 lets you easily store content in many different languages. 

Thanks to its ability to store strings with tokens, it makes it almost effortless to switch from one language to another within the app.
 
## 4. [Vuex-loading](https://github.com/f/vue-wait)

This sweet plugin enables multiple states to load in your application. This is a great solution for those who are building real-time apps where changes in state are frequent and complex.

## 5. [Vuex-cache](https://github.com/superwf/vuex-cache)

This one is a bit self-explanatory. Vuex-cache is built to help you cache your Vuex actions, which is super useful if you're, for instance, fetching data from a server. 

This plugin will help you capture your action the first time you do it manually, and will then return the cached value wherever you try to replicate the command. Of course, you can clear the cache with ease whenever you want to stop using it.

## At Share IT, We’re Proud of Our Vue Developers

If you’re a developer who’s still learning about Vue and Vuex, we invite you to follow [Share IT’s blog](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog). Throughout time, our team has grown and we added new technologies and frameworks to the list, which is why we try our best to share the knowledge with the community on a regular basis.

Not only that, but one of our core business values is to dedicate extra time and effort to educate our clients and find the best solution for their specific project.

That being said, Vue can be a great framework choice and it has been used heavily in app development. In one of our previous posts, we mentioned great brands that used Vue for development such as Grammarly, 9GAG, Nintendo, WizzAir, Buzzfeed.

Based on your project requirements and capabilities, we’ll suggest the optimal tools, technologies, and processes to guide you through each step of the way. From analysis and specification to production and maintenance, we got you covered. [Contact Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) to discuss your project today.




standup.png

Vuex plugins add functionality to Vuex by getting access to all mutation hooks. Read more about how Vuex plugins can be useful in the coding process

Everything You Need to Know About Vuex Plugins

As a web developer, you might be tempted to try out new tools and experiment with the latest tech whenever the situation presents itself. However, it might not be the smartest idea to immediately pick up a new utility and start messing around with it before you fully figure it out first. 

By “figuring it out”, we mean taking the time to learn about all the pros and cons that come with adding a new tool. The problems you could create for yourself by picking up a utility before learning prior about it, can easily make your work meaningless.

Redux is no exception. Even though this is not a new solution, it’s still fairly young and a lot of devs don’t have much experience with it. 

Redux quickly rose to stardom in the JS community. But, if you don’t have a firm grasp of what Redux is about and how to properly use it, you might run into a couple of issues that will make your experience with this tool difficult. 

In this article, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) are going to introduce you to Redux and its many benefits. We’re going to show how we use this tool and what we believe are its biggest benefits.

## The Basics of Redux



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/8bf3918efe3e4595ad5dbf6e6cc82570.png)

One of the coolest things about this tool is its size. It is super lightweight (~2KB, including dependencies), so you don’t even have to think about your app asset sizes.

## What is Redux Used for and Why Should You Care?

With Redux, the state of your application is kept in a store, and each component can access any state that it needs from this store. This is an important feature for apps that have many components and are growing bigger every day.

Without a tool like Redux, working on projects that share data between components can be extremely difficult. You would need to invest some serious brainpower to figure out where a state should live. Of course, the logical solution is to place the data in a single component, but that makes sharing among sibling components difficult.

If you’re, for instance, working in React, enabling the sharing data among sibling components means storing it in the parent component. All the changes you make to the parent component are distributed as props to the siblings.

Sounds simple, right? Well, not if you’re trying to share changes between components that are far apart in the component tree. The state needs to be lifted up to the nearest parent component and then passed to the next parent component until it gets close enough to the right parent component and its siblings that need the state. As you can guess, this makes the state difficult to maintain and it’s also less predictable. Plus, this means data gets passed to components that do not need it. 

This is where tools like Redux actually come to save the day and make things a lot easier. Using this type of state management can help you solve some of the unpleasant issues that crop up when working on complex applications. 

## More Than Just a Band-Aid for React



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/b8982c262d32458c8e3dc868392022b1.png)

The best thing about Redux is that it forces developers to work in a certain way. It forces them to follow strict rules like:

- All data must be described in clear text
- Same goes for all actions. Every change of data has to be clearly described
- The code has to function like a math formula, meaning: it must return the same result given the same input (e.g. the square of 4 is always 16 no matter how many times you run it)

This clear set of rules makes the process of development much better and easier. It allows cool features to be built, which otherwise might just feel like fiction.

In addition to that, Redux has some amazing features that make our work a lot easier to do. Here’s just a couple that we at Share IT absolutely love:

### 1. Undo/Redo Option

Even though this is a super powerful feature, it needs to be used with caution. It requires system-level planning, to be precise. The undo/redo records and replays every single change of data that happens in the app, so you need to think about how this fits into the architecture of your project from the very start. If you want to bring it in at a later stage, you’ll need to apply changes to a lot of files, which could transform your project into a breeding ground for bugs.

Because Redux requires every action to be described in clear text, the support for undo/redo almost comes for free. The instructions of how to implement this feature are super simple and easy to understand. It will take no longer than a couple of minutes to figure everything out.

### 2. Collaborative Environment

Redux is a great platform for getting more people involved with a single project and helping them stay up to date with the latest developments. 

It makes it super easy to distribute updates over the network and assign/receive actions from team members who do their work on other machines. In addition to that, Redux also makes it possible to replay the changes and merge them with what’s happening locally. We at Share IT absolutely love collaborating in Redux.

### 3. Optimistic UI

Simply put, this sweet feature offers suggestions on how to improve the user experience of an app. It enables the app to respond faster which is definitely something that creators of real-time response apps value. 

Optimistic UI works with Redux the same way Redux works with the undo/redo feature. It makes it easy to record, replay and revert changes of data when receiving a negative result from the server.

### 4. Advanced Debugging Feature

This is one of our favorite options that come with Redux. As a developer working on a project in this tool, you are able to run the app forward and see when a possible bug situation occurs. It is kind of like traveling into the future to see when possible issues will come up so you can prevent them from ever happening.

Amazing, right?

### 5. Persisting and Booting Up From State

Thanks to Redux, developers can easily save their progress in app’s storage. The moment they are ready to continue coding, the app retrieves the data as if nothing happened. This is especially useful if the coding happens in many different iterations. You can go back to the same spot - even if the system crashes, for example.

To get a clearer idea of why this is great, we can look at the game building process with Redux. In this particular scenario, developers wouldn’t have to make significant changes to their code for the save/load game progress. Only a few additional lines of code are required, which makes everything a lot easier.

## Final Thoughts

Redux can truly be an awesome tool. However, the tool is only as good as its user. Obviously, there are some drawbacks to using Redux (e.g. restricted design, complexity), but we didn’t focus on them in this article. We wanted to share how we make the most of Redux and why we enjoy using it.

When you are experienced enough and have dozens of projects under your belt, it’s a lot easier to separate wheat from the chaff and utilize the tools out there - whether they are frameworks and libraries, communities, or complementary tech that makes you more productive.

If you’re in need of high-quality software development services, [reach out to us at Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) today to get a cost and time estimation.






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Wondering what is Redux used for? See why it quickly rose to stardom in the JS community and how we at Share IT use it.

What is Redux Used for and How it Helps Us to Do Better Work

Swift has been around for about six years and it is widely used for creating computer programs and mobile applications for iOS, macOS X, and Linux.

As one of the fastest growing languages, Swift is developed in the open where Apple acts as a project lead. The company oversees the advancement of the language while Core Team members approve evolution proposals and everyone from the community is welcome to contribute.

According to the [latest TIOBE index (May 2020)](https://www.tiobe.com/tiobe-index/), Swift is on the 11th place when it comes to popularity of programming languages. However, because it is only available for iOS, many developers who are writing code for both platforms opt for frameworks that enable them to reuse the code and kill two birds with one stone.

Today, we’re going to take a closer look into Swift and its pros and cons. But let’s start by explaining why Swift is so popular.

## Why People Love Swift


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/14fb895e93d34e3bb324950fef35887a.png)

As it is stated on [Apple’s website](https://www.apple.com/swift/), Swift ensures great app performance and enables developers to create amazing user experiences. In addition, Swift has been praised for its readability and type inference which allow developers to write clean, reliable, and consistent code without unnecessary clutter. 

All in all, it’s a language that’s well documented and continuously improved. Today, Swift is a lot cleaner and simpler than in 2014, when it first emerged.

## The Pros of Swift Language


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/ebfa9f592b8340f7b7cc82525ebb4036.png)

## Swift is Open-Source

You know what they say: learning from your own mistakes is valuable, but learning from other people’s mistakes is even better. Plus, almost immediate support from the community of Swift developers means so much in terms of saving time and money that would otherwise be wasted on addressing code issues or figuring out why the end result isn’t as great as expected.

Ever since December 2015, Swift has been open-source and available to everyone. Developers of all skill levels can easily access knowledge bases created by the community, contribute to bug fixes, share their solutions, etc. For more information on how this works, check out [Swift’s official community guidelines](https://swift.org/community/).   

## Faster Development

Swift truly lives up to its name. Apple claims that Swift enables up to 2.6x faster development than Objective-C and up to 8.4x faster development than Python 2.7. These are some pretty impressive numbers. Thanks to the LLVM tool, the assembly code complies to the machine code. When it runs native machine code instructions, the development process accelerates. In addition, Swift lets developers use value types almost everywhere, and more.

## Great Readability, Easy Maintenance

Simpler syntax is what makes code written in Swift programming language easy to read and understand. When you compare it to Objective-C, it takes fewer lines of code to write a functional app, which makes the coding process less tense. Swift got rid of some of the legacy conventions (e.g. semicolons, method calls which sit in each other, etc.) and introduced a far more human-friendly syntax.

When it comes to maintenance, Swift comes with a great perk. Opposed to Objective-C which forces developers to take care of two code files, Swift stores all the header (.h) and implementation (.m) files in a single file (.swift).

## The Cons of Using Swift


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/0f1568527ac7491083ff17ce3b6f4010.png)

## Swift is Still Quite Young

Believe it or not, but Apple’s Swift programming language is just six years old. Compared with Objective-C that emerged in the 1980s, it’s practically an infant language. This means it might suffer from common growing pains. Developers could benefit from more specifically targeted resources, tools, and native libraries in order to resolve certain issues faster.

Plus, the community is still not as big and strong as most of us wanted it to be. Even though it’s growing fast, the numbers can’t be compared with any other open source community. There are still not that many strong Swift devs out there that are selflessly sharing their knowledge with everyone online and most people don’t really know where to turn for guidance on specific real-life scenarios. 

## Compatibility Issues 

Swift suffers from backward compatibility issues. The language is radically evolving and that makes it somewhat unstable. It’s important to know that each new version of Swift doesn’t support the earlier versions, which means that the projects that are done in 1.0 and 2.0 Swift can’t be further altered and maintained in Swift 3.0. 

Bummer, right? However, the company is aware of these issues and with the Swift 5.0 they’re making the right changes. This latest version has a strong backward compatibility and you can now view and access all the changes that we’re done in the previous versions of Swift.

## Want to Develop for iOS,  macOS X, or Linux? Share IT Can Help

Three years ago, the creator of Swift Chris Lattner said how his goal with Swift is to achieve world domination. While this might sound quite immodest, Apple has invested a lot into growing its community. With each new release, the changes were pretty huge, which helped the language advance at an incredible pace. This is the main reason why Swift is becoming so popular.

Like any other thing in the world, Swift does have its pros and cons. However, as you can see from everything written above, pros outweigh the cons by far. In addition, some of the cons are not directly related to the language itself, but to the state on the market and availability of proficient Swift developers.

Whether or not Swift is the best choice depends on the type of project and many other variables you need to consider. If you’re looking for a reliable partner to help you make great apps come to life, you’re at the right place.

At Share IT, we have talented software developers that will help you formulate a business case and use their expertise to recommend the best programming language and frameworks for your specific application. [Send us your query](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) today to get an estimate. Let’s make something amazing together.






Swift is widely used for creating computer programs and mobile applications for iOS, macOS X, and Linux. Read more about this language’s pros and cons.

The Pros and Cons of Swift Programming Language

A while ago, we created an easy-to-understand [guide to VueJS and Vuex](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/beginner-guide-vue-vuex) and explained why this progressive JavaScript framework is forecasted to take the front-end development community by a storm.

Without any doubt, there are some solid reasons why VueJS has been used for app development by many global companies such as Grammarly, 9GAG, Nintendo, WizzAir, Buzzfeed, and others. From simple state management and excellent workflows to saving time and actually enjoying the coding experience, VueJS is simply amazing.

However, VueJS has been battling for a headliner spot with ReactJS for quite some time. That shouldn’t surprise us given the fact that ReactJS has built its reputation as an incredibly useful JavaScript library for building user interfaces (see [how ReactJS compares to Angular](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/react-vs-angular)). 

So, which one should you use? Is the ‘ReactJS vs VueJS’ debate a matter of which one’s better or are the two equally useful in their own respected ecosystems? Read more about this in today’s Share IT blog post.


## ReactJS vs VueJS: Understanding the Common Ground


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/556167b4cca943d5b136def594a03123.png)

In order to fully understand the struggle of choosing either framework over the other one, we first have to take a look at the similarities.

Both ReactJS and VueJS are very efficient because they are based on the virtual DOM. They facilitate code reuse, enable component-based development of the user interface, simplify state management, and can be used for coding high performing, powerful apps. Both work with the root library and transfer additional tasks to other libraries.

In a nutshell, ReactJS and VueJS are both in high demand because they both make the development process a lot easier. 

Now, let’s look at the differences and plunge into the ‘ReactJS vs VueJS’ discussion deeper.

## VueJS: Pros and Cons

### VueJS Pros

Whenever someone mentions VueJS, the first pro that comes up is the size. VueJs has an incredbily small file size (~30KB) and its applications are very lightweight. Because of this and the fact that it’s so easy to learn and use, VueJS is great for single-page applications.

VueJs design is overall simple, it has an adaptable architecture, and it allows developers to change values without much hassle. Thanks to the templates available in VueJS and its structure, developers can save a lot of time and spot potential errors much easier. Besides, VueJS offers optimized re-rendering, which is arguably the most loved feature of this framework.

VueJS has a [rich documentation](https://vuejs.org/v2/guide/) and a well developed community, which is definitely another plus.

### VueJS Cons

Compared to ReactJS, VueJS has a smaller market share. It also can make mistakes during data reading due to the fact that it rerenders those parts of data that were triggered. All in all, VueJS is not the best framework for developing complex, large-scale applications. Although VueJS does use a component structure and reusable code, templates make restructuring of an app rather complicated.


## ReactJS: Pros and Cons

### ReactJS Pros

ReactJS has a great reputation for being a framework that’s very flexible and adjustable. Its syntax is known as JavaScript XML (JSX) and it uses a component structure, which makes the coding experience pretty straightforward.

Because of the code reusability, ReactJS enables fast turnarounds and more iterations, which ultimately results in faster time to market. Wider API options is another advantage of this framework, as well as the ability to restructure the app later on if necessary.

On top of everything, ReactJS ensures fast rendering, provides great code stability, high app performance, and is great for laying down the groundwork for SEO from a technical standpoint. [React Native is used for mobile development](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/react-native-development) and over 62% of developers simply love it.

### ReactJS Cons

On the downside, ReactJS takes a bit more time to master. The setup process is more complex, and so are this framework’s functions and structure. Plus, because ReactJS continuously evolves, it might be challenging for junior developers to keep up with the pace and code without a stable documentation in place. 

## ReactJS vs VueJS: The Popularity Contest


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/445147cb032d4f55a6ea72d97d2ee6b4.png)

At the moment of writing this article, [ReactJS has over 149K stars and 28.9K forks on GitHub](https://2019.stateofjs.com/front-end-frameworks/) while [VueJS has 164K stars and 24.9K forks](https://github.com/vuejs/vue). 

According to the above-mentioned survey, the biggest percentage of ReactJS developers earn between $50-100K per year and the situation is pretty much the same with VueJS developers.

It’s important to underline that popularity doesn’t necessarily indicate the usability and quality of each of the framework. Still, it’s interesting to explore how the community feels about the ReactJS vs VueJS debate and learn about their preferences. In most of the criteria, ReactJS ranks number one, but VueJS is right behind.

## ReactJS vs VueJS: Final Verdict

As you can see, there are some pretty amazing advantages to both ReactJS and VueJS. So, how do you choose? 

Here comes the unpopular answer: it depends on each specific project.

VueJS may be a better choice if you need to create simple and fast web apps, especially if they are template based. It has a simpler syntax than ReactJS and has proven to be slightly better in terms of integration options and adaptability.

On the other hand, ReactJS gives developers additional flexibility, especially when it comes to working on complex and large apps. Its environment makes testing a bit easier and some say ReactJS is backed with better technical support.

If you’re looking to develop an app, but are not sure what’s the best choice for your business case, [send us an email](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) to get a cost and time estimation. Worry not: Share IT’s talented team will provide the best recommendations based on your project requirements.

Is the ‘ReactJS vs VueJS’ debate a matter of which one’s better or are the two equally useful in their own respected ecosystems? Read more about it.

ReactJS vs VueJS: Key Differences Explained

When you work in the software development industry, your goal is to always optimize your coding process. At Share IT, we tend to work smart: if there is a way to simplify how we build amazing apps and spot errors and bugs early on, while also boosting performance and reducing the time-to-market - be sure we’ll be using it. 

So, what’s on today’s menu on Share IT’s blog, you may be wondering? We’d like to talk about TypeScript, its benefits, and how we use it.

TypeScript is getting increasingly popular in front-end development and many argue that this is how JavaScript should have been built by default. According to StackOverflow's [survey from 2019](https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019), TypeScript is in the top three favorite languages, right behind Python and Rust. If you take a look at TypeScript at Github, you’ll see that it has over 60.2K stars.

There are some pretty solid reasons why TypeScript is so widely loved and used. But let’s start from the beginning.

## What is TypeScript?


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/799f578b840e4a7fa18d85ea79cf404e.png)

To be more precise, TypeScript is a superset of the JavaScript programming language that enables strong static typing. This means TypeScript is completely compatible with JS and all its future additions. You can easily take your current .js file, change the extension to .ts and enjoy working with TypeScript. 

TypeScript comes in handy when developing larger applications for both client and server side. As a matter of fact, it was created with large-scale applications in mind because JavaScript code was too complex and slowed down the development process significantly. There was an obvious need for a custom tool that would add types to the existing language and help with fixing bugs even before developers run their codes.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the TypeScript benefits.

## 1. Faster Implementation

When it comes to working with dynamically typed languages like JavaScript, Python, PHP, and Ruby, you can’t just jump in a new project with both feet and start writing code immediately. There’s a certain amount of prep work that needs to come first. 

For instance, if you’re working on a basic function code in, let’s say, JavaScript, you need to understand what arguments it accepts, what type of external data it needs, and how these two elements influence the return value you’re looking to produce.

This type of info is often difficult to acquire at first glance. There are many different scenarios that you need to have in mind while trying to get to the bottom of things. Let’s say you need to understand the type of argument you’re dealing with. To figure this out, one of the following steps is required:

- Running the script into the browser
- Reading the log
- Figuring out where the function is supposed to be used
- Interviewing the colleague who previously worked on the code that has been assigned to you now

As an experienced engineer, you’re aware how much valuable time gets wasted on collecting the necessary information for getting involved with a specific piece of code that is written in JavaScript. 

Statically typed languages like TypeScript sing a different song. They don’t make you go through all these loops to enable you to start working on a new project. Your IDE and compiler immediately provide you with all the info you need to start with a new project.

With TypeScript, the days of going through entire bases of code are nothing more than an ugly memory. You no longer have to bug your colleagues with questions, or risk having bugs on production. Which leads us to the next reason why we love TypeScript.

## 2. Less Bugs


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/c3f7f96f6ae241b2bd0cddee289c8a50.png)

Postmortem analysis such as [this one from AirBnb](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-J9Eg7hJwE), show that up to 40% of bugs are preventable thanks to TypeScript. Some developers estimate that this number is even higher and goes up to 50%.

You can think of TypeScript as an ally that monitors and validates every line of code you write. It prevents errors that might cause bigger issues afterwards. Because developers are only humans, it is almost inevitable to misspell something or use a non-standard error object.

With a type checker, everything gets a lot easier. You know how built in spell checker in MS Word or Google Docs works? When you misspell something, the program underlines the word to signal the mistake. TypeScript compile time checking uses a similar way to point out the error.

In a nutshell, the code is overall more predictable and easier to debug when necessary.

## 3. Intelligent Code Completion

TypeScript adds a turbo mode to your well-oiled development machinery by catching errors and providing fixes before you even run your code. In addition to that, it also plays well with IntelliSense.

IntelliSense is a neat tool for TypeScript available in Visual Studio. It offers intelligent code suggestions directly in your IDE while writing tests. The IntelliSense suggestion comes in the form of a popup. While you’re writing code, a small window will appear on top of your line, where you can see the command definition, an example of the code you need, and a link to the full documentation page where you can acquire more information.

The tool comes with a variety of valuable code editing features that can assist you in lots of different ways. [IntelliSense](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/using-intellisense?view=vs-2019) can autofill your line of code, offer hints, and assist you by offering valuable info on specific parts of your code creation process.
  
## 4. Mild Learning Curve


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/f722bef03493431cbb1fc288f3f39b1f.png)

In fact, if you’re someone who has already used strongly-typed language, you won’t need more than a couple of hours to really get into the hang of TypeScript. The great thing about it is that it’s not a binary choice: you can use both or utilize TypeScript for specific files that need checking before converting the codebase in its entirety.

## 5. Well Documented, Evolves with Standards

Last, but not least, TypeScript is well documented and it continuously evolves. The language has been around for eight years, but it has come a long way since it first emerged all thanks to its ever-growing community.

There is a community project called [Definitely Typed](https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped) that provides type definitions for existing JS libraries, editor tools are being refurbished and developed, and more importantly - JavaScript itself is advancing thanks to contributions from all sides. There is also a rather active community on [StackOverflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/typescript), [TypeScript Community Chat](https://discord.com/invite/typescript), [Twitter page](https://twitter.com/typescript), and an official [blog](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/typescript/); not to mention there are over 8K forks of the project on GitHub.

Since it is modern and well maintained, TypeScript offers a great environment for innovation. Where does your business fall into? Are you looking to build something amazing? [Contact Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) today to discuss your project.




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TypeScript is getting increasingly popular in front-end development. Find out why many argue that this is how JavaScript should have been built by default.

5 Things We Love About TypeScript

If there’s one thing that’s true in the mobile development industry, it’s that change is the only constant. Technology evolves at a rapid pace and it’s the job of software development companies to keep up. That’s the only way to ensure high-quality products. 

There are many factors involved in the way trends are formed. New technologies and frameworks emerge, making some of the existing ones less popular or even obsolete. One thing leads to another: consumers’ habits and behaviors change, they develop new expectations and standards, and all of this shapes the way user experiences are created. 

When you take a step back, you’ll see that mobile apps have gone a long way in the past fifteen years. From first mobile websites that were adjusted to smaller screens and had responsive interactive elements, all the way to hybrid apps and micro apps that are fueled by voice assistants and AI tech - truly, a lot has changed.

Today, we’ll be looking into five rising trends in mobile development that are already transforming the marketplace.

## 1. Foldable Devices Are Slowly Changing UI 



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/fc8f08e1a9e54b6681d62d5f31be16b6.png)

It’s no secret that Google stays on top of things when it comes to seeing through groundbreaking changes. At the end of 2018, the company announced [Android’s official support for smartphones with foldable displays](https://www.xda-developers.com/smartphone-foldable-display-android/). As for Apple, the company announced they also plan to jump on the foldable devices bandwagon by the end of 2020.

So, how will foldable devices change the way we approach mobile development? For starters, because of the larger screen that appears when the device is unfolded, additional elements can be included. Users have a big working surface at their disposal, meaning they can simultaneously use multiple windows and enjoy a richer, more immersive experience.

Some forecasts say that the production of foldable phones will grow over time to meet the increasing demand and it is [expected to reach around 50 million units by 2022](https://www.statista.com/statistics/983531/global-foldable-phone-shipments/).

## 2. Mobile Commerce is Becoming the Norm

In the past, it was possible for ecommerce companies to get away with not having a dedicated mobile app available to their customers. Having a mobile responsive website was good enough. 

However, it is estimated that by 2021, [mobile ecommerce would make up to around 73% of all ecommerce sales](https://www.statista.com/chart/13139/estimated-worldwide-mobile-e-commerce-sales/), which is why it’s fair to say mobile apps will not ensure competitive advantage anymore; in fact, they will secure survival on the market for ecommerce brands.

Today's ecommerce mobile apps enable a much easier and pleasant buying experience. Since users have shifted to mobile almost completely, they expect extra convenience when placing their online orders; not to mention relevant personalized product suggestions.

The goal of creating any mobile app in this industry is to encourage additional purchases and gently push users further down the sales funnel. Great example of this is Amazon’s 1-Click Checkout that enables users to buy any product they like with a single click. Once they save their card number and personal information within their account, it gets a lot easier to make a purchase.

Also, customers are getting used to using their [mobile wallets](https://www.investopedia.com/personal-finance/top-mobile-wallets/). When the process of making a payment is simplified, it can contribute to higher sales because consumers are triggered to buy more.

In a nutshell, mobile commerce is becoming even more relevant for app developers. High level of security, optimal speed and performance, as well as great user experience - are the top priorities when starting the project. 

## 3. New Technologies in Focus: AI, IoT, and 5G



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/bd705f07b40945d69e59779f8194b5e3.png)

The truth is, artificial intelligence has been used in mobile development for years. But as time goes by, the possibilities in terms of utilizing tech are also growing. While Siri and Cortana probably pop into your mind the moment someone mentions AI, there are many additional ways how AI is changing the way mobile apps are built. From image and speech recognition to predictive analytics - AI is completely redefining what we consider great performing mobile apps.

When it comes to the Internet of Things, some estimate that the [combined IoT markets will reach $520 billion by 2021](https://www.bain.com/about/media-center/press-releases/2018/bain-predicts-the-iot-market-will-more-than-double-by-2021/) while others are more reserved about this expected high pace of adoption. Either way, the number of connected devices is exponentially growing. From smart homes and apps that enable remote controlling house appliances, to entire smart cities and apps that help people get around with ease while also collectively working towards a more energy efficient community - IoT is definitely changing the way we create mobile apps.

Last but not least, 5G technology will significantly improve existing business applications and deliver higher data capacity and lower latency. Shortly put, 5G will make developers’ jobs easier, especially in terms of testing and it will boost the speed of apps when utilized properly.

## 4. Chatbots That Satisfy the Need for Instant Gratification

According to Business Insider, around [80% of enterprises](https://www.businessinsider.com/80-of-businesses-want-chatbots-by-2020-2016-12) surveyed four years ago, said they plan on introducing chatbots by 2020. This shouldn’t come to us as a surprise. 

Today’s consumers have a plethora of brands to choose from, which means they can easily turn their backs on the ones that they don’t like. All it takes is one negative experience. Believe it or not, but [people expect immediate responses](https://www.drift.com/blog/state-of-conversational-marketing/) when they reach out to brands via live chat. That’s just how the cookie crumbles. 

Efficient chatbots that function great within mobile apps are essential for businesses that want to sweep their customers off their feet. Chatbots facilitate better user experiences and they can also lead to stronger relationships, higher customer satisfaction, great brand loyalty, and more sales. 

Chatbots have become an essential element of the standard modern customer service. The thing that will separate average brands from extraordinary ones is the way they will design their live chat. Bots are becoming more advanced and more human-like, which is why the AI tech that’s fueling them needs to be on point in order to meet and exceed customer expectations.

We can surely expect chatbots to take the spotlight in mobile app development in the following years.

## 5. The Rise of On-demand Apps

The rise of on-demand apps naturally follows the growth of the on-demand economy. We already tapped into the way consumer behavior evolved: people expect immediate responses and instant gratification, and they want to have everything they need at their fingertips, within just a few clicks.

When you look at traditional supply chains and what the business world looked like at the beginning of the century, and then compare it with current trends - you’ll see how severely things changed. From food and grocery delivery, to booking appointments, managing logistics and hiring car service - on-demand apps have become a part of our daily lives. 

Developing successful on-demand apps requires an in-depth analysis of the problem you are trying to solve, as well as a list of key stakeholders that you want to target with the app. Businesses that choose to invest in on-demand app development can add advanced functionalities to make the user experience more pleasant. The idea is to create something amazing and practical that directly addresses the pain point of the defined target group.

The forecasts say on-demand apps will expand to new verticals and open up lucrative opportunities for companies. With more than [42% of US citizens who already participate in the on-demand economy](https://jungleworks.com/on-demand-economy-survey-stats-future-economy-funding-trends-on-demand-startups/), we can safely say that the number of on-demand apps will go up.   
Final Thoughts

At Share IT, we’re committed to adopting new technologies and utilizing the ones we already use in the best possible way for each specific project. It’s very important to stay focused when new trends appear because following them blindly and prioritizing novelty over functionality - does not yield great results.

When we work with clients on a [mobile development project](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/services/mobile-app-development), we always devote a sufficient amount of time to the initial analysis during which we form a business case, examine the objectives, and define the project scope. This is crucial for choosing the right technologies and optimally organizing all the available resources. 

If you’re looking for a reliable company to help you with mobile app development, search no more: Share IT has the top talent in its ranks. [Send us an email today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) and we’ll make sure to get back to you right away.

zombie_arm.png

If there's one thing that’s true in the mobile development industry, it’s that change is the only constant. Explore the rising trends in mobile development.

5 Rising Trends in the Mobile App Development Industry

Often referred to as ‘the future of hybrid development’, React Native is used for creating product-ready mobile apps. It helps developers save a lot of time as it ensures almost instant compatibility with both iOS and Android.

A while ago, we wrote about [React Native](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/react-native-development) and explained why it’s so loved and widely used. It’s no secret that React Native’s greatest selling point lies in the fact developers can write cross-platform code. However, developers do need to know the whole ecosystem like the back of their hand in order to make the most of this framework. Having comprehensive knowledge is the only way they can avoid creating a mess with JavaScript syntax that would negatively reflect on the app’s user experience. 

Undoubtedly, React Native is a great framework for building high-quality and scalable apps. To make the most of it and truly reap its benefits in full, developers need to be aware of rookie mistakes and pay special attention to their process.

Today on Share IT’s blog, we’ll explore five most common mistakes to avoid during React Native development.

## Mistake #1: Poor Estimations and Not Enough Attention to Details



![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/f5eee00754a24a5c9f379acc8d741595.png)

Alas, you can never use the exact same code for both iOS and Android because the two systems differ in terms of the page structure. This means that, as a developer, you should always prepare for dealing with two separate layouts and bear in mind different databases and backend points before forming your estimation.

Another mistake developers make when attempting to save time, is using external modules but missing to read all codes extracted from them. External modules can make the development process faster as they have completely formed codes. However, developers often forget to read all of the code or they disregard it as not necessary. This might cause issues later down the road.

When developers add external modules, they can interfere with the existing code and hinder the functionality of it. By not paying attention to details in time, developers create a much bigger workload later. This defies the purpose of saving time.

## Mistake #2: Improper Redux Store Setup

Even though Redux has changed a lot over the time, the fundamental building blocks of doing anything in this tool still come down to actions, reducers, middleware, and the store. To achieve anything in this toolkit, you need to build up your knowledge on all of its major components. 

The store is probably one of the most common points that newbies struggle with. Unfortunately, this is an important part of the puzzle which you cannot ignore. If the store is not set up properly, it can mess with your logic tests, debugging, and data flow of your applications. 

To correctly integrate Redux into your your React Native environment, you need to:

- Build a store hierarchy and organize your files
- Include the first reducer function, but with extra caution and focus on what you’ll need it to do with your app
- Add more reducers and focus on combining them
- Think about adding middleware
- Configure the store

Voila! That’s it. One thing to bear in mind here: Redux stores are built for big app projects. If you’re working on a small project, this tool tends to complicate things beyond necessity. For instance, if the change you make in Redux on your small project will require rewriting multiple lines of code - this is not something you really want to do through your entire app development process. Redux is the go-to resource for large-scale projects, so make sure to use it when it can truly help you.

## Mistake #3: Images Are Left Unoptimized 


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/44fde84e7818433486464cf8539bdcfa.png)

Optimizing images in React Native application is a task that should be dealt with maximum attention because it directly influences app’s performance. 

Unoptimized images tend to eat up a lot of memory and storage. Taking care of this part of the process is very important because memory and storage are essential components for every project.

Luckily, optimizing images is not a complicated task. All you have to do is:

- Change your image size before uploading in it into React (i.e. make sure that your images are as small as they possibly can be)
- Use image only in WebP format to speed up load time and reduce bundle as well as binary sizes (both iOS and Android)
- Prioritize PNG over JPG
- Cache your images locally for fast loading

Even though optimizing images doesn’t require a lot of work, most devs tend to skip this step because it's a boring task to do. However, these sort of neglectful moves carry a lot of weight, so make sure that a single moment of laziness doesn’t cost you precious memory and storage that you’ll need for other important elements.

## Mistake #4: Stateless Components and Wrong Initialization of State 

When it comes to states in React Native, there are two main mistakes developers make:

- Using stateless components at all times
- Initiating state the wrong way

It is true that developers may turn to stateless components in React Native in order to boost performance. Because stateless components don’t have any local state or extend any class, they simply return what is given to them in DOM. This enables easy testing and gives product teams a chance to push the app faster to the market.

This was a common practice before React 16. However, it’s not as effective as it once was, nor is it ideal for all scenarios.

To speed up the process, some developers are using Pure Component, which might be a better solution because it doesn’t re-render when the parent component re-renders. There is also significant progress in the industry when it comes to [making React blazing fact](https://blog.bitsrc.io/improve-performance-in-react-functional-components-using-react-memo-b2e80c11e15a) using other methods.

Wrong initialization of state is another mistake React Native developers make. Within the framework, the setState() function is used for initializing and retrieving the new object’s state. This is then compared to the previous state and, once this phase is done, the state gets merged with the existing one; the previous state gets sent back to the datastore.

If the initial state is set properly in advance, then the cycle continues without any issues. But developers often make mistakes here, which causes the break in this cycle. This may lead to poor app performance (e.g. the app may crash frequently).

## Mistake #5: Not Writing a Unit Test 

Most developers are used to working without written test units, so it’s no wonder why this step often gets ignored. However, proceeding forward with development without a proper unit test is always a risky move. 

Fixing issues once everything is done and when the product has already hit the market, requires a lot of more work. Plus, making a glitchy product public tends to negatively affect both user satisfaction and the client’s reputation, so it’s best to reduce the chances of that unnecessary drama happening whenever it’s possible.

Unit tests exist for a reason. They enable us to assess various parts and features of our applications independently, and see them in action before anyone else. It’s best to test the functionality of every element of the app at the right stage and ensure that it’s working properly. 

Nobody wants to release a glitchy product and lose face on a rookie mistake. 
Over to You

Developers are well acquainted with the feeling of frustration when they notice a mistake that forces them to rewrite a whole chunk of code or even to go back to the drawing board and start from scratch.

However, to make errors is human and that’s what helps us learn. Psychologists argue that failure is the most precious thing in terms of gaining experience, mastering new skills, and becoming better at whatever you do. 

We hope that this article helped you be aware of the most common mistakes in React Native development so that you can be cautious when getting started. Learning from mistakes is great, but it’s even better if those mistakes are not your own, right?

If you’re a business looking to create your mobile app, reach out to Share IT. We have experienced React Native developers and proven methodologies that have worked tremendously well for our clients. [Contact us today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) and let’s build something amazing.






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React Native is a great framework for building high-quality and scalable apps. Make sure to avoid these rookie mistakes while developing in React Native

5 Mistakes to Avoid During React Native Development

At Share IT, we are great believers in knowledge sharing. As you can see from our [blog](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog), we tend to cover various topics in the form of how-to articles and guides to help you better understand both the world of development and how we work. From SharePoint, Nintex, Office 365, and Azure, to many different frameworks used for mobile and web development, as well as enterprise software development. When it comes to creating user interfaces and single-page applications, there are a lot of available frameworks and technologies that can be used. Today, we’ll be explaining the basics of Vue and Vuex, a JavaScript framework and its Flux-inspired centralized state management.

Vue (or Vue.js) was initially released in 2014. It was created by Evan You, a former employee of Google and Meteor. The way Vue’s core team assembled and how it became what it is today is quite inspiring. 

But, let’s start from the beginning.

## What is Vue, Exactly?


![vue](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/b02c63bb0e9749eab261e889bb164424.png)


Vue is a progressive JavaScript framework used primarily for building user interfaces. ‘Progresive’ means that, if you have an existing server side application, you can choose to work on just one specific part of your application and create a richer or more interactive experience. Also, if you want to build in more business logic from the get-go, you have all the core libraries and resources at your disposal to make the system scalable. 

Vue is considered to be approachable, versatile, and performant framework that helps developers create a more maintainable and testable code base. It allows you to take a web page and split it up into reusable components. It also has a command line interface which makes it simple to jumpstart projects fast, as well as single file components, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

## How Was Vue Created?

Evan You got the idea for building a progressive JavaScript framework while working at Google. He was recruited by Google Creative Lab as a fresh graduate. His job position implied a lot of prototyping in the browser. For most of the projects, the team relied on [Angular](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/react-vs-angular).

For You, Angular had some great advantages (e.g. data binding), but it also felt ‘too heavy’ for his current project. That’s when he started [experimenting](https://web.archive.org/web/20170603052649/https://betweenthewires.org/2016/11/03/evan-you/):

“I figured, what if I could just extract the part that I really liked about Angular and build something really lightweight without all the extra concepts involved? I was also curious as to how its internal implementation worked. I started this experiment just trying to replicate this minimal feature set, like declarative data binding. That was basically how Vue started.”

Initially, Vue was financed through Patreon. At the very beginning, it experienced strong organic growth and its value was recognized by both the developers and companies. Individual donations started to fly in, as well as long-term sponsorships. Thanks to this, You is working full-time on maintaining and further developing Vue, side by side with its core team which contains members from companies such as Netlify and Netguru.

## What Are the Benefits of Vue?

We already touched upon the benefits of Vue, but it’s time to take a closer look. When you’re working in software development, your goal is to decrease time to market, make beautiful and functional applications that are also user-friendly. Because of the way Vue is designed, it can be a worthy ally and provide a great coding experience.

Here’s an overview of benefits of Vue:

- Small size 
- Easy to understand and use
- Well organized and thorough documentation
- Flexibility
- Simple integration
- Two-way communication

Did you know that Vue’s size is between 18KB and 24KB? This means it’s very easy to download and use instantly. Mind you, this doesn’t have anything to do with the framework’s speed. 

In addition, Vue has a pretty straightforward structure which makes it easy to use. There are also some precious time-saving features available, such as templates of different scales.

Vue has extensive [documentation](https://vuejs.org/v2/guide/), which is definitely a plus. However, bear in mind that the official guide assumes intermediate level knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This means that, if you are just getting started with these languages, you should first master them before moving to learning Vue.

Vue also provides great flexibility: it allows users to use virtual nodes in order to draft templates in HTML or JavaScript. In addition, it seamlessly integrates with other apps created on JavaScript, meaning you can both create new apps and modify existing ones.

Last but not least, Vue enables two-way communication thanks to its MVVM architecture. Similar to Angular, it makes the handling of HTML blocks rather fast.

## What is Vuex?

![vuex](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/3a52866eaaa045f1a4c03b5b2cc89cbd.png)

In single-page applications, handling state (i.e. a JavaScript object that contains a tree of data or any piece of data that can change such as details of a logged-in user) can be a bit difficult. As the app you’re building gets bigger and more complex, it becomes increasingly challenging to manage states - especially when you need to use them in multiple components. 

Vuex is the official state management solution for Vue. It has a central store for shared state and then it allows different components to access that state. The application data remains in a transparent state regardless of the number of components with which this data is shared.

In a nutshell, Vuex is a state management tool and a library for Vue.

## What Are the Benefits of Vuex?

Vuex serves as a single source of truth. Components do not have their own local states. Instead, they are consolidated into one place, i.e. one global location. As a centralized library, Vuex helps developers maintain a cleaner state and they have a clean top overview of every segment.

Vuex state is reactive, just like Vue itself. This means that when one component updates the Vuex state, other will react and respond accordingly as they receive the new state value. 

To make the state predictable and traceable, Vuex introduced standardization. It provides a full state management pattern and relies on the following:

- Actions: they help with the proper updating of the state
- Mutations: they allow developers to track changes and they also get called up to actually update the state
- Getters: they enable developers to access filtered, derived or computed state

Arguably the most notable benefit of Vuex is that it provides a perfect way to optimize the simultaneous front-end and back-end development. Thanks to Vuex, the front-end team can implement a unique API login even before the API is available.

## Why is Vue Called ‘The Future of Front-End’?

Vue currently has around 162K starts on GitHub and it keeps getting popular. According to the [JavaScript 2019 survey](https://2019.stateofjs.com/front-end-frameworks/vuejs/), 40.5% of the respondents said they used Vue and would use it again. Mind you, this is a jump from 28.8% in 2018. Some predict that in 2020, Vue will climb to the top when it comes to front-end development trends.

Now let’s look at the reasons why Vue is gaining momentum:

- Thanks to Vuex, users can manage states in a simpler way 
- Vue is approachable and less restrictive compared to some other frameworks
- Vue can save developers time and provide a pleasant coding experience thanks to its excellent workflows
- The learning curve is mild (developers just need to know JavaScript)
- It offers many conveniences for complex projects such as the development of enterprise software

Also, if you’re tired of frameworks making your life more complicated instead of simplifying it - Vue is the way to go. That’s one of the main reasons why the adoption rates are increasing.

## Thinking of Developing Your App in Vue?

Depending on the project, Vue can be an excellent framework choice. Thanks to its high performance, Vue has been used for app development by many prominent companies and brands such as Grammarly, 9GAG, Nintendo, WizzAir, Buzzfeed, and more.

At Share IT, we always do a thorough analysis with the client to build a business case and decide which program language and frameworks could be optimal to use. If you’re interested in what we can do for your business, [reach out to us](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) today. Let’s build something beautiful together.


vue_cover.png

Have you heard about Vue and Vuex, but you’re not sure where to learn more about them? Read our easy-to-understand beginner’s guide to Vue and Vuex. 

Beginner's Guide to Vue and Vuex

In the world of mobile development, things are always changing. This shouldn’t come as a surprise given the fact that technology is constantly evolving, just like the expectations and needs of end customers. One of the more recent significant shifts refers to the surge in Kotlin development. 


In May 2019, Google [announced](https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/07/kotlin-is-now-googles-preferred-language-for-android-app-development/) that Kotlin is now the preferred programming language for Android app developers. The main benefit of Kotlin stated in the announcement lies in its conciseness: indeed, Kotlin requires less code - both in terms of typing, testing, and maintaining.

Google’s announcement was not unexpected. Two years earlier, the company announced their [first-class support for Kotlin](https://blog.jetbrains.com/kotlin/2017/05/kotlin-on-android-now-official/), which overthrew Java as the favorite android development language - off its throne. 

Although it is primarily focused on Android, Kotlin aims to be the go-to programming language for multiple platforms - iOS included. In fact, the official app of KotlinConf 2017 was built in Kotlin and it was supported on both desktop (via the web app) and both major mobile platforms (iOS and Android).

But let’s take a closer look at Kotlin and the reasons behind its growing popularity.


## What is Kotlin?  
![superkotlin](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/621586b943184eb195cc2900966a9ad4.png)

Kotlin is an open source programming language with cross-platform and statically typed inference. Kotlin first appeared in 2011, but it didn’t get much attention in the first five years. It was created by JetBrains.

Dmitry Jemerov, JetBrains’ Development Lead, [explained](https://www.infoworld.com/article/2622405/jetbrains-readies-jvm-based-language.html) how Kotlin was made because none of the existing JVM languages, except Scala, had the right features. However, as Jemerov pointed out, Scala too had its deficiencies, such as its very slow compilation.

If you enjoy fun trivia, here’s one interesting fact: the name Kotlin comes from Kotlin Island, near St. Petersburg. Kotlin’s Lead Language Designer Andrey Breslav said the team decided to name the language after an island, just like Java (even though Java was actually named after Java coffee from the Indonesian island of the same name).

Kotlin finally entered the public eye in 2017 after Google announced its support.

Since then, Kotlin’s adoption has been on a steady rise. The most recent [StackOverflow survey](https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019#most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted) showed that 72% of surveyed developers simply love Kotlin. Let’s now examine the reasons why.


## 1. Interoperability With Java Code


JetBrains made a valid point when [comparing programming languages to human ones](https://blog.jetbrains.com/kotlin/2017/05/kotlin-on-android-now-official/): the more people speak a language, the better. And what better way to achieve this than using the foundation of already familiar languages to build a new one, right?

The interoperability with Java code is one of the main reasons why developers love Kotlin.

Even though the syntax of the language is not compatible with Java, Kotlin is designed to interoperate fully with it. This means that your existing codebase written in Java can interact properly with Kotlin, and vice versa. In the IDE, there is even a built-in automated Java-to-Kotlin converter. Making it consistent with Java’s frameworks and tools was very smart when you think about the adoption process and the implied risks of code migration. 

Kotlin addressed a series of Java issues (e.g. no raw types, null references are controlled by the type system, Kotlin does not have checked exceptions), which for sure made the language tempting for developers.

In addition, compared to Java, Kotlin is much safer. Take nulls in Java for example, which are very error-prone. In Kotlin, by default - nulls don’t even exist..


## 2. Mild Learning Curve and Open source


![celebrate](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/039ad5b0bc2c495aa904a7fc7131fb1c.png)

Since 2012, Kotlin has been an open source programming language and it is continuously improved. The language had its stable release on 3 March, 2020. Developers can enjoy great support from the [Kotlin community](https://kotlinlang.org/community/), which is definitely a plus.

Needless to say, Kotlin has supreme IDE support. All major Java IDEs provide support: NetBeans, IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, and Android Studio.

Kotlin itself is easy to learn and very user-friendly, it has an intuitive syntax, just like most of the Java compatible programming languages. In fact, it was inspired by languages such as Java, C#, JavaScript, Scala and Groovy.

Because of the syntax, code written in Kotlin can be easily reviewed even by someone who is not a high level expert.


## 3. Less Coding Required


If there’s one thing developers appreciate, it’s optimizing their code writing process and avoiding repetition wherever possible. This is another reason why Kotlin is so loved: it eliminates redundant code.

Kotlin is known for being compact and concise. When you need less time to code, you’re consequently achieving faster time to market. Overall, the development process becomes more efficient, costs get reduced, and developers enjoy more creative freedom.

Compared to Java, developing with Kotlin can result in cca. 40% cut in the number of lines of code. Tie that to the fact Kotlin emerged from the industry, not academia - and you’ll end up with a pretty sweet programming language developers are naturally attracted to.


## 4. Multiplatform Development


![multitask](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/c9744392ce4648a290d9783017a56efb.png)

One of Kotlin’s biggest advantages is its multiplatform development. Kotlin can be used for any type of development: from server-side and client-side web to Android and iOS. The language runs on JVM, which enables code sharing between different platforms. Similar to React Native, it offers developers a great perk of reusing existing codes, which saves them a lot of time and energy. 

[Kotlin/Native](https://kotlinlang.org/docs/reference/native-overview.html) is also ready for production development, which is great news. Kotlin/Native is known for balancing between safety and access through constraints. This is how the runtime verifies the concurrent access is safe.

The language has shown a good maturity level and even before its official public release, it’s been used by app development companies. Plus, many reputable companies across different industries used Kotlin for their app development. From Pinterest and Coursera to Trello and Evernote - there are plenty of great examples and success stories.


## 5. Flexibility And Great Coding Experience


Another great thing about Kotlin is that it provides developers with the freedom to work in their chosen style. It is a highly flexible language that has both object-oriented and functional constructs. Developers can choose the style they like or even mix different styles for the best coding experience. Just a reminder - Kotlin has first-class support. This makes the coding experience even better.

Another advantage of Kotlin as a programming language lies in the fact it solves real-time issues during the coding process. We already mentioned there are no Null Pointer Exceptions, which means Kotlin has managed to tackle an entire class of errors.

When it comes to tools on the JVM side, the main build tools that support Kotlin include Maven, Kobalt, Ant, and Gradle. All in all, Kotlin makes a lot of things simpler.


## Over to You


Thank you for reading this article about Kotlin from top to bottom! We hope you learned something new about this programming language and why it’s so favorized in the community of mobile developers.

Currently, mobile apps account for over 80% of all time spent consuming digital media. This is why the rise in mobile app development is fairly logical. At Share IT, we use Kotlin as one of our mobile app development programmatic languages, along with React Native and a few others. 

If you’re a developer looking to learn more about Kotlin, check out our [fourth suggestion from this list](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/4-courses-for-android-app-development) of great quality android app courses.

If you run a business and are seeking for a reliable partner to help you build a mobile app in Kotlin or some other language, [reach out to Share IT today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us). We can help you come up with a most cost-effective solution that will ensure an amazing experience for your end users

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In 2019, Google announced that Kotlin is now the preferred programming language for Android app developers. But what is Kotlin and why do developers love it?

What is Kotlin and Why Do Mobile App Developers Love It?

It’s no secret that we all got used to living lives on the go. In such an environment, our smartphones are like extensions of our identities. They serve us as a means to connect and communicate with others, to instantly access and surf the web, to explore the world, learn, and stay informed. 

Today, [3.5 billion people own a smartphone](https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world), which is a whopping number. That’s almost half of the population, and the number of users keeps growing. Bearing that in mind, no wonder mobile development is booming right now.

Businesses that are looking to create mobile apps are often indecisive about whether they should focus on creating an extraordinary user experience or if they should prioritize faster development and compatibility with multiple platforms. However, with React Native Development, they can easily do both.

According to the [recent StackOverflow survey of 2019](https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019#technology), React Native is among the most loved frameworks with 62.5% of developers using it. Wondering why it ranks so high in the community? 

In today’s blog, we at Share IT will discuss the benefits of using the React Native framework and help you get a better understanding of why React Native is so widely used.

But let’s start from the beginning.


## What Is React Native?

![story](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/cbac2c7436a44d2c8704fc8c00a08f5f.png)


React Native is a native version of [React.js](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/what-is-reactjs), a popular web library created by Facebook. It is a JavaScript open-source framework that’s designed for building native mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Universal Windows Platform. This is why it has often been referred to as ‘the future of hybrid development’.

React Native enables developers to write the code using their knowledge of JavaScript, and create production-ready mobile applications that look and feel native. React Native is convenient and time-saving for developers, as it ensures almost instant compatibility with both iOS and Android systems.

How is this possible, you may wonder?

Well, the framework uses existing compilers and its code is not platform-specific, which means developers need to code only once and the open architecture will ensure the code can run on multiple platforms. React Native deploys a so-called ‘bridge’ that enables the communication between the written code and the native platforms. So, it connects the JavaScript thread with the native thread.


## Why Do Developers Love React Native?


The main reason why developers love React Native so much lies in the fact it’s easy and simple to work with. The framework has been around for more than 5 years and its stable release was on March 26, 2020.

React Native is well funded, it has huge community support (check out [this Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/react.native.community/) and this [tag on Medium)](https://medium.com/tag/react-native) and a [well-developed documentation](https://reactnative.dev/docs/getting-started), which helps developers of all expertise levels stay on track and learn. Robust tools, effective error messages, and quick iteration cycles are just a fragment of the reasons why the Native React development experience is so great. 

Developers who have experience working with React.js are in for a treat. From custom animation and navigation, to fluent and accelerated scrolling - it’s honestly a very pleasant work environment. React Native renders real native components, so you can always follow your progress and ensure an authentic look and feel.

To sum it up, here are the top reasons why developers love React Native:

- In addition to being easy to use, React Native is also easy to learn
- The community is extremely helpful
- It offers a familiar work environment
- It saves up your resources
- It’s well funded and continuously improved

If you’re a newbie, we advise you to start by exploring the documentation. It is very well written and helps you build your knowledge from the ground up.


## What Are the Biggest Pros and Cons of React Native?


We already touched upon the reasons why React Native is so loved in the community, but it’s time to take a closer look at this framework’s pros and cons.

### React Native Pros
In terms of cross-platform application development, React Native is definitely among the top frameworks out there. Opposed to some methods for mobile development that rely on webviews, React Native relies on standard rendering APIs to produce renders. Because the markup gets translated into native UI elements, both great performance without any lag, and an authentic, native look and feel - are achieved.

Much of the code can be shared and reused, and because of the effective cross-platform development, businesses can save up money and manage their resources better. The development team can exchange knowledge immediately and enjoy faster iterations. App updates can be pushed directly to users.

### Reactive Native Cons
When it comes to Reactive Native cons, many developers argue that the procedure to debug an app is a bit complex. Some also say the configuration process is a bit lengthy whereas with the actual native Android development - these things are usually solved within a click or two. However, the benefits do outweigh the cons.  


## What Are Some of the Famous Apps Created With React Native?



![trophies](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/26c99182fdae44898d1fc2565f44a3fe.png)


Because of the undeniable React Native advantages, some of the most prominent brands used this framework for building their mobile apps.

Naturally, Facebook used it for its mobile apps. Take Instagram for example. Because Instagram was built with React Native, developers managed to use between 85% and 99% of the same code for both iOS and Android. This has made the development process much easier and faster.

Other well-known apps created with React Native include:

- SoundCloud Pulse (see [here](https://madewithreactjs.com/soundcloud-pulse))
- Wix (see the full project [here](https://github.com/wix/react-native-navigation))
- Bloomberg (see their story [here](https://www.techatbloomberg.com/blog/bloomberg-used-react-native-develop-new-consumer-app/))
- Pinterest (see their story [here](https://medium.com/pinterest-engineering/supporting-react-native-at-pinterest-f8c2233f90e6))

In most cases, developers tend to point out how React Native helped them build great interfaces and lighting fast apps with low loading periods, pleasant user experiences that even support full animations without causing any issues with the app’s functionalities. They also underline how the development cycle gets significantly shorter because they don’t depend on other specialized mobile developers. So, there is no need to learn Android-specific Java or Swift for iOS, which is great. 


## What Is the Future of React Native?


When it comes to the future of React Native, it looks rather bright. Even though [Flutter](https://flutter.dev/) managed to attract a lot of attention and even spark the ‘React Native vs. Flutter’ debates, it’s not likely the React Native framework will die out, and there are two big reasons why.

Firstly, React Native has a large, active community that pushes React Native forward. With Facebook behind its back, it gets regular updates and it continuously evolves. The framework is widely accepted and used by some of the most renowned Fortune 500 companies.

Secondly, React Native is still unrivaled when it comes to the quality of UI and user experience in general. Believe it or not, but some of the apps made with React Native are much better than ones developed on native platforms.

Some speculate that [Google’s Fuchsia](https://insights.dice.com/2019/07/03/google-fuchsia-prepping-developers/) will be a game-changer and impact the status React Native currently has. However, it would be impossible to replace all the active OS out there, so it’s not a genuine threat. We can surely say that React Native is not going anywhere.


## Over to You


Thank you for reading our article about React Native, we hope you learned something new about the amazing functionalities of this framework. As you can see, it’s a very useful framework that’s loved by many developers for various reasons: from its nice work environment to the fact it saves time and energy, it sure does offer a lot.

At Share IT, React Native is one of the many technologies that we use for mobile app development. If you have a project in mind, [reach out](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) to us today.

pray.png

React Native is among the most loved frameworks with 62.5% of developers using it. Wondering why it ranks so high in the community? Read Share IT’s new blog.

What Is React Native and What Do You Need to Know About It?

Android app development is an extremely lucrative field of work. If you have a knack for programming and you’re searching for a place in this huge industry, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) strongly advise you to consider a career in Android app development. 

Apart from enabling you to collect handsome paychecks (which everyone loves), Android app development offers loads of other interesting opportunities for talented developers. This is a booming industry with lots of opportunities and interesting projects where dedicated junior developers can perfect their craft and build recognition.

The process of learning how to build Android apps is similar to the process of learning how to read and write in school. You start small with the basics and then work your way up to complex structures. 

First, you acquaint yourself with what an Android app developer actually does from 9 to 5. You learn about creating corresponding functions that match the product’s demand, application module design (and coding and testing), tech support, etc. Even though this seems like a lot of hard work, it’s not. Especially if you find a great source to learn from. 

There are a dozen high-quality available online courses that can introduce you to the world of Android app development and teach you how to create functioning products in a matter of weeks. Here’s a list of couple of Android app development courses that we at Share IT tend to recommend to our junior devs and interns:

## 1. The Complete Android N Developer Course on Udemy

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/ad1eabe186024753bea2698a3216c42b.png)

[Udemy](https://www.udemy.com/) is still probably the biggest and most popular learning destination online. Apart from offering its users an endless database of courses on almost every imaginable topic, Udemy also gives experts an opportunity to share their knowledge with the world and get paid for it.

Since teachers are in charge of the curriculum and setting the price for their course, as a user, you can find numerous courses on the same topic that radically differ in price.The price range usually goes from  5 to 100+ dollars. 

As an unwritten rule, the price often reflects the quality of the course. Most cheaper courses on the platform offer just basic information which is not great for users who are looking for practical knowledge that they can immediately apply on a project they’re working on. Of course, you also don’t want to overpay for a course and figure out that you could have gotten the same knowledge from a much cheaper program. The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle.

[“The Complete Android N Developer Course”](https://www.udemy.com/course/complete-android-n-developer-course/?altsc=428526) is definitely the best one we at Share IT found on this platform. Created by Rob Percival and Marc Stock, this course is meant for aspiring devs who are interested in building an Android app from scratch. If you have zero knowledge regarding how the apps are created, start here! At the moment of writing this article, the course’s price is $11.99.

In this series of short lectures, Rob Percival and Marc Stock will introduce you to Android studio, Java code, and advanced Android features. In addition to this, the course will help you understand how to use maps in your app building process and how to store data permanently. It’s a great place to acquaint yourself with the fundamentals of Android app development.

## 2. Android App Development on Udacity

Just like Udemy, [Udacity](https://www.udacity.com/) is an extremely popular MOOC-based e-learning platform where students from all over the globe come to educate themselves on a variety of different subjects. To find the right course, you need to be prepared to do a bit of digging. The quality of content varies on a case-by-case basis.

Udacity has a special Nanodegree program where the total cost of the course is divided into 6-12 month payments and students get a certificate of completion once it's all over. Users who pay for this program get a chance to thoroughly learn a specific IT-based skill of their choice.

A particular Nanodegree course that we found extremely useful on this platform is the [“Become an Android Developer”](https://www.udacity.com/course/android-developer-nanodegree-by-google--nd801) course that was built in collaboration with Google. 

This course is meant for students who have zero background in development. It teaches you everything, from A to Z. After successfully completing the project, you will have sufficient experience to develop an Android APP of your own and will get Google certified. The course will set you back $199 a month.

## 3. Google developers training: Android 

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/3c694441aeba47e198ea945204f2c822.png)

[Google Developers Training](https://developer.android.com/) is a platform that hosts different developer-oriented courses created by Google engineers. Meant for both beginners and experienced developers, this is an address you should bookmark if you’re interested in acquiring new knowledge and leveling up as a developer. 

As you can see once you open the website and click on one of the courses, the website will redirect you to Udacity. The [“Developing Android Apps with Kotlin”](https://www.udacity.com/course/developing-android-apps-with-kotlin--ud9012) course is highly-recommended. A couple of our team members have gone through this course and they loved it.

## 4. Android & Kotlin Tutorials on Raywenderlich

Last, but not least - Raywenderlich. Built for developers by developers, Raywenderlich is a community website that offers loads of high-quality programming tutorials. Every piece of content that is hosted on this website has gone through three rounds of edits before the editorial team made it accessible to the community. Raywenderlich goes to great lengths to ensure that all the content that the website promotes is technically accurate and full of useful knowledge for the users.

The best part of this community website is that all of the available content is free. Unlike most free programming courses that you can find online, the price doesn’t reflect the quality. For Android development especially, there are more than 25 free tutorials on Raywenderlich that can teach you everything you want to know about this particular topic.

Visit the following [page](https://www.raywenderlich.com/android) to explore all the courses. If you finish all of them, we guarantee you’ll have enough knowledge to start creating Android apps on your own.

## Closing Words

Thank you for taking the time to read our latest blog post. We hope it helped you see that knowledge is everywhere around us and that all you have to do to develop a new, profitable skill is just pick the right course for you and commit to its curriculum. If you have any questions regarding Android app development and where to learn, feel free to send us an email at contact@shareit.rs.


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Interested in a career in Android app development? Check out these courses to learn all that you need about creating apps or Android.

4 Great Courses to Get You Started with Android App Development

It’s been almost a year since Microsoft announced the new .NET solution at the Build Conference in Seattle. .NET 5 is envisioned as a platform that is supposed to unify all the existing .NET platforms (.NET Core, .NET framework and Xamarin) into one a single, super-powerful .NET toolchain.

Microsoft is basically taking the best of each existing .NET platform and transferring it into one place where devs can get support for all that .NET has to offer. This means that you’ll have a single point of access to tools for building both mobile, desktop, and web-based solutions. It was promised that .NET 5 will provide devs with the ability to interop with Java and Swift, which is great for those who want to interact with native mobile application libraries.

If you’re a .NET developer, this is huge news for you! If you’re currently supporting enterprise-level applications created in .NET framework, you’re probably open to learning as much as you possibly can about this new platform and how it is going to affect your work in the near future. 

.NET 5 is set to debut in November, and we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) are impatiently awaiting its arrival. Since .NET 5 will bring a lot of change to the industry, we have decided to remind you in this blog post what the new Microsoft’s tech has in store for us and what we need to know about it upfront to successfully adapt to the new terrain once the new toolchain finally gets launched for commercial use.

## What’s Going to Happen to .NET framework and .Net Core When .NET 5 Gets Released?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/ededd84c6534462ba72ba94f870f8222.png)

Probably the biggest and most important question. According to Microsoft, they plan to continue supporting .NET Framework, at least for now. However, the company has also said publicly that  4.8 will be the last major version of it we can expect to see.

As far as .NET Core is concerned, the updates stop at 3.1. Yes, .NET 5 is basically going to be an improved version of what .NET Core 4 was supposed to be. 

However, all the things that devs like about .NET Core will continue to exist. This includes:

- Open source and community-oriented on GitHub
- Cross-platform implementation
- High performance
- Side-by-side installation
- Small project files (SDK-style)
- Visual Studio
- Visual Studio for Mac
- Visual Studio Code integration…

...and more.

## What’s Getting the Axe?

Before we get into details and start talking about all the new things that will be coming to .NET 5, let us first cover all the important components that Microsoft is cutting from the platform. 

Since most of us prefer to use different tools and environments when it comes to developing applications, it’s best that we first talk about the elements that will no longer be part of the .NET Core. 

For a lot of devs out there, this will be a total game-changer so let’s make sure that we cover all the important changes:

## Web Forms

ASP .NET Web Forms are officially retiring with .NET 4.8. Microsoft has confirmed that ASP .NET Web Forms won’t be coming to .NET 5 and has recommended that devs switch to [Blazor](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/apps/aspnet/web-apps/blazor). Sure, there are also other alternatives to pursue like Angular, React, and VueJS.

If you are currently using ASP.NET MVC as a full-stack web app, you can continue to do so. [ASP.NET Core MVC]((https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/mvc/overview?view=aspnetcore-3.0)) or the new [Razor Pages](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/razor-pages/?view=aspnetcore-3.0&tabs=visual-studio) are still acceptable solutions for quickly building web form applications without views and controllers. 

However, if you are building complex apps for enterprise-level businesses, then it’s highly advisable to forget about ASP.NET Core MVC and consider migrating to Blazor, Angular, or React.

Microsoft has provided an instruction to how to [migrate your entire work to Blazor](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/architecture/blazor-for-web-forms-developers/migration), so there’s nothing standing in your way now if you’re looking to update your stack web app.

## WCF

This is a bit of a shocker. Microsoft said that WCF is going to share the fate of Web Forms as far as .NET 5 is concerned. Even though there has been a lot of heated discussions whether to bring the WCF to .NET Core or not, Microsoft has eventually decided to leave in the past because their initial estimation for adapting WCF to .NET Core was 3 years ago. 

As a substitute, Microsoft is promoting gRPC. The company feels that this open-source, high-performance framework can run on any RPC environment.

## WWF

WWF is also getting cut. If you still rely on WWF to create applications that execute ordered business processes, like hiring candidates for specific positions, Microsoft is advising you to look at gRPC.

## What’s New

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/b4274829fa284e0e8b1cd6fbe905f34e.png)

Now that we have listed all the darlings that are fading into oblivion, it’s time to talk about new things that are coming with .NET 5.

The goal was to develop a unified .NET runtime and framework that can be used anywhere. The company believed that their .NET Framework wasn’t progressing as quickly as their .NET Core. The legacy code was killing it so they decided to do something about it. 

Microsoft has put a lot of work into bringing the biggest and most exciting .NET Framework 4.8 APIs and features to .NET 5, along with new APIs and services. The company has invested heavily in bringing its different compilers together, taking both JIT and Mono to another level.

It's important to also mention Winforms, WPF, and UPF. Microsoft is bringing the Windows Desktop Pack to support the creation of applications that work only on Windows. The company underlined that they’re only doing this to help move legacy Winform apps into the new system. .NET Core architecture is not changing, which means that devs will be still able to use cross-platform frameworks.

## Over to You

The idea behind .NET 5 was to make .NET development simpler, but also richer in every sense. Microsoft is determined to bring more power and functionalities to their product. All new C# versions will also be part of .NET 5. 

This will make every .NET dev’s life a lot easier. The days of learning new languages for specific cases are going to become a thing of the past. Once .NET 5 launches, all you’ll need to know is C# in order to create apps that run anywhere from IoT to Cloud.

However, there will be people who’ll go through a bit of difficulties in this transition. We’re talking about those who still have products/frameworks based on WCF and Web Forms. But, even they have everything at their disposal to make the necessary migration and prepare for the new era of .NET development.


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It’s been almost a year since Microsoft announced the new .NET solution at the Build Conference. Curious to find out more? Read Share IT’s new blog post. 

The Future of .NET: 3 Things You Should Know About .NET 5

Enterprise-level companies need to invest additional efforts into optimizing their internal operations to stay competitive. They do so by saving time where possible, centralizing knowledge, automating tasks, and strategically implementing cost-efficient solutions that help them smoothly run their business operations.

To achieve this, C-level executives and managers rely on effective enterprise software that is scalable, ensures flexibility, and complements existing workflows.

Enterprise software is specifically designed to be deployed across the entire corporate network, intranets, or the Internet. It interconnects multiple departments and ensures a good flow of information while also complying to security requirements, policies, and legislations.

Today, we’ll be talking about different types of enterprise software and explain how corporations can benefit from investing in them.

## 1. Enterprise Resource Planning Software

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/0f4f2df7075c4fa59aa7b319f47cf680.png)

Imagine your business organization as a living organism. It’s not self-sustainable, but it can function properly if you manage each of its elements in a smart way. Bearing that in mind, you need to come up with a way to successfully monitor everything that happens, manage resources effectively to preserve or improve the health of the entire organism, and also foresee any potential issues down the road.

Shortly put, that’s what ERP software is for.

ERP software serves as an all-seeing eye to business owners. They integrate various applications used by different departments into a single repository. This way, all business critical apps and data are centralized, which allows users to see a bigger picture and identify revenue opportunities or areas that could be improved.

In most cases, ERP software integrates all facets of one operation: from inventory and product planning, manufacturing, to distribution process management, sales, marketing, labor management, and much more. ERP software ensures all data is available from a single source.

Wondering if you need a customer ERP software? [Read our guide](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/custom-erp-software) to find out more.     

## 2. Knowledge Management Software

By definition, knowledge management is the process of creating, sharing, and distributing knowledge of an organization. Since information represents a vital business asset, it’s important to make sure that employees have easy access to the knowledge they need, right when they need it.

Knowledge loss and knowledge gaps lead to financial and productivity losses. Statistics show that inefficient knowledge sharing costs large companies [$47 million per year](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inefficient-knowledge-sharing-costs-large-businesses-47-million-per-year-300681971.html). Same study shows 81% of employees feel frustrated when they cannot access the information they need to do their job.

In addition, information silos can cause misunderstandings and negatively influence productivity levels. The lack of transparency between departments leads to repetitive tasks, missed business opportunities, and misaligned priorities. Without a centralized knowledge system, employees might miss learning about the shared short-term and long-term goals, which could result in low engagement at work and a lack of synergy, and negatively affect business growth.

KMS can be created to fit the needs of each individual enterpise. It can be a general knowledge depository or a specific kind of software with additional functionalities.

For instance, customer relationship management software has some KMS features since it gathers knowledge about customers’ needs, expectation, and behavior, with a goal of enhancing sales and marketing efforts, and optimizing customer experience. Dedicated knowledge management software is definitely a smart investment and it beats all the improvised solutions.

## 3. Enterprise Content Management Software

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/f0c4af3c4d5440a99ef27d36d52b10c8.png)

Enterprise-level companies imply big systems with numerous stakeholders, different technologies, methodologies, and regulations. ECM software ensures all information and documentation stays safely protected and easily accessed by authorized personnel. This can include purchase orders, customer data, invoices, contracts, confidential data such as budgets, etc.

Besides the obvious benefit that can be seen from an organizational point of view, ECM software reduces storage and operational costs, as well as distribution costs. Some processes can be automated, digital information flows seamlessly through the entire organization - which means there is no need for paperwork expenses. 

ECM software provides a great top overview of everything that goes on internally, it saves employees’ both time and energy by making all information easily searchable. More importantly, ECM software improves cross-team collaboration, which is crucial for enterprise-level companies. If you envision one corporation as a complex machinery, each cog has its place and ensures everything runs smoothly. 

Last but not least, custom ECM gives you freedom to organize administrative roles and authorizations as you wish. Access control solutions can provide an additional security layer: the system can have many checks and balances to ensure only those who are supposed to access confidential files can do so.

To find out more details about what ECM can do for your business, read our comprehensive article [here](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/What-is-ECM-and-How-Can-Enterprises-Benefit-from-It).  

## 4. Business Intelligence Software

You probably heard about data being the oil of the 21st century. Undoubtedly, data has become extremely valuable in the business world, especially for enterprise-level companies. More than ever before, businesses need real-time access to data, they need data analysts in their teams, as well as methods for mapping trends and predicting potential problems.

Agility and proactivity remain the biggest virtues of C-level executives in such a landscape, and data serves as a tremendous ally here. Business intelligence software is used to make sense of the numbers, to translate data into actionable insights, and provide context. All successful corporations have shifted away from solely trusting people’s intuition and experience: they reach out to data for validating any business decisions.

That being said, business intelligence software helps enterprises set and monitor KPIs, track numbers across different departments (e.g. finance, operations, sales, marketing, etc.), and analyze them to adjust the course of their strategy. When all the key data is centralized in one place, it’s easy to organize dashboards, monitor performance, and control the output.

BI software is great for mapping bottlenecks and specific tasks or procedures that hinder the quality of end results. With data visualization options, users rarely have to waste time crunching the numbers. When reports are set, they can be sent automatically in specific time intervals. This is great for ensuring each member of the organization stays properly informed and in the loop.

## 5. Business Continuity Software

According to statistics, [an hour of downtime may cost large enterprises up to $700,000](https://www.comparitech.com/data-recovery-software/disaster-recovery-data-loss-statistics/), but despite the huge financial losses - a surprising number of businesses don’t even have a disaster recovery plan in place.

Companies of all sizes should always think ahead and have a defined plan that lays out the procedures, responsibilities, and time frames in case an unfortunate IT catastrophe or a malicious hacking attack occurs. This is why many corporations choose to invest in a custom enterprise software solution for business continuity planning and management.

Business continuity software helps the company survive an unplanned disaster with minimum losses and risks. Plans that ensure the business recovers can become outdated, but with the help of tailor-made software - maintaining them and keeping them up to date is incomparably easier.

Business continuity software can be created to automatically remove single points of failure and suggest ways to improve existing processes. It can have built-in tools for risk, threat, and vulnerability analysis, and crisis readiness. Procedures can be easily edited, updated, and accessed. Software can also include exercises and simulation drills, incident management, emergency notifications, and a lot more.

Since every enterprise has its own system, it’s extremely important that the business continuity software is tailored-made. This way, the software will fit in perfectly, the key stakeholders will stay informed, and the company safely protected, even in worst case scenarios.

## Before You Go...

Thank you for reading this article. Even though some corporations opt for out-of-the-box software solutions, custom enterprise software is becoming increasingly popular. The reasons for this are clear: tailor-made software matches your business needs perfectly, it doesn’t disrupt your operative procedures, and it helps you get the most value for your money.

Please note that this article doesn’t offer an exhaustive list - not by far. There are tons of different types of enterprise software that could be of use to you. The advantage of custom-made software lies in the fact that you can create a single software for several things and control everything from functionalities to user interface.

Do you have a software development project in mind? At Share IT, we specialize in serving enterprise-level clients. [Contact us today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) to require a quote. 

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Enterprises rely on effective software that is scalable, ensures flexibility, and complements existing workflows. Read more about different types of software.

5 Types of Enterprise Software and Why They’re Worth the Investment

Software development is a difficult business where certain misunderstandings in communication can cause a lot of problems. Everyone who has ever worked in this industry has made certain rookie mistakes that they’re not proud of. Especially when it comes to agreeing on project specifics with the client and setting up deadlines.

[Technical know-how](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/mern-technology-stack) is rarely an issue in this business. In most situations, software development companies have (or know how to find) skilled personnel that are able to overcome all tech-related obstacles and produce working prototypes based on the info they receive from their managers or directly from clients. Most of the problems in software development arise when the project team lead/manager doesn't do a good enough job of locking down all the details with the client and ensuring that they fully understand all the elements and phases of the development process. If these two parties don’t find a common tongue and agree on all the details, the project is destined to fail. 

Regardless of how well the code is written or how solid the infrastructure may be - if the project isn’t in perfect sync with the client’s needs, desires, and budget - it’s likely to fail. If it ends up costing more than the client was planning to pay and if it doesn't meet the initial deadline, the result will be the same - total failure.

To ensure that the clients get what they want and that our team delivers the right type of goods at the right time, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) have decided to heavily invest in this part of our business. So far, it has proven to be one of the best business decisions we made. 

In the following segments of this article, we’re going to go a bit deeper into the topic of service delivery management and explain why we believe that this sort of work plays a crucial role in the success for companies who sell software development services.

## What is Service Delivery Management?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/7e1d8d7ec9b64f58b04f69ae477a339a.png)

The term is pretty much self-explanatory. Service delivery management refers to all the necessary steps that need to be taken to ensure the effective delivery of IT services to a client. If done right, the work you do here can positively influence your agency’s image and customer satisfaction rates.

The processes you define here should serve as:

- Clear explainers of the IT services you as a company will be providing for the client
- Blueprints for the roles and responsibilities of clients (those who pay for the services), users (those who use the services), and service providers
- Guides that address in great detail the expectations of service quality, availability, and timeliness

Every single part of the process should be custom-tailored to the client’s specific business needs and budget. 

By creating a clear service delivery mechanism, software companies can get a better understanding about how to meet their client’s wishes. In addition to this, service delivery management can also help software development companies with proper staff/resources allocation. Companies can figure out if they can do the entire project in-house or do they need to hire additional help to see certain tasks through. 

## Who Are Delivery Managers? 

Delivery managers are part of the delivery management task force. They are responsible for clarifying requirements and setting up realistic expectations about the project’s scope, quality, and risk factors. 

Delivery managers are tasked with reporting of the project’s status. They are trained to identify and overcome unnecessary project risks, polish all unplanned or unforeseen changes, tackle hidden small problems before they become bigger ones. 

A delivery manager is usually a person that has the most back-and-forth with a client. He or she assures clients that issues will not be left unresolved for any length of time. Being proactive is definitely a trait that is greatly appreciated in this position. 

## Setting up the Right Service Delivery Strategy

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/3b1717b8640b4fe9b0c8a955ef3350dd.png)

Now that we got the basics out of the way, let’s discuss strategy. As with everything else, the goal here is to set up a working skeleton and then fine tune it as you go. However, there are certain elements that you need to bear in mind from the start when you decide to work on the first draft of your service delivery strategy. 

Without further ado, let’s go through the list:

### 1. Full Transparency

Proper measurement of the quality of service should be on the top of your list. You need to make sure that you and your customer are on the same page regarding when it comes to expectations and your service offerings. This includes what your services do and don’t encompass, eligibility, potential limitations, costs, how to get assistance when needed, and more.

The more detailed you get here, the better. The goal is to make sure that the client understands exactly what to expect from your company. Never sell what you cannot deliver and never undercharge for the quality of the service you provide. 

### 2. Define your Best and Worst Performing Service, and Optimize for Quality

Believe it or not, but service excellence can be defined as what a business chooses not to do well. It is your management's job to determine what are your company’s strongest and weakest links. This choice, of course, can’t be based on a simple gut feeling. It needs to come from experience with working with customers and your team.

For instance, we at Share IT mostly work with enterprise-level clientele on big projects. Even though we do offer mobile development services, this was never our bread and butter, so we decided to put extra focus on other types of projects that we frequently sell. 

[Enterprise software development](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/custom-erp-software) is where we make our money, so we decided to put extra focus on this part of our business. We hire more people who are skilled in developing apps for clients that use [SharePoint](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/what-is-sharepoint-and-what-do-enterprises-need-to-know-about-it) for instance, than people who have experience with mobile app development. By doing this, we are slowly pushing clients towards what we do best, to what we can do for them with the greatest of confidence, and that’s starting to show results.

This is a great way to manage capacity. If you want to provide excellent service, you need to ensure that you have the resources to satisfy the needs of people who are actually paying for your services. You need to ensure that all your assets are effectively used and that the risk factor of late delivery is reduced. 

### 3. Detailed Onboarding

Onboarding clients can be quite a difficult process, especially if you do it every time from the ground up. Since communication is different with each client and it has a natural tendency of getting a bit all over the place, maintaining focus and getting the right type information out of clients can be a challenge. 

That’s why it is of great importance to have a framework in place and clearly documented processes that automatically “force” the client to go through the necessary onboarding steps. To meet the client’s wants and needs, you need to ensure that you extract all the necessary information out of them and that they understand what you’re selling them.

So, to make sure that important information doesn’t get lost in the noise, we have created  frameworks that clearly:

- Explain the service in great detail
- Define levels of service needed to support the agreed-upon processes
- Make the client acknowledge level of service and agree on all of its steps
- Outline the costs for the service

Simple, right? It is common sense, but in order to get to the point where everything runs smoothly, you need to invest an effort in creating playbooks and adjusting the process to clients. We learned this is the only way to optimize our resources and maintain client’s satisfaction levels.

## Everyone Likes to be Heard

Some might say that nurturing a customer-centric focus has become the norm. Regardless of the industry, clients and customers today expect your undivided attention and personalized approach to service delivery. This makes perfect sense if you bear in mind that the market is highly competitive: the actual way you deliver services can easily become your additional unique selling point, something that differentiates you from your competition in a massive way.

At Share IT, we listen closely to our clients. We are focused on establishing a firm bond of trust with them, to keep them happy, and make their lives easier. Many companies, especially those that work in the software outsourcing world, tend to focus exclusively on closing deals and increasing revenue rates. Of course, money doesn’t grow on trees and we are indeed a for-profit company, but we never let that fact get in the way of service excellency. For us at Share IT, it’s always been quality over quantity.

We get excited with each new project we take because it’s an opportunity to create something awesome, together with the client. There’s a huge drive involved here and it’s directly connected to our joy of seeing our clients thrive. 

If you need help with software development or you have some type of project in mind that Share IT can assist you with, [contact us today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us). You know we’re always happy to hear from you.

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We decided to invest in service delivery management so that our team continues exceeding expectations. Find out what this means for you as a potential client.

The Importance of Service Delivery Management

If you’re not completely new to the development game, you know that most modern applications are created with the help of a “stack” of various technological solutions. A “stack” refers to any combination of coding languages, tools, and frameworks developers use to create software products for their clients. 

A stack contains different layers of components that play a vital role in the process of software product creation. All stacks are divided between the:

- Client-side a.k.a front-end (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
- Server-side a.k.a. back-end (OS, web server, programming language, web framework, databases)

Back-end is focused on the internal hardware that the makes product run, while front-end is focused on the components that allow the user to interact with the software. 

## Choosing the Right Stack for your Project

There are many “stacks” to choose from, and if you’re not 100% sure what you need - you will probably get lost in all the options. Most developers tend to opt-in for the newest and easiest option on the market. They either go for the freshest stacks or those that have the lightest learning curve.

Unfortunately, that isn’t always the right criteria for choosing the best type of “stack”. Many factors come into play here, like:

- Type and size of the project
- Team expertise and knowledge bases
- Time to market
- Scalability
- Maintainability
- Cost of the overall development

As you can see, you need to have a foolproof plan in mind if you don’t want to make the wrong choice because selecting the “stack” can have a negative impact across multiple verticals of the client’s business, like human resource, finance, marketing, and management.

Since this is such an important decision, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) are going to dedicate this blog post to MERN, a full tech stack that we use for most of our projects. 

## What is a MERN Development Stack?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/100e45692b064279bc22f0503c2f8e6e.png)

MERN is an acronym used to describe a specific set of JavaScript based technologies that are used in the web application development process. It is designed with an idea to make the development process as smooth as possible. MERN includes the following open-source components: 

- Mongo DB
- Express JS
- React JS/ Redux
- Node JS

Every single one of these components plays a crucial role in the web app development process. All of these provide an end-to-end framework for developers to work in. For instance, Mongo DB is a database system, Node JS is a back-end runtime environment, Express JS is a back-end web framework and React is a front-end framework.

So, let’s take a bit closer look at every single one of these components:

## 1. Mongo DB

In case you’re not familiar with Mongo DB, this is a free open-source, cross-platform document-oriented database program. It is classified as a No SQL database program, which means that data is stored in flexible documents with  JSON-based query language. This also means that the size of the content number of fields in the documents tends to vary. The whole data is structured in a way to be prone to change over time.

MongoDB is known as a flexible solution that is always easy to scale. This specific database system is developed by Mongo DB Inc., and is published under a combination of the GNU Affero General Public License and the Apache License.

## 2. Express JS

This is also a free, open-source software. It is released under the MIT licence, and it can be classified as a web application framework for Node.js. To be more precise, Express JS is made for developing web apps and APIs. 

Instead of manually writing full web server code in Node.js, developers use this MERN component to simplify the coding process. The best feature of this framework is that devs don’t repeat the same code over and over, as they would with writing Node.js code in the HTTP module.

Many developers often refer to it as the “de facto standard server framework for Node.js”.

## 3. React JS/ Redux

This is a JavaScript library used for building user interfaces. Originally created by a software engineer who worked for Facebook, React was later on open-sourced. It is currently maintained by Facebook and a strong community made out of different software development companies and freelance devs.

This specific library is often used for creating views rendered in HTML. The views that you create in Reach declarative, which means that you don’t have to deploy additional time on managing the changes and effects they have on the data.

React uses a full-featured programming language (JavaScript) to construct repetitive or conditional DOM elements, which is definitely a huge plus. You don’t need to rely on template to automate creation of repetitive HTML and DOM elements.

With React, the same code can run on both the server and the browser. Because of these, most devs call React the “heart and soul of the MERN stack”. 

## 4. Node JS

Originally built for Google Chrome and later on open-sourced, Node JS is a cross-platform run-time JavaScript environment used for executing JavaScript code outside of a browser. 

As you know, JavaScript was originally used for front-end scripting, but Node JS has enabled devs to use it to write command line tools and back-end scripts for the purpose of creating dynamic web page content before the page is sent to the user's web browser.

Node JS was designed with an idea of allowing devs to build scalable network applications. 

## The Main Benefit of a MERN Stack

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/23c14b4554d048ecada001af5e3b9877.png)
 
So, now that you have learned more about what MERN is and what its components are, it’s time to look at this stack from a different angle and discuss its benefits. 

At Share IT, we primarily use this stack because everything is done in JavaScript. As you know, JavaScript is everywhere. It is used both on the front-end and back-end side. Because of this, there’s no need for context switching.

Tech stack that utilize multiple coding languages, force devs to figure out how to mix them together. Since MRN is JavaScript-based, devs only need to master a single coding language, which makes things a million times easier.

## Closing Words

Thank you for taking the time to read our latest article. We hoped it helped you understand why we use MERN and why we think that more devs should rely on this particular stack as well. As you can see from what we wrote above - the benefits are obvious. In order to get started with MERN Stack development, all you really need is a good understanding of JavaScript and ES6 Fundamentals, but also at least some familiarity with the basic concepts of React and Node.js.

There are many online courses about MERN that will have you building your own dynamic web applications in no time. All you really have to do is pick the one that seems best to you and get started right away!


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New to the concept of the MERN technology stack? Learn more about this specific set of technologies in our latest blog post.

Introduction to MERN Technology Stack

While almost all modern businesses understand the value in investing in the creation of custom software that will help them automate mundane tasks, eliminate unnecessary costs, and optimize complex process, a lot of them don’t always get how this game works and how much funds they need to set aside to see their vision come to life. 

To successfully estimate the cost of a software development project, it’s imperative to think a couple of steps ahead. Firstly, as a client, you need to determine the size of the solution you’re interested in building. Secondly, you need to acquaint yourself with all the details of the project that affect the overall timeline of its completion.

For a person who doesn’t really have much experience with software development, this can easily become a confusing process. 

## Why are Most Software Project Estimates Off?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/e070145ac70a4bc7ad01103e86f0ccff.png)

In most cases, poor leadership is what creates problems in software development. Technology itself is rarely the cause of failure. Speaking from our experience, in 9 out of 10 situations, the inability to explain the end goals or the business drivers behind the software during estimating sessions with the project team is the cause of all development-related troubles.

No two projects are ever created the same and right there - a lot of different variables come into play when you start to think about the specifics. A small error in communication can lead to extra time and extra cost needed to get the software working properly, which can be a huge problem, especially if the client doesn’t have a lot of money to burn and is pressured by a strict deadline to deliver the solution to other stakeholders. 

At [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/), we frequently come into contact with a lot of clients who struggle to successfully envision their project and precisely communicate the scope of work that needs to be done. This is why we have created an easy-to-understand list of all the key factors that influence the final cost of the software development service.

## 1. Project complexity

This is the first thing that the client needs to understand. For an outsourcing company to successfully calculate the potential price of the project, it’s imperative to first get to the root of the project and discuss what kind of software are you looking to build. 

If you, as a client, are looking for something that is still pretty much “shapeless”, that has a lot of unknowns and uncertainties, and demands constant back and forth work - that will significantly influence the cost of the project. For instance, if the development company needs to create a working prototype that will later be altered in accordance with the users’ feedback, this won’t be cheap. Logically, every additional hour someone spends working on your solution and rewriting lines of code will be considered extra work.

So, if you don’t want to go over your initial budget, we advise you to really invest an effort to figuring out what you need much before you enter the development phase. We cannot stress enough just how important it is to have a precise project scope in place.

In addition to this, novelty is also an important factor when it comes to understanding the complexity of specific projects. The use of cutting-edge technologies that our developers don’t already use and will need to learn for a specific project, also influences the final price.

The last, but not least element here is related to security. If we’re developing a project where top-level security is critical and requires additional development efforts and special arrangements for the development process - that will also pile extra dollars to the final bill. 

## 2. Functionality and Human Resources

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/64a3bac8b16c434b8a9ddac1d8f95341.png)

Functionality can be one of the biggest software development cost drivers. The more commands the program needs to have, the higher the price will be. The logic behind this is simple - more people will need to work on a specific project and invest more hours into its development.

Every function of the software needs to be completed by the developer or it won’t work. Simple as that. This means that every element, everything you want the program to do based on every command - needs to be in place for it to work properly. Of course, specific functionalities require specific skills set that not all developers have. For instance, if you’re building an app that demands attention from senior developers, it’s only logical to assume that their hourly rates are much higher than those of devs who are still on the junior/medior level.

Every engineer’s level has a different pay grade and they are assigned work based on their experience and knowledge. Simpler tasks go to less qualified developers, while experienced devs handle complicated features (e.g. payment integration).

As a client, you will need to consider what goes into building your desired piece of software so you can fully grasp the amount of work and resources that will be allocated on your project. The more complex your project becomes, the number of skilled software developers who will need to work on it increases. This influences the price as well.

## 3. Integrations

Integrations are factors that also influence the cost of a specific software. If the client wants to integrate its solution with more than a couple of third-party business applications, such as CRM and various business intelligence and HR tools - that will require additional hours and thus, more money to see all the requests through.

Some integrations are easy to set up, like PayPal, for instance. Others tend to be more challenging. In this case, the dev team will need to invest a lot of time and energy into analyzing,  planning, and verifying results. 

## 4. Extra Costs

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/35d30548016741ea8d5f18bfd55c7909.png)

Even though you’re paying to have your software built for you, you need to keep in mind that this particular service usually has additional costs that aren’t directly related to the devs’ hourly rates and expertise. 

There are all these “extra costs” that can pile up dollars on your bill which you need to know about in advance in order to avoid unpleasant surprises.

For instance, some businesses will need to pay for licences for specific software that the devs will need to complete their project. Others need to think about infrastructure costs that are mostly associated with buying or renting software (e.g. servers) where the work will be done and properly tested.

Maintenance fees are also something that most people forget about. Security updates, small repairs, checkups - these are just some of the standard things that occur which most people don’t think about. Let’s not forget data migration, which often requires restructuring and reshaping the data so that it can be successfully transitioned from one system to another.

## Want to Outsource Your Software Development? We’ve Got You Covered.

At [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/), we commit to educating and supporting our clients by making their lives easier. We know cost predictability matters as much as flexibility and smart time management. This is why we have two different contract models:

- Time and Materials
- Fixed Price

In some cases, Time and Materials works better while in others - the Fixed Price model is the best choice. Read more about the differences between the two models [here](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/how-we-work).

Don’t know which to choose? No need to worry: during our exploratory meeting, we make sure to explain the benefits of both models and provide our expert recommendation so that our clients can make an educated decision about which of the type of billing they want to agree upon. We are highly professional and very transparent about the way we do our business so you can rest assured you’ll get great value for your money.

If you are interested in finding out more or you have a project in mind, please [contact us](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) today. We’re always happy to hear from you and make great things happen, together.

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Curious about what influences the price of software development? Learn more about software development costs, avoid unpleasant surprises by thinking ahead.

What Factors Influence the Cost of Software Development?

Building a top quality product is everyone’s end goal, but software developers often run into a myriad of challenges along the way. Apart from being pressured to pay close attention to the latest tech and industry trends, software developers also need to make sure that they’re becoming better organized and more efficient in their work. 

We at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) have been in the software development for a while now and our experience has taught us that proper organization and planning play a key role in the creation of outstanding software.

To ensure that everything is covered and that the creation process runs as smooth as possible, the first thing a software developer needs to have is a well-thought-out plan and a clear process in place. It’s imperative to choose the right software development methodology that will work best for your project. However, that’s often easier said than done.

There are two basic types of methodologies to choose from: agile and non-agile. As you can probably assume, these methodologies are applied in different scenarios.

In today’s article, we at Share IT will provide you with an introduction to non-agile and agile software development approaches, and explain the advantages and disadvantages of using these methodologies. If you’re someone who’s looking to outsource their software development, this article can help you understand one major segment of the DevOps lingo, as well as their way of work.

## The Basics of Agile and Non-Agile Methodologies

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/f9eed44abe794f76afbb696ac6091982.png)

Before we get into specifics and start comparing these approaches, let's first cover the basics and answer the following question:

“What are non-agile and agile software development methodologies?”

### Non-agile

Non-agile, a.k.a. the Waterfall or linear, is a traditional method for creating software. It splits the software development lifecycle (SDLC) into 6 different stages where you tackle challenges one stage at the time. You can only proceed to the next stage when the current stage is 100% done. 

These are the usual stages:

- Planning
- Requirements
- System and software design
- Implementation
- Testing
- Deployment
- Maintenance/Updates

Due to its rigid structure, most older software developers tend to call this methodology a “plan-driven process”. To successfully use the Waterfall methodology, you need to have a clear plan when certain things are done, how they are done, and of course - why they are done. The Waterfall works best for bigger teams that have clear goals, requirements, and a solid understanding of the scope of the work that needs to be done before and after the initial kick-off.

### Agile

Agile is an incremental, iterative approach to software development. Unlike the Waterfall approach that has a rigid structure and demands that you complete your product one phase at a time, agile is a lot more loose and open to changes. This methodology revolves around the idea of breaking down project requirements into smaller bits of user-functionalities, which are called “user stories”. These are then prioritized and delivered continuously in short cycles which are called “iterations”. 

Absolute customer satisfaction is always the end goal of the agile approach. This means that the focus of each iteration should be built around the idea of providing a higher quality solution for the customer. 

In order for the agile approach to actually bring results, cross-functional teams work in so-called “sprints” of 2 weeks to 2 months. The goal of every sprint is to build usable software which they can give to the customers to test. Once the customer provides feedback, the devs take the comments to mind and use them to develop a plan for the future iteration of the product. The work is organized into a backlog that is prioritized based on business or customer value.

## Agile Methodologies Provide More Flexibility...

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/de900c6ec60f4db2a9e22763aa377974.png)

As you can probably guess on your own after reading our description of both non-agile and agile methodologies, these are two quite different processes. The selection of a certain methodology depends on the project and the team that’s in charge of its development.

Unlike the Waterfall methodology which is a reliable “by the book” process filed with concrete steps and phases, agile is more about being light on your feet and moving fast, releasing usable products as often as possible, and responding to actual customer needs. Everything revolves around effective leadership, teamwork, accountability, and quick face-to-face communication. 

Working in agile means that you frequently have to pivot and go against your initial plan. That’s why making a full list of requirements and a complete SOW before starting work is often a huge waste of time. 

In agile, you learn on the go and frequently “tweak” your plan in accordance with what the business stakeholders and customers are saying. That’s why retaining as much flexibility as possible throughout the development cycle is very important in agile. 

Depending on the project and team that’s in charge of the development, this can be both an advantage and disadvantage.

Because reprioritizing tasks is a big part of agile, keeping track of all the delivery dates and making sure that the team completes everything that you agreed with a client can easily become your worst nightmare. If you’re constantly changing the priority of specific activities and adding additional sprints, it’s quite possible that certain things will be lost in the noise. Since agile is so flexible, implementing frequent iterations based on the evolving customer feedback can lead to the delivery of a significantly different product than initially agreed with the client. 

## ...But Non-Agile Methodologies Ensure Predictability

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/0a3bd2374a5c436a958a83e39e252a63.png)

With the Waterfall, things are quite different.

First of all, progress is easily measured because the full scope of the work is known in advance. Even though the management part is easier with the Waterfall approach since everything is done “by the book” based on quality documentation, this model also has its disadvantages. 

Lack of flexibility is the biggest downside of this approach. Because The Waterfall is a sequential model, you can’t bounce between phases and introduce changes whenever you want. Only when you’re truly done with a specific phase can you go back and tweak what needs to be tweaked.

Without a sufficient plan and a strong, data-driven business case, using non-agile methodologies can backfire. For example, end users might not react to the product as expected once it gets launched. If the documentation was wrong and the product turns out to be not competitive enough, the client will certainly ask for revisions and require additional work. Alas,  fixing the problem at such a late stage will require additional time and unplanned project expenses.

## Non-Agile or Agile: How to Choose the Right Methodology?

Since we made it clear that both non-agile and agile methodologies are two quite different processes that are used in different organizations for different types of products, there is a number of factors that developers consider before opting for one of these models:

- Plan and documentation
- Project scope and size
- Business environment
- The need for creativity and innovation 
- Team size and capabilities
- Available resources (costs, time frames, etc.)
- Customer desires and their availability

This might be a good time to underline the fact that none of the two methodologies is per se better than the other one. 

Generally, the agile model works better where there are a lot of uncertainties at play. Naturally, in these cases, the development approach needs to provide flexibility and enable a lot of ‘testing on the go’ in order to create a valuable product, i.e. a product which addresses the exact pain points it was intended for.

The non-agile model works well for situations where the budget is tight and so is the schedule. Here, there is not much room or need for creativity and innovation. Predictability of costs is a priority.

## At Share IT, We Make the Best of Both Agile and Non-Agile

If you’re not sure which methodology would be the best for your specific project, don’t worry: at Share IT, we use both methodologies and even combine them, depending on each individual case. 

We offer two constructional models in order to adapt to our clients’ needs and optimize the development process so that it is as efficient as possible. Since every business is unique, our consultants can help you figure out whether Time & Materials of Fixed Price is the better model for your project. See our comparison table [here](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/how-we-work).

Share IT developers use both agile (Scrum, Kanban, Scrumban) and non-agile (Waterfall) processes that bring the best results and ensure that you get the best value for your money. 

Are you ready to talk about your project? [Contact us today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us), we’re always happy to hear from you.  


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What is the difference between agile and non-agile methodologies? Which to choose for your software development project? Find out on Share IT’s blog.

Non-Agile vs. Agile Methodologies: What’s the Difference?

As we promised, we are going to continue with our SharePoint series. In case you’ve just discovered [our blog](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog), we at Share IT are big fans of SharePoint. If you take a closer look at our content, you will see that we have already covered lots of SharePoint-related topics.

We wrote about the [benefits that SharePoint brings to businesses across multiple industries](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-benefits-across-different-industries), we [compared the platform with similar tools](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-basics), discussed [specific features](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-templates), and even created a [beginner’s guide](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-basics) that can help newbies understand the basics of SharePoint.

The reason why we write so much about this specific product is simple: we believe that SharePoint is an extremely powerful and highly-customizable web-based collaborative software that has no true rival on the market. 

As a software development company that usually creates software and apps for enterprise-level companies that are in need of better document organization and process optimization, our experience has shown that SharePoint is the perfect ally for this sort of work.

Of course, like any other pieces of software, Microsoft’s SharePoint has its good sides and bad sides. Yes, SharePoint is a highly-customizable piece of software, but it can be quite difficult to setup and maintain if you’re not sure what you’re doing. Things get messy really fast and the maintenance part can easily become a total nightmare.

Luckily, SharePoint pros stick together like white on rice, and even the most inexperienced developers can get their hands all the knowledge they need by accessing SharePoint PnP.

## What is SharePoint PnP?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/3deb5cf164d248baaa93b2d839d60f6f.png)

SharePoint PnP (Pattern & Practices) is best described as an initiative that includes samples and guidance on how to transform your full trust code solutions to the add-in model. 

In layman’s terms, SharePoint PnP can be interpreted as a community open source project that is runned by SharePoint engineers who do their best to develop valuable SharePoint documentation, store samples and lines of code which their fellow SharePoint enthusiasts can use to build their own custom solutions.

Even though the PnP initiative is coordinated and owned by SharePoint engineering, the work itself happens with the community members. Without the community reaching out, this wouldn’t make any sense. Everything is open-source and available for use. In addition, SharePoint developers are encouraged to [report issues](https://github.com/SharePoint/sp-dev-docs/issues) regarding APIs, documentation, or anything else. With so many expert eyes, the chances of missing something are at minimum.

Under PnP, there is a:

- [Blog](https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/office/blogs/) where SharePoint developers share all the latest news and tricks
- [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_mKdhw-V6CeCM7gTo_Iy7w) where SharePoint engineers share guides and training videos
- [Official Twitter account](https://twitter.com/officedev) where you can reach out to engineers and talk about SharePoint and Office 365 related topics from a technical aspect
- [Official Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/OfficeDev/) that serves the same purpose as the Twitter page
- [Official Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/OfficeDevPnP/) (yes, a second one) for the community to discuss SharePoint and Office 365
- [SharePoint organization](https://github.com/SharePoint) and PnP [community GitHub](https://github.com/PnP) where developers can easily access open-source projects and reuse them for their own personal needs.

## Why is SharePoint PnP an Important Initiative?

The community of developers is typically very open to sharing lessons, tips, and tricks with the world. This type of knowledge transfer matters because it helps the industry move forward. When communication and collaboration is enabled, each individual professional gets the support they need.

Especially when it comes to complex projects, developers might invest a lot of time on building something from scratch. However, if the foundation of the project is not properly set, they might need to start all over again.

SharePoint PnP prevents this from happening. It’s like a live encyclopedia that is continuously updated with new findings and case scenarios, so you can always turn to it and consult with the expert contributors.

More importantly, SharePoint PnP functions like a well-managed knowledge base. Namely, the core team works closely with Microsoft and ensures none of the offered code improvements and solutions are flawed or insufficient. This is how each member can rest assured they are getting access to the refined, authentic, and practical SharePoint knowledge.

Plus, the community commits to providing a welcoming and useful environment for all and it functions under the [Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct](https://opensource.microsoft.com/codeofconduct/).    

## What Are Some Examples of Ways SharePoint PnP Can Help?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/e1a0ba74b5e5433199933b77b6a2a6bf.png)

Anyone who’s in development knows how the cookie crumbles: as you develop new projects, you will encounter situations you’ve already dealt with, and you’ll definitely find yourself facing completely new challenges. This is also true for SharePoint and Office 365,

The good news? You can save your time and energy by browsing through solutions in the git repositories. For example, if you want to introduce automatic deployment into stages of app development, there are ready-to-use solutions available thanks to the SharePoint PnP community. If you need to build custom solutions for your customer using SPFx, you can find helpful resources in a jiffy. 

The SharePoint PnP team has also created a simplified javascript library called SharePoint PnP.js. This library is useful for both beginners and advanced developers and it requires a lot less coding compared to traditional JSOM and REST API. For instance, you can use it to create lists, accounts, libraries, etc.

## How Does Microsoft Inspire Knowledge Sharing? In What Way Does the Company Benefit From This?

By getting people to share their learnings and contribute to GitHub repositories, Microsoft has cleverly decreased support costs, and increased customer satisfaction and retention rates. Since people can frequently talk to each other and selflessly share their best work with one another, it's safe to assume that they will have a much better understanding of SharePoint than some other product that doesn’t have such a knowledge-sharing culture built around it. 

All the bugs are fixed by people who don’t have the time or will to wait for someone else and come do the job for them. The content is also user-generated. Plus, Microsoft has multiple active places where they can closely follow customer feedback and learn from their actual customers how to make their product even better. 

In addition to all this, when you have such an engaged community - it takes you a lot less money to market a new product because you already have your potential buyers grouped in a single place where they’re basically waiting to hear from you. 

## How Can You Contribute to SharePoint PnP?

You can contribute to SharePoint PnP by creating new samples, fixing bugs in existing code, and updating documentation. If you want to fix bugs and create new samples, select a GitHub repository, look at the “issues” options, and try to tackle one that you think you can manage.

The typical way if tackling an issue in GitHub is to fork the repo, make your changes (in a preset environment), and then send it back via a pull request. Simple, right?

If you don’t know how to setup your environment, follow [this instruction](https://github.com/SharePoint/PnP/wiki/Setting-up-your-environment). 

The document contribution works a bit differently. First, you need to visit docs.microsoft.com.  In order to add or change documentation you need to alter the source code of a cmdlet. If you want to modify documentation or add an example of a cmdlet, navigate to the corresponding class where the cmdlet is being implemented and add the comments there. You can find a more detailed explanation [here](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/contribute/).


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SharePoint PnP is like a live encyclopedia for devs that is continuously updated with new findings and case scenarios. Here’s what you need to know about it.

The ABCs of SharePoint PnP (Practices and Patterns)

As you are probably aware if you've been paying attention to [our blog](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog), we at Share IT absolutely ADORE SharePoint. We think that SharePoint is an amazing piece of software that can be extremely powerful in the right hands. This highly customizable web-based collaborative platform that integrates with Microsoft Office has proven to be quite useful for a great number of enterprise-level companies who are in need of optimizing complex processes and conveniently and securely distributing specific sets of data across multiple sectors.  

During these last twelve months, we wrote a decent number of articles on our blog about SharePoint and its many benefits and functionalities. We wrote about why enterprise-level businesses should consider using this platform, we shared [use cases](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-benefits-across-different-industries), [tutorials](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-templates), [comparisons](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-vs-onedrive) with similar tools, [beginner’s guides](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-basics)… Oh, the works.

Today, we would like to write about SharePoint from a different perspective. Developer’s perspective, to be exact. In this particular article, we would like to get into detail about SharePoint customization and introduce to you SPFx.

## What is SPFx?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/0f9e155dcc5440a5b724847e8dac74bd.png)

By definition, SPFx (short for SharePoint Framework) is a “page and web part model that provides full support for client-side SharePoint development, easy integration with SharePoint data, and support for open source tooling”. 

At least that’s how Microsoft describes it. 

In layman’s terms, SharePoint Framework is basically a model where developers can access deeper levels of SharePoint customization. This model can be used on literally any JavaScript platform where developers can change more complex parts of SharePoint to make it a better fit for the client they’re working for. 

The SharePoint Framework was built with the intention to revolutionize how developers work with SP. As you know if you’ve been messing with SharePoint for a while, working on a SP project is never as easy as it should be. The platform has been changing for years now, we’ve been getting newer versions, and all of them demanded a different approach. Most of us still remember the days when we used to build Script Web Editors to customize DOMs on older SharePoint websites, but then reality reared its ugly head and we learned that this specific approach was not going to work for “non-scripted” websites.

The horror. Luckily, those days are long gone and we have SPFx to look forward to.

## The Benefits of Using SPFx

As mentioned above, one of the biggest benefits here is that developers can work in a preferred environment. This model can be used on literally any JavaScript platform. One where they feel most comfortable. They can use currently popular web tech and utilities to build and customize elements of modern SharePoint pages, and create apps that take in mind the latest mobile standards (from the beginning). 

Here’s a list of benefits that both Microsoft and senior SharePoint developers find to be extremely good about SPFx:

- Total absence of iframes. SPFx operates in the user’s browser 
- SPFx enables faster rendering in the browser and normal page DOM
- All the controls are responsive and they are rendered in the normal DOM
- In addition to renders and configuration changes, devs can access the lifecycle of all other  SharePoint Framework components
- SPFx is framework agnostic. You can use any framework that you like. React, Angular, Knockout - anything goes
- SPFx allows the use of open source development tools like npm, TypeScript, Yeoman, webpack and Gulp
- SPFx works with both classic pages and modern SharePoint pages
- Development in SPFx is safe and secure
- Controlled visibility - with SPFx, devs can give viewing option to the webpart in the App Catalog of the site contents to anyone they like
- Earlier knowledge of CSOM comes in handy here - the data models are not changed and everything is completely transferable
- SPFx supports mobile views of SharePoint Online sites

Pretty sweet, right?

## How to Setup the SPFx Environment?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/e8271162a34d439a811daeee17cda154.png)

There are two main ways for setting up the SPFx environment: 

you can 1.) use a [Virtual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/); 2.) build your own custom development environment. 

It’s up to you.

If you decide to go with the custom option, you need to start by installing the latest LTS version from [NodeJS](https://nodejs.org/en/) and then a prefered code editor. Virtual Studio Code, Atom, Webstorm - pick the one you like the most.

To help you start with setting up new projects and web parts, install the [Yeoman](https://yeoman.io/authoring/) and gulp. Then install the Yeoman generator. The generator comes with common tools, common boilerplate code, and a common playground website to host web parts. You can use all of that to create projects and test everything that you make. 

After that comes updating your NPM packages.

Next, you should install a web browser like Chrome or Firefox where you can actually do some work.

Before we proceed, it’s important to mention that SPFx uses HTTPS by default. This means that self-signed SSL certificates will not be trusted in your development environment. In order to trust a certain certificate, it's mandatory that you first develop an actual environment.

The last two steps are all about selecting the right optional tools and understanding how the SharePoint Server 2016 works. As far as optional tools are concerned, people usually stick with Fiddler and Postman. And as for the server side of the story - it’s important to know that SPFx works with SharePoint Server 2016 which has a slight problem with NodeJS, HTTP, and HTTPS. You can read more about this particular issue [here](https://github.com/SharePoint/sp-dev-docs/issues/1002). 

All in all, as you can see from everything written above, SPFx is a great model that’s not that difficult to set up. If this explanation wasn’t clear enough for you, you can also watch this step-by-video that Microsoft created and published on their YouTube channel:

[Video Tutorial For Setting SPFx Environment](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7vLIrm2XKY&feature=emb_title)
[Video Tutorial For Setting SPFx Environment (updated tutorial)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2-jWsEa2Yw&list=PLR9nK3mnD-OXvSWvS2zglCzz4iplhVrKq)

## Over to You

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Our goal here was to introduce SPFx to everyone who is interested in learning more about SharePoint development. As you can see from everything written above, SPFx is a great solution that enables you to easily jump into the world SharePoint development and customization. It helps you create great web parts and apps within favorable JavaScript environments.

In the future, we plan to create a guide on how to build projects in SPFx, so if you have any questions about everything we wrote here - feel free to shoot us an email at [contact@shareit.rs](mailto:contact@shareit.rs). In case you want to inquire about a specific project, contact us using the same email address.

prva (4).png

Thinking about using SharePoint Frameworks for your future SharePoint development efforts? - Here’s what you need to know about this model.

Introducing Sharepoint Framework (SPFx) and How to Set it Up

Every modern enterprise-level business uses software to store and utilize data, set and optimize processes, and accomplish a wide variety of different tasks across all verticals of the organization. Since most of these businesses have specific needs and organizations, there is no one-size-fits-all solution on the market that works great for everyone. In most cases, big companies can’t really rely on existing solutions.

Companies often need solutions that are tailored to their specific needs and desires. In other cases, they might want to launch a new product (e.g. some kind of app), but they cannot really afford to let their in-house team handle it.

Since software development tends to be a long and laborious process that requires a certain level of expertise, a dedicated team of developers and managers that cost a lot of money, most enterprise-level businesses tend to outsource their software development needs. 

Renowned companies such as Google, WhatsApp, Skype, Basecamp, and Slack are known to outsource some of their software development. Here’s why you might want to consider this option, too.

## Outsourcing Software Development = Expertise + Saving Money

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/0d94532edfc748778590b5a7b89baab4.png)

If you choose the right company for software development, you can expect a perfect mixture of expertise and cost efficiency as their team of professionals brings your product or IT solution to life. Outsourcing software development can help you reduce operational costs by 30-60%, which is quite a figure. By minimizing expenses, you can organize your budget more effectively and ensure all business sectors stay on the right track.

Here are the main benefits of partially or completely outsourcing software development, money-wise:

- Reduce workload and overhead expenses (e.g. you can lessen the burden of some particular tasks on your in-house team and outsource them, or you can outsource the entire development and eliminate expenses such as taxes, employee healthcare, onboarding, IT equipment, etc.)

- Forget about wasting time and money on recruitment (outsource to proven IT experts directly)

- Eliminate the issue of talent shortage and get access to dedicated software development teams

- Prioritize tools and technologies you need in-house and let the outsourcing company cover the rest (i.e. the outsourcing team will be responsible for providing everything that’s needed for the project) 

- No need to invest extra in infrastructure (usually the outsourcing company takes care of new infrastructure needs and they are bind to do so with an SLA agreement)

Now that we’ve covered most of the financial reasons why outsourcing software could be a good idea, let’s take a closer look at how it can help you manage your resources better. 

## Improve Your Resource Management

For smaller companies, not having enough talented developers on their payroll is one of the main reasons why they outsource their software development. For bigger brands, the story is a bit different - it all revolves around maintaining a healthy balance between projects and making sure that their top talent is where they need it the most.

Even though companies like Basecamp, Slack, and Skype have their own teams of developers, they still frequently outsource their software development needs for these specific reasons.

Organizations of that size and magnitude need to pay extra attention to resource management. Their engineers have a lot on their plate. They are tasked with important activities and projects on a regular basis, so it’s not really smart to drown them in extra work; especially if that extra work doesn’t really require their skill level.

It’s always a good idea to map out what skills you are missing in-house so that you can outsource them.

By outsourcing bits of work that don’t really take centre stage (at least not just yet), above-mentioned brands enable their top talent to focus on strengthening core processes that take their main products forward and let outsourcing companies develop all the smaller things that support their crown jewels. 

## Get to the Market Faster

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/205705b77ced4f78b399b5a737c9b8e1.png)

Regardless in which industry you operate, we are pretty sure that speed is something that is used to leverage competitive advantage. By outsourcing software, companies are able to develop their project faster. They are actually able to dictate the timelines in accordance with their desired schedules. 

They can set dates that work for them and then it’s up to the outsourcing company to figure out how to make them. Of course, this is only possible if the outsourcing company finds the client’s demands and deadlines reachable. 

But it’s not just about launching a new product faster. It’s also about saving time in the process. 

When you hire an outsourcing software development company, you get access to a highly profiled, skilled team that works like a well-oiled machine. Since you’re not developing the project in-house, they are the ones who ensure that all bugs and modifications are taken care of. No matter what type of software we are talking about, it needs to be properly monitored and maintained.

With the in-house team, you need managers that guide the project. With external experts, you get to focus on the business growth and figure out the product launch strategy while someone else actually builds that product for you. Isn’t that peachy?

## Be Aware of the Possible Hiccups

Of course, just because outsourcing software development has so many benefits - it doesn’t mean that it always implies only smooth sailing.

It’s very important to be clear on what you need and to respect the process the outsourcing company has set for the best results. This means you need to have a thorough project specification ready.

Still, since we are talking about remote development, you need to prepare yourself that there might be:

- Misunderstandings and poor communication
- Issues with time zones and other challenges posed by distanted locations
- Methodologies that you are not quite used to, but in which you’ll need to participate in
- Ad hoc meetings that you’ll need to attend in order to immediately approve changes

Sure, the terms of collaboration and responsibilities are defined in the contract, but to avoid unpleasant surprises - you should always look for outsourcing software development companies that have established procedures and models that ensure you enjoy flexibility and get the best value for your money. See how we at Share IT provide exactly that to our clients [here](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/how-we-work).  

## Minimize Risks, Improve Security

[Cybersecurity is a big deal](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/enterprise-security-threats), especially for enterprise-level companies. Everybody knows that there is no 100% guarantee that your data and system will be completely protected, but it sure does help when you hire developers that are well skilled in the security department.

If you choose to outsource your software development to a reputable company, you can rest assured they will give you optimal protection when it comes to data breaches, as well as detecting and handling system vulnerabilities. Experienced developers follow strict security protocols and procedures so that all the sensitive data and written code stay safely protected.

Of course, the outsourcing company you choose must prove that its facility and personnel match industry standards when it comes to security, as well as disclose capabilities to protect information assets.

Before signing the SLA agreement, make sure to ask your outsourcing partner about security policies which are in place, standards (e.g. ISO 27001), work environment protection, antiviruses, malware protections, etc.

## Over to You  

Outsourcing software development is a common business practice for a reason, but as you can see from everything written above - it’s all about trusting your chosen partner and being prepared for possible hiccups. However, the benefits outweigh the cons for sure, especially when it comes to scalability and cost efficiency. 

So, are you in need of software development outsourcing? [Reach out to Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) today and we can discuss the details.

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Thinking about outsourcing your software development needs to a company that specializes in that kind of work? - Here’s what you need to know.

What You Need to Know About Outsourcing Software Development

The enterprise resource planning software, a.k.a. ERP is a term used to describe a system that integrates various applications with a goal of automating different company departments and operations into a single database. 

The flow of data which the ERP enables helps organizations increase productivity, eliminate data duplication, and provide an additional layer of data integrity within the company.

In 2020, a lot of businesses are familiar with this term and what it stands for; especially enterprise-level businesses that want to eliminate manual procedures and legacy applications from day-to-day work operations.

According to [Computer Weekly’s latest study](https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252434184/IT-Priorities-2018-Where-senior-IT-managers-plan-to-spend-their-budget), ERP and CRM are considered to be the strongest business applications money can buy. More than 50% of business professionals who participated in this study have named these two systems as “priority investments”. 

Those who didn’t put ERP on their priority list are still afraid of financial losses. More specifically, they fear that the frequent technological changes would make their investment in such a system a waste of resources. Many senior IT business professionals are still skeptics who often find themselves in positions where they have to think about all the possible pros and cons when it comes to investing in complex and expensive software that’s tailored to their real business needs.

That’s why we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) have decided to write an article on this subject and explain the difference between main types of ERPs and how to choose the best option for your business.

## Types of ERP

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/31b3777e54a8458a88f5192c0046c939.png)

Before we dig into the details, let us first cover the basics. 

There two types of ERP software:


- **Off-the-shelf**

These are predeveloped systems that cover the main requirements most companies within your sector share. They are built on assumptions and needs of businesses (similar to yours) that were willing to find a model that suits their needs. Typically, off-the-shelf ERPs are easy to implement because they are specifically built for existing systems. But let’s get back to that a bit later….

- **Custom ERP software**

As you can probably guess, these types of systems are tailor-made for companies who pay for their development. A programmer designs the ERP system in accordance with what the client wants the software to be able to do. This means that the company in question doesn’t need to make any huge compromises, which may not be the case with the off-the-shelf solutions.

Most businesses find it difficult to figure out which of the solutions is right for them.

In most scenarios, pre-packaged ERP solutions are cost-effective and efficient. However, there are also many organizations out there that have specific requirements that these pre-packaged solutions don’t really meet. That’s why, when deciding which ERP software to adopt, it’s of crucial importance to really do your homework and look for the most reliable solution out there that will definitely prove to be functional for your specific organization.

In theory, off-the-shelf solution is meant to be cheaper than a custom one, but things aren’t always that simple. Let’s explore both of these options and point out what it means opting in for each one, shall we?

## Opting for an Off-the-shelf vs. Opting for the Custom ERP

The main differences between these two options boil down to user requirements and the complexity that comes with implementing an existing system in your organization. Off-the-shelf ERPs are not really flexible. They demand that you reorganize your entire workflow to fit the software. This means that the adoption phase can be rather painful since every business operates in a unique way.

Making changes to off-the-shelf ERP often tends to eat up A LOT of resources. It requires a lot of work that costs a lot of cash and time. Sure, you can always start small and then add the essential layers as you go. Working on your ERP every now and then is possible, but you need to be sure that you can actually afford to make frequent changes without bringing huge disruption to your day-to-day operations. Plus, it’s likely you’ll have to compromise, just like we mentioned in the previous segment. Maybe you won’t end up with tools and processes that you initially wanted to have.

In contrast to the off-the-shelf ERP where you have to make changes within your organization to successfully implement the system, the custom ERP software is designed according to your own measures. It’s there to complement your organization - not to change it. And that is a huge advantage of this type of solution.

Apart from the obvious benefits, one of the biggest pros when it comes to investing in a custom ERP is directly related to the training of the company’s staff. You won’t have to allocate a lot of resources to getting people to accept the new system and figure out how to make it work.

However, custom ERPs come with their own risks. To build a future-proof system that will serve all your unique needs, you need to make sure that you hire the right developers for such a job. You need people who are masters of their craft and who have LOADS of experience creating such systems. Naturally, this can cost you a pretty penny and it can be difficult to handle, especially if you frequently change your mind when it comes to what you want the devs to build for you.

## The Case for Custom ERPs

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/5fc8ca50842f42bfbfef51e50c19e8f7.png)

The trick with creating great custom ERP is to have a rock-solid plan and to stick to it. It’s easy to get lost in all the possibilities, but if you map out your need properly and commit to the back-and-forth communication with developers - you can end up with a system that will give you everything you need, without costing you an arm and a leg.

There are numerous companies that have found great success with a custom ERP. One of them is Tesla. After carefully going through all the pros and cons, Tesla decided to go with a custom ERP solution instead of the predeveloped one that would force them to change the way they run their business.

As [Mendix](https://www.mendix.com/blog/tesla-cio-builds-erp-house-4-months-says-time-erp-upgrades/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Does) pointed out in their article, Tesla’s CIO, Jay Vijayan, did the math and figured out that the SAP implementation would cost the company literally millions of dollars. In addition to that, it would take them more than 12 months to meet all the necessary requirements to successfully integrate SAP in their system. 

Knowing this, Tesla decided to roll the dice and proceed with a custom solution. As the above-linked Mendix article points out, it took Tesla around 4 months to build a custom ERP with everything they needed. Apart from saving a lot of time and other resources on adapting their entire organization to the new system, the custom ERP gave Tesla independence from a third-party vendor and provided them with everything they needed to fully elevate their existing business setup. 

Of course, Tesla is just one of many companies that have successfully invested in the development of a custom ERP. Gas, oil, manufacturing, education - these are just a couple of industries where custom ERP systems have proven to be very efficient. 

The cost of developing a custom ERP system depends on what you actually need. It depends on the complexity, functionality, and number of users you plan to have in your system. When it comes to cost, custom ERPs usually go somewhere between 25.000 to 75.000 dollars. Of course, as said before, the price varies depending on how big and complex the project is.

## Over to You

As you can see, there are pros and cons of both off-the-shelf ERP software solutions and custom ones. The right solution for your company depends on a variety of factors. Just like with making any other business decision, the one concerning your company’s IT has to be backed with accurate information. This usually implies doing a total cost analysis, prioritizing, and sorting out your budget. And of course, the end goal is always the same: to pay as little as possible and reap the most benefits.

If you’re thinking about updating your ERP or investing in a custom-made solution, [reach out to us](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) for a consultation. At Share IT, we’re always happy to support you in making the best possible decision for your business.**bold text**

custom.png

Are custom ERP software really worth the hype? Read more about the key differences between off-the-shelf ERP solutions and custom ones on Share IT’s blog.

Does Your Company Really Need Custom ERP Software?

As enterprises become more and more dependent on different technological solutions to properly function and keep everything afloat, cybersecurity increases in importance. 

While technology helps us automate mundane processes and resolve complex issues in a matter of seconds, it also exposes our business to new risks. Like everything else that has a connection to technology, cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated.

Even though most companies now invest a great deal of money in data protection and training their employees how to securely handle their work-related software and information, cyber criminals still find ways to exploit all weaknesses they can find. This can lead to serious economic and information losses, and bring damage to customers, providers, users; not to mention the company’s reputation.

The sad truth is that for enterprise-level brands - it’s only a matter of time when someone will try to breach their security and steal their data.

The biggest downside here is that you can never really know when a cyberattack is going to take place. Security risks come in all shapes and sizes. It’s almost impossible to locate every single vulnerability in your network and fix it before someone takes advantage of it. 

However, it’s not all as grim as it sounds. To stay on top of your security game, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) believe that the best defence strategy is to figure out your enemy before it strikes.

In the following segments of this article, we are going to introduce you to 5 common cybersecurity threats and explore how to avoid them.

## 1. Phishing

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/88707ecae5b54b98a4f397683a861c49.png)

It may seem that [phishing](https://www.csoonline.com/article/2117843/what-is-phishing-how-this-cyber-attack-works-and-how-to-prevent-it.html) isn’t much of a threat for enterprise-level companies, but that’s exactly what makes it an extremely sneaky hacking tactic. Precisely because corporations are so hard to attack on a higher level, hackers choose to target individual employees and trick them into wiring money. Since business operations inside such big organizations are numerous and everything is rather fast paced, these things tend to slip through the management’s eyes.

If you think you personally are too smart to get tricked, think again. Let us remind you of May 2017 and the infamous [massive phishing attack that targeted millions of Gmail users](https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/04/gmail-google-hack-phishing-attack.html). The worm came to the user’s inbox, posed as a trustworthy contact, and asked the recipient to check the attached Google doc. Once the user clicked on the link, they were redirected to a Google security page.

Well, at least it seemed like a Google security page.

Maliciously designed to look extremely authentic, this page asked for personal information in order for the user to proceed. Some fell for it, while others hit the back button and saved themselves a lot of trouble.

As you can see, this type of cyber attacks have become very sophisticated and therefore - hard to detect. The end goal of these attacks is most commonly identity theft or money extortion.

To protect yourself, always think twice before clicking and use multi-authentication option to secure your online accounts.

## 2. CEO Spoofing

Similar to phishing, a spoofing attack implies someone pretending to be someone else, usually in email or text communication. The goal of cyber criminals using this tactic is to gain the recipient’s confidence, get access to the company’s system, steal data, spread malware, and/or trick individuals to wiring money. 

When it comes to enterprise-level companies, it’s usually CEO spoofing we’re talking about. Hackers target C-level executives that have decision-making power and can easily order money transfers without many questions asked. A common tactic for hackers is to follow the company closely over social media and company’s official announcements, and keep their eyes open for events such as conferences outside of the country or some other important happenings that require CEO’s presence. As you can see, these criminals are not only crafty in the tech department, but they also commit to research.

Hackers might pose as CEOs and reach out to the specific employee to ask for a huge amount of money to be transferred ASAP because of a great business opportunity such as urgent acquisition or some unexpected expenses.

Think you would definitely recognize this type of attack? Well, in 2016, a drug company called [Upsher Smith Laboratories lost around $50 million](https://www.fox9.com/news/ceo-spoofing-costs-drug-company-50-million) because of CEO spoofing. Scary stuff. 

To protect themselves from such terrifying scenarios, enterprises usually introduce multilevel verification procedures when it comes to money transfers. 

## 3. Malware

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/23ebb5fa35ee499396cf0538b1f0e601.png)

Malware, a.k.a malicious software, is a term used to describe any type of computer software with malicious intent. 

Malware is quite tricky because it can be extremely hard to detect. There are many types of malware (e.g. trojans, worms, backdoors), but “adaptive malware” is probably the most common and most dangerous type that enterprise-level companies have to deal with.

This specific type of malware has the ability to shapeshift and hides itself from those who seek to remove it. It uses encryptions and other methods to hide its code, which makes it a total nightmare.

There are many different things you can do to save yourself from this type of problem. You can, for example, use multiple anti-malware software and anti-viruses to keep you safe. You can also try email spam filter and other popular forms of endpoint security measures. This may be expensive, but in the long run - it’s a smart investment. 

Another great way to prevent malware from entering and corrupting your system is to frequently update your cybersecurity systems, block suspicious websites, and train employees how to safely handle company data and software. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many different things you can do to prevent malware, but that’s a topic worthy of a separate blog post.

## 4. Ransomware

Ransomware is another serious cybersecurity threat for enterprises. The perpetrator hacks their way to a company’s network. After they gain access, they place ransomware which infects an endpoint, server, or database, and then encrypts it. One digital asset or several ones at the same time may get affected.

Once the company is restricted from accessing vital data, the hacker asks for a ransom in order to safely return all the data to the rightful owner. They might threaten to delete the data or breach the sensitive third-party data if they don’t receive the money in a timely manner.

Sounds like it’s a part of a James Bond movie, but it is very much real. 

To make things worse, ransomware is constantly evolving. In November 2019, a [new ransomware that attacks enterprise servers](https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-unusual-new-ransomware-is-going-after-servers/) has been detected. It has been named PureLocker because it’s written in the PureBasic programming language. This is quite unusual, but it’s suspected that hackers deliberately used this language since it makes it harder for security vendors to generate reliable detection signatures for malware written in PureBasic. 

In most cases, enterprises choose to invest in safe backup solutions so that they can easily bounce back in case they become victims of ransomware. When data is duplicated and safely stored in the cloud or some other secured on-premise location, all the business operations can continue freely even if every single part of data vanishes in an unfortunate ransomware event. 

Most commonly, ransomware happens due to system vulnerabilities, which leads us to the last segment of this article: the fifth cybersecurity threat enterprises face.

## 5. Infrastructure Vulnerabilities

Infrastructure vulnerabilities are the source of most tech security issues and successful hacks that happen to your system. Even though they might seem unimportant, these low-level threats are often able to create a lot of serious havoc. That’s why you need to frequent test them and eliminate all minor issues before they transform into major problems. 

When testing the security of your network infrastructure, you should always look at the following:

- Firewalls and IPS, and where they’re placed in your network and how they’re configured
- What hackers see when they scan your ports
- What can they exploit when it comes to your host
- Network design: Internet connections, remote access capabilities, layered defenses, host’s placement in the network, etc.
- What protocols are in use
- Commonly attacked ports that are unprotected
- Network host configuration
- Network monitoring and maintenance 

## Need Someone to Help You With Enterprise Software Development?

As we mentioned above, there is no 100% guarantee that your data and system will stay protected from every cybercriminal out there. No software provider can claim that given the fact that new hacking methods are born every day.

This is why proactivity, education, and investment in advance security measures are the best and most responsible actions any management in enterprise-level companies can take.

At Share IT, we combine our expertise and vast knowledge of industry’s best cybersecurity practices to create customized software for our enterprise clients. There is a good reason why we choose to work with renowned Microsoft products. We develop apps either on-premise or in [Microsoft Azure](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/Top-Business-Benefits-of-Microsoft-Azure), which is by far the most secure cloud environment. 

We can take care of software development that will support your business operations and help you overcome challenges, so that you can thrive and focus on more important things. If you’re in need of such services, [contact us](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) today.


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Are you interested in learning how to save your business from the most common cyber security threats? Read Share IT’s latest blog post.

5 Common Enterprise Cybersecurity Threats

When it comes to acquiring talent, IT can easily turn into a real war zone. Modern IT companies agree that people are their most valuable assets, so they spare no expense when it comes to provoking interest from the industry’s top talent. 

Since “good salary” has basically become the norm in IT, companies are forced to think outside of the box and come up with different tactics to attract talented professionals.

According to numerous researches and surveys, perks and benefits make all the difference now in IT. As [Zoro’s latest study](https://www.zoro.com/resourcehub/what-office-perks-and-benefits-do-employees-want-most/) claims, 72% of employees said having more work benefits would increase their job satisfaction. This is also true with temporary workers. Most of them look at the benefits and perks the company has to offer before determining whether they are going to stay with that company after their probation period is finished. 

With that in mind, IT companies have started to take the whole ‘perks and benefits’ thing quite seriously. Foosball tables, fridges full of craft beer, snacks, board games, lazy bags, PS4, Xbox, darts - these are just some of the more common things you can find in most modern IT companies that they advertise as ‘perks and benefits’ to potential new hires.

However, if you really sit down and think about it, most of these things don’t make employees’ lives fundamentally better in any way.

In the following segments of this article, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) are going to take a deeper dive into the whole company perks and benefits concept.

## Are Perks and Benefits Synonyms?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/3744de2b5f3946e3a25ea7dc5f413c52.png)

No, they’re not.

Before we start talking about perks and benefits in greater detail, let us first set the record straight and explain what these two things actually mean.

Benefits, for instance, are non-wage compensations that supplement an employee’s salary. They usually come in the form of private health insurance, pre-tax transit assistance, stock options, etc.

Perks, on the other hand, are usually these little things that help the employees perform better at their job. More traditional perks at work may include a company car discount travel fares, a free gym membership, various games at the office, free drinks, etc. 

It’s not hard to see that benefits are more important than perks for employees.

Benefits actually affect the quality of employees’ lives, while perks are like these little extra things that companies offer so to seem desirable on the market. Their primary function is to paint a clear picture of a rich company culture in which the employees really do come first.

However, choosing which perks to incorporate in your company is a delicate process. What you may personally see as perks, other people might view differently. They might even see your perks as unnecessary distractions or as something that’s not a perk anymore but a norm for companies doing business in the 21st century.

Let’s take a look at some of the popular perks and analyze their value for employees.

## Frequent Team-Building Events

A lot of IT companies now try to establish a culture where people feel close to each other and hang out together, in and outside of the company walls. In order to ensure a healthy work atmosphere and encourage people to bond, companies tend to host frequent team-building events where they get everyone together over drinks or organize various different activities.

However, in order for this to work, you need to be perfectly sure that your employees actually want to hang out together. The events you’re hosting have to be in line with the employees’ interests. 

Forcing too many team-building events can quickly become a problem if your people don’t feel like socializing and bonding. For a company that employees a lot of people who have kids, frequent team-building events are probably not a perk that will make their lives any easier. 

They probably prefer coming home and spending time with their young ones, instead of binge-drinking with their colleagues. For people with kids and big families, the option to work remotely whenever they need to is a far bigger perk than frequent team-building events.

Of course, it all depends on your employees. Instead of resorting to the “one-size-fits-all” mentality, you should communicate with your team and ask them what they want.

## Game Rooms

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/143f2c82d19f4aca97a2164e3e630cea.png)

Popularized by leading Silicon Valley employers like Google and Apple, game rooms have slowly made their way into almost every other IT company. Since this idea has worked so well for the two mentioned tech giants, most smaller brands now believe that game rooms are the perfect solution for boosting employee engagement and attracting potential talent to join their ranks.

The logic behind this sort of way of thinking is sound. Game rooms often look incredibly cool on photos and they offer employees a chance to quickly blow some steam whenever they need to.

But, let’s take a closer and objective look at this perk.  

Even though everyone enjoys to take a break and unwind a little, game rooms are just a little perk. Nobody really decided to work for a company just because it has a foosball table, a pinball machine, or a PlayStation with all the latest games. 

Sure, all of these things are nice to have and they will make your company more appealing - but they won’t really drive potential hires closer to you.

When looking for a job, people usually focus on things like flexibility, health-care, vacation days, learning opportunities and professional development, and parental policy. These are the factors that directly influence the employees’ quality of life. 

## Gym Memberships

Staying healthy and physically active is important, which is why most companies now offer free gym memberships to their employees. In addition, exercising on a regular basis helps people lower stress levels, get better sleep, and take care of their mental health as well.

Employers know that, in the long run - a healthy worker is a happy and productive worker.

Undoubtedly, offering gym memberships is a good way to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles, but it’s not really [something that will make them choose one company](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/reasons-to-join-share-it) over another. The truth is, wages in IT are pretty good, which means that people can afford to cover fitness expenses with ease. 

Still, many companies list gym memberships as one of their benefits. To make a clear distinction: having health insurance and a reasonable amount of sick or mental health personal days would count as significant benefits, but gym membership is just one of the perks that promote the culture of wellness. 

## Closing Words

Thank you for taking the time to read our latest blog post. As you can see from everything written above, there is a clear difference between benefits and perks and how they affect your company’s image on the job market.

Even though it’s easy to get lost in the hype and blindly follow what big Silicon Valley companies do to get people to join their ranks, it’s important to remember that developing a desirable company image is never a simple copy-paste process.

To make your company more attractive on the job market, you need to understand the people who you’re thinking about hiring and benefits you could offer them to actually make their lives easier and better.

Sure, we are all attracted by flashy things, but what we really need is an environment that supports our personal and professional growth, and helps us easily carry out our personal and work-related activities.

This is the philosophy we at Share IT proudly stand behind. We offer our employees the needed flexibility, mentorship from those who have more experience, support to master new skills, and freedom to spend their free time as they wish. Sure, we have foosball and like going for drinks together. In the end, listening to people you work with and employ is the key to [designing perks and benefits they need and expect](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/work-life-balance).

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In this article, we at Share It are going to take a closer look at some of the popular perks and benefits and analyze their value for employees.

Benefits That IT Companies Offer That Are Actually Just Perks

The year of 2019 is behind us, which makes a good opportunity to review what we’ve accomplished so far, but more importantly - to explore what lies ahead.

As you may know, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) are specialized in creating **custom enterprise software solutions**. Aside from our expertise and continuous professional development, working closely with our clients is what helps us to better understand how their business needs change through time. This is particularly important in the field of **information management**.

You see, designing tailor-made solutions for effective data management is a delicate process. Whatever management system we come up with, it has to fit in perfectly with existing policies and established processes of that particular enterprise client.

New technological breakthroughs and advancements of services are what shape this industry. And needless to say, the changes happen fast.

Today, we decided to share some predictions regarding enterprise information management trends for 2020.

## Microsoft Will Continue to Grow on the Market  

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/7bb802b14ac44715ae4edd3ed00c27b4.png)

With [Office 365](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/Office-365-benefits), [One Drive](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-vs-onedrive), and of course [SharePoint](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/what-is-sharepoint-and-what-do-enterprises-need-to-know-about-it), Microsoft took a fair share of the information management market. It’s a well known fact that Microsoft invests huge amounts of its budget into improving their products and services, and extending their functionalities. Plus, they do so by continuously asking feedback from their users.

This is a great tactic because it shows the company is agile and light at their feet, which allows them to launch new features and add new offers rather fast. Just look what they’ve achieved in 2019.

Office 365 has been improved and they’ve introduced **[Azure Information Protection](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/information-protection/what-is-information-protection)**, a cloud-based solution which helps businesses organize, classify, and protect their files using a labeling system. **AIP uses advanced protection technology** based on encryption, identity, and authorization policies, and this multi-level security is something enterprise level businesses tend to appreciate. 

Microsoft is taking huge steps toward becoming a one-stop store where corporations can get everything they need. Some may argue that the company has already accomplished that. With such a well established reputation and unrivaled quality, Microsoft products are the products of choice for a majority of CIOs: **9/10 choose to trust Microsoft**, and we can only expect an even greater success for this tech giant in 2020.

## Custom ECM Solutions Will Take the Central Stage

By 2022, the [global ECM (Enterprise Content Management) market](https://www.statista.com/statistics/506914/enterprise-content-management-market-size/) is expected to reach **the value of around $67 billion**. Compare this number to 2017, when the worldwide value of the market was $31,6 billion, and you don’t have to be a genius to conclude it’s expanding greatly. However, the dominance of the main market players is shifting from one side to another. 

First notable changes began about seven years ago, when [Microsoft announced their partnership with Nimble](https://www.cmswire.com/cms/customer-experience/office-365-gets-social-crm-with-nimble-integration-passes-2m-subscriber-mark-022967.php) and hit the 2 million subscriber mark for Office 365. But what’s fascinating is that **they’ve reached 1 million new paying users in less than 4 months**. The company’s dedication to make their customers’ lives easier and the use of their chosen products simpler is really something. Numerous integration and customization options enable their users to shape their out-of-the-box solutions into something that suits their businesses perfectly.

Names such as IBM, Hyland, OpenText, Oracle, Alfresco, and a few other providers remain relevant, but they will have to **invest more in innovation and providing convenience for their users** to keep their market positions in 2020.

In 2020, we can expect enterprise-level companies allocating more chunks of their budgets into creating **[custom ECM solutions](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/What-is-ECM-and-How-Can-Enterprises-Benefit-from-It)**, especially because they are well educated and therefore - aware of the long-term benefits such as reducing storage, operational, and distributional costs, saving time, boosting productivity, increasing system security, and more.  

## Access to Data Will Become More Democratized 

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/58fe0e8146e249aab98435d72b1a6f83.png)

If there’s one buzz-phrase that never seems to go out of fashion, it’s Big Data. However, the biggest challenge in this area is to **separate the wheat from the chaff**, i.e. to manipulate the data effectively, organize it and store it in a way that will save employees’ time, and extract valuable and actionable insights from the data.

The power lies in data, but it’s no use if the data cannot be easily reached or interpreted. In addition, data systems that are not well thought out and don’t have organized accounts and permissions - can cause chaos.

People might lose their focus, get overwhelmed with the amount of data or maybe see confidential information which they shouldn’t see. It’s not just about the lost productivity, but also about the missed business opportunities that could have been spotted if only the data was properly organized and utilized.

This is why more enterprises will try to **rethink and reform their data systems in 2020** in a way that allows people from different positions to access data that is truly useful to them. Providing access to relevant data and creating a company culture in which the data freely flows essentially means democratizing one’s business organization.

In 2020, CIO professionals will invest more effort in strategically handling the data and educating non-IT professionals about useful data tools so that they can truly maximize each individual’s impact and drive better results altogether.  

## Scalability and Flexibility Will Become a Priority

In 2020, **scalability and flexibility will become even more important for enterprises** that are going through a digital transformation or optimizing their existing data management systems. This means that, even beyond the cost issues, C-level professionals will focus on choosing custom-made IT solutions that can easily support their growth without disrupting their business operations.

That being said, **microservices as a software development technique, will take the central stage**. In layman’s terms, microservices imply building large applications as a suite of modular components or services. Specific methods and modalities are used for defining and building the supporting applications. 

So, why are microservices a great weapon when it comes to ensuring scalability and flexibility?  

Microservices allow developers to find and address minor problems directly, without affecting the functioning of the application itself. In addition, microservices are great for coming up with new, lightweight MVP solutions and independent development of smaller components. Last but not least, microservices enable agile and iterative development, which is definitely a huge plus.  

## Cloud Adoption Rates Will Increase 

In addition to the above-mentioned scalability and flexibility, **privacy **will remain among the top priorities for enterprise-level companies. Legislations such as the GDPR in EU or California’s CCPA in the US only underline the necessity of proper data management and data protection for large businesses. 

Bearing that in mind, we shouldn’t be surprised when **cloud adoption rates increase in 2020**. Different cloud solutions (public, private, hybrid) offer different levels of protection, and the choice of provider plays a key role.

When it comes to security, **[Microsoft’s Azure](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/Top-Business-Benefits-of-Microsoft-Azure) remains unrivaled**. Through the Project Cerberus, Microsoft deployed advanced security measures that effectively protect from malicious insider attacks (i.e. internal misuse of data by people who are employed in the organization and have access to files and hardware), external attacks (for instance, attempts of data interception), and hacker attacks and malware distribution attempts.

Azure, AWS, and Google are the top players that added **High Performance Computing (HPC)** to their services, which allows users to buy cloud computing power and use it only when they need to. According to [Forrester's report](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/forrester-the-5-ways-cloud-computing-will-change-in-2020/), **the use of HPC will increase by 40% in 2020**. Distributed cloud, hybrid cloud offerings, and new managed services that emerged from strategic partnerships (such as the one of Azure and Cray) will all positively affect the growth of cloud adoption rates.

## Over to You 

When you work in IT, it’s basically in your job description to commit to life-long learning and adopting new technologies. You have to continuously feel the pulse of the industry. The industry is fast-paced, competition often fierce, it can get hectic - but we at Share IT simply love it.

So, what do you think of our predictions for the enterprise information management market for 2020? What are your forecasts for the year ahead? 

If you happen to be a business owner or a manager, and are looking to optimize your organization’s information management system, [contact](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) us today. We’re always happy to hear from you! 

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Curious about enterprise information management trends for 2020? The future sure looks bright and exciting: read Share IT’s five predictions.

Enterprise Information Management Trends for 2020

IT has become an extremely competitive field. Since knowledge has become easily accessible and everyone’s now familiar with the fact that people in this industry usually have great jobs with decent salaries - the majority of the younger population has developed a keen interest in a career in IT.

Every piece of content that at least brushes off the topic of becoming a successful developer talks primarily about technical skills. As a total newbie who’s just starting to learn about becoming a developer and how this industry operates, you’ll come across a lot of material online that is mostly focused around programming languages and technologies you’ll need to master in order to claim that great, high-paying job you desire. 

Even though being up to date with the latest technologies is of crucial value in this business, it’s also important to bear in mind that becoming a developer involves a lot more than just writing code. 

In addition to building up their technical skills, upcoming developers need to leverage soft skills and remain competitive. In this particular article, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/)  will discuss soft skills and how they shape your career as a developer. 

## What Are Soft Skills Exactly?

Before taking a deeper dive into this topic, let us first focus on the basics and explain what do we mean when we say soft skills. 

Soft skills are hard to define and often quite hard to evaluate. To put it bluntly, soft skills are almost the same thing as people skills. 

When IT companies say that they want someone with great soft skills, they usually mean that they are looking for candidates with personal traits that fuel effective collaboration with other people and lead to efficient completion of important tasks.

They need people with advanced communication and listening skills, who are also able to think differently and independently, adapt to new surroundings, effectively join their existing teams, collaborate, etc. 

## Why Are Soft Skills so Important?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/f587266dd43c444ca94f436c5840804f.png)

Soft skills are not just valued in the IT sector. They are of great importance to any job that directly or indirectly includes working with people.

When it comes to IT, soft skills make all the difference. 

Apart from writing code, developers also gather requirements for the software they are creating. Developers also design the overall architecture of the product, gather documentation, and work on other related software development processes. Developers work in a team with other people and coordinate various tasks that influence the end quality of the product they are creating. 

Their ability to sync with other people and effectively communicate with everyone involved in the creation of a specific project is very important. Without at least some level of soft skills, it will be impossible for a certain individual to effectively become part of an existing team and work effectively with other people to get the job done.

## How do Companies Identify Soft Skills?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/238b4b0462c24a73a09319622bcdade5.png)

It tends to vary from company to company, but usually recruiters or HR managers focus on how the candidate responds to questions.They are the ones responsible for taking notes about one person's ability to clearly articulate their thoughts. For instance, they pay attention to the following:

- How does he or she present himself or herself?
- Are there any signs that could suggest that a particular person could have an attitude problem?
- What got him or her interested in this job in the first place?

In a face-to-face interview, the HR manager or recruiter tries to get a picture of how a person might perform within a team. The interviewer pays attention to eye contact, facial expression, vocal tone, and body language. Does the candidate seem nervous? Annoyed? Comfortable? Open to talk or detached from the interview? Different subtle cues might give away the type of person the candidate is.

This is why a lot of behavioral questions usually get asked; for example - “Describe how you tackled issues on your last job?” or “What did you like about your last job and why have you decided to apply here?”. 

The person's answer is meant to provide a better sense of how they think, whether or not they seek creative solutions to problems, or how they view their peers.

## More and More Companies are Putting Extra Attention on Soft Skills

Regardless of the industry, you’ll see companies citing teamwork, effective communication, leadership, time management, and flexibility as the most important skills they’re looking for in a candidate.

According to studies conducted by the [McKinsey Global Institute](https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Featured%20Insights/Future%20of%20Organizations/Skill%20shift%20Automation%20and%20the%20future%20of%20the%20workforce/MGI-Skill-Shift-Automation-and-future-of-the-workforce-May-2018.ashx) and [West Monroe Partners](https://www.westmonroepartners.com/News/Press-Releases/2018/01/Soft-Skills-Gap) from last year, soft skills are highly appreciated in the US market. A great number of participants said that soft skills are important for technology hires. Two-thirds said they have held back job offers from qualified technical applicants specifically because those candidates lacked soft skills.

HR recruiters in IT companies really care about finding talent, but they also care about a person being a good cultural fit for the company. Since technology is rapidly evolving, it’s not really wise for them to hire people just because they’ve shown potential to be, for instance, good Java developers. In such a landscape where new tech gets developed everyday and where attitude towards adapting to change is of crucial value, it’s only logical that recruiters have started giving weight in the interview process to such traits as good assertive communication, high emotional, social intelligence, etc.

Steve Jobs, like many other genius businessmen, said on numerous occasions that having great tech skills means nothing if they don’t come in a package with solid people skills. Whenever he hired new employees, Jobs always focused a lot more on the person’s passion towards a job over his or her experience. He was convinced that a passionate employee can manage themselves, understand the mission of his company, and work towards the set goal with more focus and drive.

Just like Jobs and Apple, Google is also focuses on soft skills far more than technical ones. The company did an in-house study a while ago where they interviewed their own employees to see what qualities they favor. Good coaching, communication, insightfulness, empathy, and critical thinking were at the top of their lists. Nobody listed anything related to tech skills.

The main reason why more and more companies focus on soft skills is because it's far easier teaching people tech than human skills. You can teach employees how to use a new piece of software or a coding language, while teaching them to become leaders and creative thinkers is almost impossible if they don’t have predispositions for such things.

## Closing Words

Without great soft skills, great programmers cannot become great managers, and that creates a lot of issues for the company. Having someone who is unable to inspire people to work and pass on their knowledge, could significantly slow down the growth of your company.

If employees cannot work alongside each other, innovation stalls. Projects get delayed and unnecessary issues start to build up. Without proper project management or communication skills, employees are more likely to miss deadlines.

To sum it up, working on your soft skills has become equally important as working on your tech skills. Sure, IT companies look for people who are masters of their own craft, but they’re also looking for people who are able to jump right in and become a good fit with their existing team. 

With increasing amounts of competition in a constantly evolving industry, soft skills are what allow certain developers to stand out.


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Soft skills are personal traits that fuel effective collaboration with other people and lead to efficient completion of important tasks.

Do Soft Skills Matter for Developers with Exquisite Technical Skills?

For us at Share IT, SharePoint is the golden goose that keeps on giving. In our previous posts on this blog, we did sort of an [introduction to SharePoint](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/what-is-sharepoint-and-what-do-enterprises-need-to-know-about-it), then we shared some sweet [workflow optimization tips](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/The-ABCs-of-Optimizing-Your-Workflow-with-SharePoint), discussed [templates](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-templates), touched upon the [differences between SharePoint and OneDrive for businesses](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-vs-onedrive), and went deeper into [SharePoint’s intranets](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-intranet). We even published a noob-friendly guide that teaches you [the basics of SharePoint](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-basics). 

Today, we are going to do something different: we are going to discuss the benefits of using SharePoint and describe why we think SharePoint is basically a chameleon that changes its skin depending on its surroundings so that it always fits in perfectly. It has the potential to bring different values to different organizations, depending on how they decide to utilize it.

## The Basics

In case you haven’t been reading out blog actively and you don’t really have the time to read all of the above-mentioned linked posts, we’re going to give you a diggested version of what SharePoint really is.

To put it simply, SharePoint is one of the best and most popular web-based collaborative platforms out there and it integrates with Microsoft Office. This means your business organization can easily connect SharePoint with all the other features of Office 365 (e.g. various apps you use, access to email), and enjoy the convenience of having a centralized system for secure and simple document management. 

Tens of thousands of companies use SharePoint for different purposes, including 80% of Fortune500 companies.

With the help of SharePoint, businesses can automate mundane processes, effectively streamline data across their organization, work in a hassle-free, secure, and user-friendly environment. As we wrote in our previous article that explained the [benefits of using SharePoint](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/what-is-sharepoint-and-what-do-enterprises-need-to-know-about-it) - this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

## So Many Possibilities

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/3e770ed3e27341b39dea888a839ef8e9.png)

SharePoint can be used for a lot of different business processes within the same company. It can be used for project management, HR-related activities, innovation or knowledge management. It is widely used as an intranet and extranet platform, but nowadays - businesses have tailored their SharePoint to serve as a CMS of their public websites as well.

To put things into a better perspective, let’s take a look at the actual benefits and use cases across different industries.

## Healthcare

The healthcare sector is one of the biggest industries in the world. In the United States alone, national healthcare spending is estimated at over 3 trillion dollars. That’s right, you read it correctly - the number is in trillions. And the craziest thing of all? It is still projected to grow up to 5% in the next five years or so. When you’re dealing with trillions, that 5% makes a lot of difference. 

Apart from being a very rich industry, healthcare is also a sector that comes with a lot of rules. Regardless of what you do in healthcare, there are strict regulations you need to abide. Sensitive data, search, permissions - these are just some of the main things most healthcare business need to meticulously care about.

SharePoint offers a lot of great document organization and management options, and that’s of extreme importance for most healthcare organizations. Physicians use the platform to store and manage sensitive paperwork such as patients’ forms, electronic medical records, insurance forms, and admission forms in one central location.

Once they have all the data in the same place, it’s easy for physicians to follow patients’ medical histories. They can check their document edits and use the search option to quickly find a specific patient and study through the details. In addition to keeping their most important data just a couple of clicks away, SharePoint also keeps it safe and secure. 

For instance, we at Share IT have worked with PBS Corporation, an agency that provides individualized services for both adults and kids dealing with autism and related disabilities. PBS needed an app that would help them conduct clinical sessions between the client on one side, and the provider (medical staff) on the other side. Since the app had to pass strict policies such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), we had to ensure that the system was highly-secure.

For healthcare organizations, security makes all the difference. The data these organizations store is sensitive. Patients need to know their data is secure. With SharePoint, healthcare organizations can take control of document storage and management in a secure, transparent environment.

## Human Resources

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/06abb4c4db294ad7ab13838b165cc462.png)

HR is one of the most common sectors where SharePoint comes extremely handy. Many organizations use SharePoint-based solutions and portals to manage employee data, store HR documents, automate onboarding, conduct performance evaluations, and track employee training.

PBS Corporation, for instance, used to waste a lot of time on processing job applications before we built them a custom SharePoint-based solution. They had to go through all the applications manually and then handpick the best ones they were going to call in for a meeting. According to the people in charge of hiring at PBS, it used to take them 45 to 60 minutes per applicant just to figure out if he or she is a good fit for the company. 

With the help of SharePoint, we built them an app that made it easy for PBS people to separate the good candidates from the bad ones. The app we created made it necessary for the job applicants to answer some questions about themselves prior sending their resumes. They had to record and upload videos of themselves, which were later reviewed by the PBS Corp. managers through the SharePoint Portal App. The best candidates were then contacted to come for an in-person interview.

In addition to helping with the hiring process, SharePoint has also proven to be a great onboarding tool. Not that long ago, we were approached by ErgomedPLC, a full-service clinical research organization, specializing in the areas of oncology, neurology, respiratory and rare diseases, to build them a custom SharePoint-based LMS. The company needed a system that will help them train their future personnel. 

Similar to PBS, ErgomedPLC used to waste a lot of time on education their potential hires, so we created a custom LMS for them that required potential hires to go through different courses that were made out of different educational videos, quizzes, and learning activities. Once their potential hires completed the process, their LMS would automatically mail them a certificate that serves as proof that they have completed the necessary training needed to work for ErgomedPLC.

As you can see from these two examples, SharePoint is great for optimizing HR procedures and cutting exhausting processes down to size. 

## Finance and Banking

In the finance and banking industry, everything revolves around data. Banks handle great amounts of information everyday, and this information usually goes through the hands of multiple stakeholders with different clearance levels.

Every bank has a rigorous hierarchy system. Establishing an ongoing flow of data and getting the right information to the right people is of highest importance in such a system. Access to key forms and process documentation, search capabilities, the way information is displayed and organized, ability to update content in a timely manner, stability and the highest level of security - these are just some of the main functions and values each banking system expects and needs in order to operate effectively.

But, in addition to that, like all other businesses, banks also need to generate new clientele. Sales plays an important part in the banking business, especially in terms of staying competitive on the market.

The sales cycle in banking is a delicate and complex process. It has to be well thought out and meticulously executed. Even though it’s not often used for such purposes, SharePoint can help organize sales activities and support sales people in closing deals. 

Not that long ago, we at Share IT were approached by a couple of representatives of Semper Constantia Bank. They asked us to help them overcome issues in their sales department. Namely, they need a solution that will help them unify their sales materials.

Most of the presentation the sales department was creating felt “off-brand”, which the management felt was hurting their chances when it came to closing more deals. 

So, what they needed was a system that would help them create presentations that were up to  Semper Constantia Bank’s standards.

With the help of SharePoint, we built them a system that enabled them to separate, edit, reuse, and combine different pre-made PowerPoint templates and slides to create great looking presentations in no time. All the salespeople had to do is arrange the slides in an order they like, rename their presentation, download it, and then send it to the client. Easy as pie. 

This system alone helped the Semper Constantia Bank to fix one of their biggest pain points in their sales process and save them time on things that didn’t really result in the increase of revenue.

There you have it: three different industries and numerous benefits SharePoint brought to each of the companies. Are you interested in finding out more about how SharePoint can help your business? [Get in touch](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) with Share IT today: we’re always happy to hear from you. 


tools.png

SharePoint can be used for different business processes. To put things into perspective, let’s look at the benefits and use cases across different industries.

What is SharePoint Used For? 3 Industries, Countless Benefits

In 2019, tech companies are at war for talent. As baffling as it may sound to people who don’t work in the IT sector, a “good salary” has become the norm here. If you want to hire senior developers, you need to bear in mind that the salary alone won’t help them decide whether or not to join your ranks. The amount of money you plan to offer senior professionals is something that they can most likely get from your competitors as well.

The key to getting talent to pick you and not your rivals revolves around the culture you build and nurture.

Many IT companies have simply copy-pasted the Silicon Valley model. They are laser-focused on providing different employee benefits and creating a laid back company culture that combines entertainment and flexibility. That is why more and more tech brands (especially startups) now have game rooms, in-house libraries, frequent parties and socializing events, as well as free gym memberships for people who work for them.

Even though these perks certainly sound great (especially when you combine them with a decent salary), they alone are not enough to convince people to join your team. In fact, some of the “perks” you offer might be actual deal-breakers for some people. For instance, if you organize mandatory team-building events and force outside-of-company-hours events - this won’t go well with talent that values their free time and wants to spend it working on their passion projects or just hanging out with their family and friends. 

Not all people are solely driven by money and free gym memberships. There is a rising trend of employees searching for meaningful work, even ahead of other benefits. In this article, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) are going to talk about how providing people with meaningful work has helped us grow over the last couple of years.

## What is Meaningful Work Exactly?

Before we start talking about specifics, let us first say what “meaningful work” means for us.

At Share IT, we describe meaningful work as work that people believe has significance. It gives them a sense of purpose and makes them believe that they are truly part of something that matters. It's the sort of work that goes beyond entering lines of code in a product that you won’t ever see perform. 

As you probably remember if you have been following our blog, [Share IT started as a one-man show](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/How-to-Start-a-Software-Company-5-Tips-from-Our-Personal-Experience). What started as a solopreneurial adventure, slowly and steadily grew into a successful web development business that gathers many talented people under one roof. Sure, it took us some time to get where we are now, but we are proud of the way we handled and nurtured our growth.

Even though we were never a company that offered extravagant benefits to employees, people still saw value in Share IT and wanted to work with Stevan on a number of different projects. A lot of that has to do with how he runs the company and how the work itself supports the professional growth of each employee.

## Reason 1: The No-Bullshit Culture and No Overtime

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/379346357bbe41e3a47af827dea2ac35.png)

At Share IT, we like to think of ourselves as a team rather than just coworkers. For us, every person is equally important and everyone’s work is appreciated equally.

The question of why we got to a place where we are today has a rather simple answer: the term ‘[work-life balance](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/work-life-balance)’ actually means something to us. It’s not just a buzzword, but an important element that lies at the very core of our culture. 

We strive to be honest, and only promise what we really offer. Our company is built on mutual trust and flexibility. We don’t put our talent in situations where they have to attend exhausting meetings and mandatory team building events. 

We don’t have a PlayStation or an Xbox at the office, and we don’t buy craft beer for our workers to get buzzed while they write code. 

At Share IT, there are no unnecessary distractions, but there is freedom and flexibility. We have a zero bullshit policy. For us, it’s all about the work and people respect that. Our goal isn’t to bribe or trick people into staying late at the office. In fact, one of the main rules in our company is there is no overtime ever.

As Stevan already said in an interview on this blog: “*Give 120% for 6h at work and go home, do not stay after hours, do not work from home. The truth is, when you are well-rested and feel fulfilled, it will have a huge impact on your work performance. Working more doesn’t necessarily result in getting more done. You have to really be there in order to be productive.*”

If you come to work to slack and chill, then Share IT is not a company for you. What we value here is professionalism and we only hire people who want to come to the office and actually work. We try our best to get devs that actually like writing code more than playing ping-pong.

We trust our team members to be frank with us and we value their free time. As a result, our people feel at ease at the office. They are motivated to work and deliver. 

## Reason 2: Growth and Experience

As we already said, Share IT started as a one-man show and our CEO Stevan really poured his heart and soul into making this company what it is today. 

Unlike most CEOs, Stevan is not just a person who sits behind closed doors and does what he needs to do to keep this boat afloat. He is highly involved with everything that goes on in Share IT and he actually wears multiple hats. 

Stevan’s really there for you and he does everything in his power to help you stay productive throughout the day. This is something that most older colleagues respect, so they’ve basically started doing the same. In general, all people work towards the same goal and this really brings everyone closer. More experienced colleagues are invested in juniors’ development and they truly help them get the job done.

As someone who is just starting in this business, this is a huge plus. It’s somewhat like an informal mentorship program and you get to learn from the best.

Even though Share IT has senior developers, none of them behave like divas. They don’t sit on the top of the ivory tower and they don’t have an attitude problem. They are actually quite available to talk and eager to help. 

For a person who is still finding their way in the industry, this is a very precious benefit to have. Having someone who is willing to show you the ropes and help you grow a lot faster can be of great value if you want to progress in your work. 

## Reason 3: We are Not Obsessed with Rapid Company Growth; Quality is What we Care About

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/e671495187cd4c96b3f96c1b979fa25c.png)

As Stevan already said on this blog: “*For us at Share IT, company success is not measured through income, but by looking at the number of new clients and new employees.*”

Since IT is a very lucrative industry, many companies go way ahead of themselves and focus on earning as much as they can. When they bite more than they can chew, they are likely to outsource their services or overwork their inhouse employees. Needless to say, this reflects negatively on the quality and employee satisfaction. 

Here’s how we do it.

We know businesses with superior customer service gradually build a good reputation for themselves. As a natural consequence of the customer-centric approach, these companies tend to retain clients and reach new ones through referrals.

Share IT is in the business of helping brands improve their products. That’s what we stand behind. For us, there is no greater sign of success than when a client reaches out to us just to tell us that the work we did for him is showing results and that he plans to recommend our service to his contacts.

Working for a company that is not just looking to get the job done, but to do it in a way that is actually best for the client and exceeds their expectations -  is something that keeps most of our devs engaged at work. In such a climate, the quality of their work and level of expertise truly matters. 

## Reason 4: We’re Driven by Innovation

Share IT is a company that works with big businesses. Most of our clients are enterprise-level companies that require complex and unique solutions to elevate their business to new heights. 

That is why our team is always willing to learn fast and experiment with the latest technology. For our devs, every single one of the projects they work on is different from the other. Every single one of them requires a unique approach and a fair amount of creative thinking.

We love a good challenge, that’s what makes us do something we haven’t done before. That’s where innovation steps into the picture.  

At Share IT, we work with cutting-edge technologies to create state-of-the-art software that helps big system eliminate clutter from their day to day operations, speed up procedures, and optimize expenses. Our devs really enjoy this because it gives them a chance to grow and constantly build up their skills. Challenging and innovative projects is what makes them feel motivated at work. 

## Over to You

Thank you for taking the time to read this article in its entirety. We hope it helped you see what we are all about and what’s it like to be part of Share IT collective. In case you’re down with our culture and how we do business, be sure to keep a close eye on our [Careers page](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/careers). We would love to get more like minded people to join our company and help us grow and satisfy our clients.

office.png

In this article, we at Share IT are going to talk about how providing people with meaningful work has helped us grow over the last couple of years

Looking for a Meaningful Job? - 4 Reasons to Join Share IT

If you’ve been reading our blog, then you are probably aware of the fact that we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) are big fans of Microsoft and their products. But, let’s be frank: even though we genuinely like Microsoft, we know that the company is not perfect. From customers’ viewpoint, one of the biggest issues about Microsoft is how they differentiate their products and offers. 

For most of the Microsoft products, there are way too many pricing plans to choose from and the line between them is really thin. In most cases, the “business” version of the majority of their products is basically the same as the “personal” version of the same product, but it has a few additional features. 

However, there are cases when it’s far more complicated than that. The differences between the separate versions are so big that it might seem like you’re dealing with two completely different products. 

Such is the case with Office 365. 

## Office 365 Home vs Business: Where Does the Confusion Come From?

When you land on the [official Microsoft Office 365 website](https://www.office.com/) and start reviewing different pricing plans, you will notice there is a Personal, Home, and Business version of Office 365 you can buy.  

All of these major plans have additionals plans within them. For instance, there’s an Office 365 Business, an Office 365 Business Premium, and an Office 365 Business Essentials offer located under the same menu. If you’re not really certain what you need, the Office 365 website won’t really help you make the right decision.  

Yep, it’s a bit confusing and overwhelming.

Sure, you can see the full list of the features that go with each plan. But practice has shown that for most people that’s not really enough information. 

It’s impossible to count how many times have some of our personal and professional acquaintances asked us to help them choose the right Office 365 plan. 

So, in order to help more people successfully understand what kind of Office 365 package best suits their needs, we have decided to dedicate a post on our blog to explaining the differences between available Office 365 offerings.

## Laying the Groundwork


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/29c14a20974e47ba885a63f388cc9dca.png)

Since most people who will be reading this article are probably business people looking to find the best plan for their team and company, we won’t discuss the differences between the Personal and the Home Office 365 packages. It’s not really relevant to our audience and current discussion. What we will explain here is what separates the Home from the Business plans of Office 365.

So, without further ado, let’s dig in.

## Office 365 Home

The Home version of Office 365 is less expensive than the Business version, so most smaller companies are tempted to go for it to save some money. 

For $99.99 a year, you get an Office 365 Home subscription that is tied to your Microsoft account and gives you access to the full suite of Office desktop programs, such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. 

In addition to all of this, with this type of subscription, you’re automatically given a free 1TB OneDrive cloud storage and 50GB of ad-free Outlook mailbox.

Even though the subscription is tied to a single account, the Home Office 365 subscription can be used by more than a single account. 

You’re given the option to award access to five different Microsoft accounts. Each of them will get an option to install all of the Office desktop apps that are part of your subscription package. 

Also, the accounts that you decide to share your subscription with will get their own 1TB OneDrive allotment and an upgraded mailbox.

Not bad, right?

## Office 365 Business

As we already said above, Office 365 Business has several plans to offer. Most of them may look the same, but they’re not. In many ways, the basic plan looks a lot like Office 365 Home, except it’s designed for commercial use. With the Office 365 Business deal, you can add 300 different accounts to your subscription and enable them to install and use the software across their devices. 

The Premium plan is the offer that most clients go for because it gives them access to Exchange servers, SharePoint, OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Teams, and Yammer. 

Premium subscriptions come with 50 GB of email storage. Plus, with this type of deal, you are given a green light to install the software on up to five different devices. 

The premium subscription is mostly used by clients who:

- Want to host a great number of high definition videos for different purposes
- Need Skype for Business
- Are interested in a deal that allows their customers to schedule appointments online with Microsoft Bookings and run regular in-house business operation with the help of Microsoft Planner

## Office 365 Home vs Business: Pros and Cons


![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/fa488616b233464aa79d7c8564e59eff.png)

If you run a small company that employs up to four people, The Home version of Office 365 could work for you. It is best suited for companies that already have a business email address and are simply looking for a convenient way to use Office desktop apps.

However, if you are a bigger company with more demanding needs and requirements, you should opt for a different subscription plan. 

With the Home subscription, you won’t have access to an Exchange server (for email addresses at your website domain), SharePoint (internal company website), or Microsoft Teams (for team communication and collaboration) that you get with the Business plans.

Also, it’s important to mention that the Home subscription comes with a limit regarding how many integrations you can have with a single domain. 

The Office 365 for Business subscription is basically designed to help you carry out most of your management and administrative tasks. It gives you the option of integrating with other services including active directory, wipe data mobile, Information rights management, Enterprise mobility suite, OneDrive for business, and more.

As you can see when you visit the site, different Business plans offer different features. If you want access to enterprise-level email and SharePoint, but you don’t really need access to most Microsoft apps, you can go with Office 365 Business Essentials subscription. This particular deal comes with OneDrive for Business, Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, and Yammer.

Even though both Home and Business deals have almost similar features in applications and storage, there’s a clear difference between these two types of plans.

For starters, if you care about accessibility control and it’s important for you to control the management of the organization’s account, that’s a good enough reason to go for the Business subscription. You see, each Office 365 for Home subscription is managed by a single user, while the Business subscription is owned by an organization. This allows the company to assign administrator roles to more than a single user within the organization.

Another key difference is that the Business plans (Premium, to be more precise) come with the  Exchange Online email that is tied to one or more custom domains associated with your business. You are given the ability to create email aliases for a single email address. This helps you present your business like a bigger organization that it really is, plus it gives your customers the chance to easily come into contact with you.

Business plans also include come far superior security features. Multi-factor authentication, self-service password reset and alerts for security issues such as possible breaches - these are just some of the main features that you don’t get with a Home subscription.

## Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to read our latest article in its entirety. As you can see from everything written above, different Office deals are meant for different usages. If you have something more than a plain service that employees more than 5 people - go for one of the Business options. Sure, they cost more, but they come with far better perks.


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Confused between Office 365 Home and Office 365 Business deals? Read our latest blog to find learn which subscription perfectly suits your business.

Office 365 Home vs Business: Pros and Cons

As we have already mentioned on this blog, SharePoint plays an important role in the Office 365 package. It has many different values and uses, one of them being the increase in productivity. 

SharePoint makes it possible for everyone to effortlessly automate mundane tasks and increase the quality of collaboration within teams and the entire company. Most organizations use SharePoint in a similar way: they create a series of intranet sites with different stakeholders who are given access to quickly store, share, and collaborate on specific business documents. 

However, creating each intranet site from the ground up can be a time-consuming job. Luckily, SharePoint offers custom and pre-built templates for speeding up such processes. 

In this article, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) are going to introduce you to SharePoint templates and all their wonderful advantages. You won’t have to waste a lot of time ever again on mundane and repetitive tasks if you master the ABCs of creating and using SharePoint templates. 

## What are SharePoint Templates?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/1db2884ed1d44948a7ff57d1fd13cdfc.png)

As you have probably already guessed on your own, SharePoint templates are prebuilt definitions created to support a particular need within the SharePoint environment. It’s best to think of them as blueprints for intranet sites. 

You can create your own templates to capture your customizations, so they can be quickly applied to other SharePoint environments, or you can use SharePoint’s already existent and available templates to quickly setup intranet sites. 

The choice is yours.

Saving sites as templates and using them for future projects is a great option because it allows you to deploy proven solutions immediately and save a lot of time on building project from the group up.

## Pro Tip

While we’re on the time-saving subject - when you need to develop a SharePoint site on your own, our advice is to always primarily focus on the available templates. 

There are many different templates you can choose and use as your own solutions to cover specific business requirements. However, most templates still rock that the classic look and feel, so you need to further customize them to make them a bit more modern.  

But that’s not a big issue because SharePoint makes it possible to tweak existing templates to your liking. It’s far easier to edit a certain template a bit than to create your solution from scratch.

## The Mechanics 

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/b3caa9942ce94e29878f72b70378450a.png)

When you save a SharePoint site as a template, you're saving the overall framework of the site. This means its lists and libraries, views and forms, and workflows. 

Depending on your needs and preferences, SharePoint templates can contain additional components as well. They can also include the content of the site. For instance, you can save the actual documents in data libraries or lists, if you want to. This could be quite useful for future sites where you plan to reuse the same information. Neat, right?

However, you need to be careful here because SharePoint doesn’t allow you to create templates that are larger than 50 MB. There's a storage limit that has to be respected. So, be selective with what you want to save in your template.

Apart from lists, libraries, forms, workflows, content types, and actions, there are certain features that you cannot store in a template.

To help you fully understand how to create proper templates, we have created a list of all the elements that **cannot be saved** in a template:

- customized permissions
- running workflow instances
- list item version history
- workflow tasks associated with running workflows
- people or group field values
- taxonomy field values
- publishing sites and pages
- stapled features.

Everything else is supported by the system. 

When you create a site template, the features and the content get saved as well. To make those features available next time when you use the template, you need to activate them separately. This is not an issue if you’re not trying to use the template on different versions of SharePoint. If you are, then you have to accept the fact that certain features and content probably won’t show.

## So, How Does This Work? How do I Save/Upload My Site as a Template?

Once you create or edit your template and decide that you want to keep it for further use, the first thing you do is create a (.wsp) file that you can store in your Solutions Gallery. It’s important to keep in mind that when you’re saving a site, you’re **only saving the main site, not its subsites**. To save those as well, you will have to repeat the process for every site individually.

Creating a (.wsp) file is quite simple. All you have to do is click on the gear icon that symbolizes your Settings Menu, and then in “Site Actions” section of the menu, click “Save site as a template”. 

Once you do that, be sure to name the file to avoid unnecessary future confusions, and maybe add a little description to it just to be sure. 

To include the content of the site in the site template, select the “Include Content” checkbox. Once again, the limit is 50 MB, so be sure that you check your file size before continuing with the process.

As soon as you become sure that your file is under the size limit, click OK to save the template. SharePoint will provide you with a message that states "Operation Completed Successfully" to confirm that the job is done. 

Click OK and go back to the Solutions Gallery to view your template. 

From there, you should go back to the Site Settings and open up the “Web Designer Galleries” section. There, you will see the Solutions options. Click on it and you’ll notice a new menu. 

In this part of the menu, you will see if your template is currently active or not. To activate it, open up the Activate Solution Confirmation option in the Commands group, and then click Activate. Click its name in the solutions gallery, and click Save. And voila - your template will be downloaded.

To upload your template, open up the Site Settings again, but select the Sites and workspaces option under the Site Administration menu. Click the “Create feature” there and then, in the New SharePoint Site dialog, enter your chosen Title for the page, a Description, and the URL.

Once you finish adding all the details, the next step is to press the Custom tab under the Template Selection field and click on your saved template. After that is done, set the desired User Permissions and Navigation options, click “Create”, and you’re done. 

Simple, right?

## Over to You

Once again, thank you for taking the time to read our latest blog in its entirety. As you can see here, SharePoint is a great product that just keeps on giving. Templates are just the tip of the iceberg. SharePoint has a lot of cool options to offer that could help you save a lot of time and increase productivity. We plan to cover more similar topics on this blog in the future. So if you’re interested in SharePoint-related content - be sure to stick around. 


meet_file.png

SharePoint templates are prebuilt definitions created to support a need within the SharePoint environment. Think of them as blueprints for intranets.

Introduction to SharePoint Templates

Technology has become an integral part of almost every business and industry. It is taking a much bigger role in literally every sphere of our existence, whether we like or not. 

In order to survive in today’s climate, most companies are obliged to think of innovative ways to automate mundane processes, optimize costs, and develop simple solutions for complex issues that slow their business down. In addition to that, companies also need to listen closely to their clients and come up with innovative solutions that meet their demands.

This is where R&D enters the picture.

## What is R&D?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/60f61763d6ae4bde86b270938e2dcf04.png)

R&D, short for Research and Development, is basically an investigation with the goal of coming up with something new - a discovery that will result in a new product or service, or one that will improve or enhance an existing offering.

Let’s focus on banks for example. In today’s world, banks can’t function properly without highly secured software anymore. Apart from helping them process money and control data, software helps banks operate in many different ways. For instance, it helps them provide better services to their clients. In 2019, online banking has become a regular part of financial services. Clients demand instant access to their personal and company accounts online. They want to check their balances, schedule transfers, and follow up on their expenses from the comfort of their home, at any time. Nobody wants to physically go to the bank and waste their valuable time standing in line.

In order to ensure that their clients remain satisfied, banks need to continue investing in the further development of their online banking services. Even though the sole concept and existence of online banking resolves a lot of issues for the clients, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the job is done. As the service continues to grow and evolve, people will continue to recognize aspects of it that are still clumsy and frustrating. This is why banks need to listen to what their clients’ feedback is saying and respond to their needs with adequate “improvements”

In 2019, R&D is slowly becoming the norm. Even though we are talking about R&D from a software and technological standpoint - every business that creates and sells a product or service could benefit from investing in a certain form of R&D.

Increasing number of companies are noticing tangible value and ROI when it comes to investing in research before committing to the development of actual products and improvements. According to [Deloitte’s study](https://www2.deloitte.com/ce/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/ce-corporate-research-development-report.html), more than 50% of the subjects they reached out to have confirmed that their companies plan on allocating more budget to R&D.

## The Process

Now let’s take a look at what the process of research and development implies.

Typical R&D activities include the following:

- Developing and designing new solutions that are supposed to increase effectiveness or functionality of the product/service;
- Developing enhancements/improvements of existing solutions;
- Designing and developing new testing methods/protocols;
- Developing improved technologies for manufacturing, production, processes, especially those that reduce waste and improve safety or energy use;
- Development of software for product or process improvements.

In the IT industry, R&D revolves around the idea of getting the most out of the client’s potential investment.

Regardless of what people think, developing a custom technological solution or modification is never a walk in the park. As we [already explained on the website](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/services/research-and-development), every technological solution goes through three integral phases: 

- Innovation
- Quality
- Technologies

To ensure that everything goes smoothly, all the aspects of this process have to be precisely addressed within the constraints of timeframe, associated costs, and available expertise. If not, the development process will most likely become nothing short of a nightmare where the clients will end up burning more money and other resources on a project that they can’t really afford.

Knowing just how easy it is to get stuck in development hell, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) always urge our clients to invest in proper R&D before deciding to invest in the creation of specific technological solutions. 

## Reasons to Invest in R&D

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/19d58a04ced74ee59b8db0abc1dcb0a7.png)

Beyond the obvious, there are many other benefits to why companies should think of R&D as their ally. R&D should be recognized as the first phase of any process leading to technological innovation. It provides a healthy foundation you can then build new solutions upon.

More specifically, R&D helps with:

- Providing trustworthy sanity check to specific plans and ideas;
- Understanding the type and scope of the work that needs to be done for a specific idea to become reality;
- Figuring out how to reduce manufacturing cost and improve specific processes;
- Coming up with precise financial estimation and learning which other resources will be needed for the project to come to life.

The goal of R&D is to ensure that the clients invest smartly in the development of new products or into further modifications of their existing solution. This way, unpleasant surprises are avoided and the project can start without unnecessary headaches.

Hiring a company that specializes in R&D to help you implement and manage such activities - makes all the difference. With the help of professionals who have a lot of experience creating custom solutions for all sorts of businesses, you will have the opportunity to ask all your questions. It basically means you’ll outsource your worries to external experts and easy the burden on your internal IT team, if you happen to have one. In addition to that, these professionals can help you integrate new concepts and processes in record time, without you having to spend a small fortune on devs.

In a nutshell, companies that invest R&D have all the tools they need to strengthen their position on the market and gain a competitive edge. Those that do not will most likely end up losing customers/clients over time or waste money on wrong investments.

## Over to You

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We hope it helped you better understand the concept of R&D and all its benefits. As you can probably see from everything written above, R&D plays a crucial role in one company’s future. No business that intends to remain relevant can afford to ignore this concept, especially if operating in fast-paced and saturated industries. 

Once you truly embrace R&D, it will become an unavoidable part of your business. With the help of people who are experts in this field, you will see that proper prep work makes all the difference.

If you are interested in finding out more about research and development at Share IT or you have a project in mind, make sure to [shoot us an email](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us).

prva (1).png

R&D, short for Research and Development, is a process that helps companies gain new knowledge for the creation of new technologies, products, or services.

What is R&D and Why You Should Hire Experts to Do It for You

Cloud computing has evolved significantly in the past two decades. Today, different cloud solutions offer businesses of all sizes a flexible IT environment which can further be adjusted to meet their changing needs and requirements.

Cloud services are provided on demand and they use a pay-as-you-go model, meaning that users pay for the resources and storage they actually need. In addition, they don’t have to worry about software and hardware (e.g. licensing and updates), or the overall maintenance of the IT infrastructure because that is the responsibility of their chosen cloud provider.

This lessens the burden on the company’s IT department and gives the internal experts more space to plan ahead, think proactively, and focus on developing an effective strategy for the future.

Now that we have at least some sort of context about the [benefits of the cloud technology](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/cloud-business-benefits), we can discuss the strategic importance of cloud computing in business organizations. 

## Cloud Ensures Business Continuity

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/3c5fac107cec45d0a2cb4e261a4cddf9.png)
 
Firstly, let’s talk about securely storing sensitive and business critical data. Leading one business responsibly means preventing risks, but also having a well thought out plan in case a risk realizes. This is why established companies (enterprises in particular) invest in hiring IT professionals that use their expertise to design the most effective disaster recovery plan.

The loss of business data can occur due to many different factors: from natural disasters and mission critical application failures to network and system failures, hacker attacks and viruses, and even human errors.

Bearing that in mind, a disaster recovery plan is a step-by-step plan that defines procedures, activities, and responsibilities of key stakeholders in the event of a so-called IT disaster. It implies a set of documented policies that are to be deployed in order to minimize the effects of the disaster and recover the minimum of data that’s necessary for business continuity.

So, what does the cloud technology have to do with this? Well, cloud technology is the perfect piece of the puzzle when it comes to ensuring business continuity. Many companies strategically use cloud as a “safety net” for their data, because cloud enables data backup and recovery on remote machines.

In addition, cloud environment is typically very secure, which means your data remains protected. Depending on your business needs and the type of data you store, you can pick between public, private, and hybrid type of cloud solution, and your choice will dictate the supposed level of security. 

## Cloud Helps Businesses Drive Innovation

When it comes to strategic importance of cloud computing in business organizations, we have to take a closer look on how this technology supports innovation. 

Innovation might sound like a “buzzword” since it has been overly used nowadays, especially in the startup communities. However, innovation is essential for gaining competitive edge, especially if we are talking about companies that operate in oversaturated markets.

The way cloud computing technology is implemented in a business organization depends on different layers and components associated with this technology. The main components are IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and SaaS (Software as a Service):

- IaaS enables business organizations to rent the infrastructure that includes different servers, operating systems, virtual machines, etc. So, users pay for the usage of these resources.

- PaaS provides services on demand so that users can develop applications in the cloud environment with ease.

- SaaS implies providing the software services to clients, without them having to worry about the development of the application or its hosting.

These three components enable business organizations to implement new strategies that will drive their growth and help them secure or improve their market position. The cloud environment is great for development because it is reliable and can be easily reached by any person who is authorized to access the system - anytime, anywhere.

Cloud systems are known for high performance and they enable instant collaboration between many different parties (e.g. developers and testers), which ultimately cuts down the revision cycle and allows multiple iterations to happen without any hiccups. Because the information flows rapidly throughout the system, products can be launched faster and the productivity levels get improved.

## Cloud Helps Businesses Optimize Their Costs and Scale

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/00796f1b4db442eeae6799977b38b1d2.png)

Compared to on-premise infrastructure and its cost, cloud is a much better option. As we already mentioned, you can pay only for the resources (e.g. storage, Gb of RAM, processing power) you actually use and there is no cost for under utilization. Expenses such as security, upgrades, electricity are all included in the price of the cloud package you choose. More importantly, the provider takes care of the infrastructure and monitors it 24/7.

With a monthly fee, your business organization can enjoy better cost predictability and can always increase the resources if necessary. So, through cloud services, you can ensure agility and scalability, which support your business growth. In case of a physical infrastructure, scaling wouldn’t be so simple and would imply additional costs for hardware, software, licensing, security, electricity, man power, and a list of other things.

So, the cloud transforms IT from capital expense (CapEx) into operating expense (OpEx).

Of course, the fact that the cloud allows you to optimize expenses doesn’t mean you will instantly manage to do so. You need a solid team of IT experts that will help you implement the right cloud solution into your business organization so that it truly brings strategic value. For instance, combining Azure Reserved Instances (RIs) with Azure Hybrid Benefits can save users [up to 82%](https://azure.microsoft.com/es-mx/blog/new-azure-management-and-cost-savings-capabilities/) compared to the standard pay-as-you-go prices.

Simply put, you have to identify your needs for resources and have a good estimation of your plans for the future, so that you can explore the best cost-efficient options. Whether you choose to hire an IT consultant outside of your company or let your internal team handle this task, it’s an important step to take in order to truly save money in the long run. Even once you move to the cloud, it’s advisable to regularly run total revisions of possible unused or unattached resources, consolidate idle resources, and do a cost analysis to see if there might be a better solution for your specific business case. 

## Want to Make the Most of the Cloud? We’re Here For You.

As you can see from everything written in this article, strategic importance of cloud computing in business organizations is huge. However, we also know that this field might be confusing to you, especially if you don’t have a tech background.

There are many different providers and solutions on the market. Even though the cloud technology offers so many benefits and can be a great ally for optimizing company expenses, many businesses fall into a trap and end up overspending in cloud infrastructure; some estimations say that this figure goes around [$62 billion each year](https://ceoworld.biz/2018/04/24/how-much-money-can-you-save-from-62-billion-overspend-in-cloud-infrastructure/). We can all agree that this is an outrageous amount of wasted money. The tool is only as good as its user, and the same is true in the context of the strategic value cloud can bring to your business.

At Share IT, we strongly advocate [Microsoft Azure](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/Top-Business-Benefits-of-Microsoft-Azure) as the leading solution in the cloud industry, and here’s just a short overview of the reasons why.

Microsoft Azure ensures great speed on three levels: speed of deployment, operation, and scalability. You can scale on demand and rest assured you’ll never run out of server capacity. It is cost-efficient and you can even do a total cost of ownership analysis with the help of their [free online calculator](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/tco/), which gives you a pretty good idea of what you can expect. Most importantly, Microsoft Azure has an unrivaled level of security with over 3,500 cybersecurity experts monitoring the infrastructure, 24/7. 

At Share IT, we make sure our clients truly make the most of the cloud computing technology. We can help by designing the perfect, tailor-made Azure infrastructure solution, upgrading or migrating your operations to the latest Microsoft platforms, or creating an enterprise application in Azure for your business needs.

[Get in touch with us today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) to learn more about our services or schedule a talk with our IT consultant.


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Want to learn more about the strategic importance of cloud computing in business organizations? Find out what cloud can do for you in Share IT’s blog post

Strategic Importance of Cloud Computing in Business Organizations

Nowadays, cloud computing is a hot topic. This particular model that makes resources (e.g. virtual machines, applications, storage) available to users remotely, has become a must-have for businesses that are looking to cut down costs and increase flexibility. 

However, even though everyone is thinking about relocating to cloud, for most business professionals this is still a mystery box. As they proceed to inform themselves about transferring their business to this environment, businesses start to acknowledge that the cloud is not a single entity where you can just dump all your data.

There are usually three models of cloud service (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS) to compare and every single one of them brings different benefits and variances. It’s important to understand the pros and cons of each of them in order to successfully choose the best one for your operation.

Today, we will not compare these different types of service, but rather look at the two most powerful providers in the cloud industry: [Azure](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/Top-Business-Benefits-of-Microsoft-Azure) and AWS.

But, before we jump into that, let’s see what’s the big fuss about cloud anyway.

## TL;DR: Understanding Cloud Computing 

[Cloud computing](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/cloud-business-benefits) is the platform of choice in today's world of Big Data and Data Science. Before deciding to move to a cloud-based environment, it’s of great importance to first learn about all possible options and find the best possible provider.

As you’ll figure out by yourself once you start to read more on this subject, finding the best provider won’t be an easy task. In majority of cases, every provider offers the same things. The challenging part revolves around finding a platform that best meets your business requirements.

For example, if you run a company that ends up needing a strong Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) provider or some kind of Windows integration - you should go with Azure. However, in case your enterprise-level company needs an IaaS platform (infrastructure-as-a-service) or a diverse set of tools - then you might want to consider siding with AWS. 

This is of course, very simplified. It is just the tip of the iceberg. There are tons of details you’ll need to know in order to successfully move to the cloud. More recently, a parameter for making this decision includes the amount of built-in analytics tools available on each of the potential platforms.
Since this is not a simple process that most business professionals can accomplish without proper education, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) have decided to compare two of the biggest cloud providers [AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/) and [Azure](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/), and help you decide which one is best for you.

## General Overview

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/4ed074a3a9244974841d6246d92f25cf.png)

Amazon Web Services, a.k.a. AWS, is a cloud service platform created and managed by Amazon. It was launched in 2006 and is considered to be the ultimate cloud platform. According to the website [ParkMyCloud](https://www.parkmycloud.com/blog/aws-vs-azure-vs-google-cloud-market-share/), with an increase of 49% in sales in the last 12 months, AWS has solidified its position as the global market share leader in cloud computing. It has been reported that AWS revenue now makes up a whopping 13% of total Amazon sales.

Just like AWS, Azure is also owned and managed by a big and powerful company. This cloud service provider was launched in 2010 by Microsoft. Even though it came rather late into the game, Azure quickly became one of the biggest commercial providers on the market. Thanks to its wide array of tools and toys, Azure became interesting to IT users in record time.

Both of these brands operate in the same field. However, Azure services are a bit different than AWS’. Regardless of the fact that these two are often compared to each other, Azure has a different cloud business. This platform offers not only Azure, but also Office 365, Dynamics 365, and other segments of the Productivity and Business Processes Division. It gives the user a wide range of integrated cloud services and functionalities such as analytics, computing, networking, database, storage, mobile and web applications that seamlessly integrate with their environment, allowing users to achieve efficiency and scalability.

Microsoft reported that they are doing quite well with Azure. ParkMyCloud claims that Microsoft’s Azure grew 41% in revenue in the first three months of 2019. Supposedly, analysts say that [Azure is growing at a faster rate than AWS](https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/24/microsoft-q3-2019-earnings.html) when it was at a similar size. You could say that Azure steadily grown into a more than worthy rival of AWS, even though AWS still sits on the throne of the cloud computing world.

## Azure vs. AWS: Computing

AWS uses Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) as a primary solution for scalable computing. These instances can be tailored with a great number of options. In addition to this, AWS provides related services such as Elastic Beanstalk for app deployment, the EC2 Container service, AWS Lambda and Autoscaling.

Microsoft’s Azure operates on a different principle. For computing purposes, Azure relies on VHDs (Virtual Hard Disks) to create virtual machines (VMs). Google's Compute Engine delivers these VMs in Google's data centres. These disks can be pre-configured by Microsoft, the user, or a third party. The user is obligated to specify the number of cores and the amount of memory. Everything is highly customizable depending on the needs of the customer.

Even though both options are excellent, AWS can be seen as a better option for beginners. Firstly, it has a vast tool set. Secondly, it allows users to use their own VMS or pre-configured images. 

With Azure, it’s quite different and there are more steps that need to be taken. Users first have to select the VHD to create a VM which is pre-configured by the third party. In addition to that, as mentioned above, they are also obliged to specify the number of cores and memory.

## Azure vs. AWS: Storage

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/68818a1706de4fe49c8a2196b04b96f2.png)

As for the storage capabilities, AWS is the name in which a lot of companies place their trust in, but Azure has also proven to be quite reliable. Since AWS is the longest running storage on the market, it contains the largest library of tutorials. From a total noobs’ perspective, this makes AWS a clear winner in this category. 

Both providers are quite strong in this field and have all the standard features such as REST API and server-side data encryption. Azure’s storage system is known simply as Blob, while Amazon has named theirs as Simple Storage Service (S3).

AWS' cloud ensures high data availability. Due to its automatic replication of the data across regions, it serves as a great disaster recovery solution. Once the instance starts, the temporary storage starts functioning. The moment the instance terminates, temporary storage stops working. Here, block storage can be kept separate or tied to any EC2 instance.

On the other hand, Azure relies on temporary storage and page blobs for VM based volumes. If you compare the two provides, you could say that the Azure's Block Storage option works similarly to AWS' S3. Azure also offers two different types of storage, Hot and Cool. Hot is more expensive and therefore more comprehensive, while Cool is a cheaper option.

## Azure vs. AWS: Databases

Needless to say, databases are crucial. All software applications require databases to save information. Both Azure and AWS provide database services, regardless of whether you need a relational database or a NoSQL offering. 

AWS works like a clock with NoSQL and relational databases. It provides a respectable environment for big data. AWS’ core analytics offering EMR (a managed Hadoop, Spark and Presto solution) helps set up an EC2 cluster and provides integration with various AWS services. 

Azure is also good with NoSQL and relational databases. Azure HDInsight and Azure Table are definitely great in this context. In addition, Azure provides analytical products through its exclusive Cortana Intelligence Suite that comes with Hadoop, Spark, Storm, and HBase.

In terms of RDS and the supported database engines, AWS can be based on MySQL, Microsoft SQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Amazon Aurora, and Maria DB. On the other hand, the database service of Azure is based only on MS SQL server. Azure is probably simpler and more user-friendly since its interface allows many different operations. AWS on the other hand, has more instance types, allowing the user greater control over DB instances.

## Azure vs. AWS: Flexibility and Pricing

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/35410bac91f8475084ae066448169109.png)

Most companies now require a hybrid cloud environment that combines the elements of a on-premises infrastructure, private cloud environment, and a third-party public cloud. This lets them maneuver between the two platforms. 

Flexibility is probably the only category on this list where we have a clear winner. Azure is open to hybrid cloud systems, while AWS is not. The Amazon-owned provider is in general less open to private or third-party cloud providers, making Azure a clearly better option for users who are looking for a hybrid cloud. 

Azure has a very solid cloud infrastructure which shouldn’t surprise us. Microsoft has experience with enterprises and knows the importance of data centers to them. That's why Azure offers great flexibility and data deployment options to its customers.

Pricing is another field where Azure takes the win. While AWS regularly lowers its prices, many customers find it quite hard to figure out AWS' cost structure. These same customers experience great difficulty managing these costs effectively when they run many workloads on the service. 

The costs of extracting data and files once they are in AWS’s storage control is also an issue. Even though the company tries to be as transparent as possible when it comes to things they charge for, most users don’t educate themselves beforehand so they end up spending more money than they need to. 

The pricing situation often outweighs all AWS’ strengths for most clients.

## Closing Words

Thank you for taking the time to read this article in its entirety. We at Share IT sincerely hope it acquainted you better with AWS and Azure cloud services. As you can see from everything written above, it’s not quite that easy to point at one of the two options and declare it as a clear winner. Both providers offer great services that work differently for different businesses with different requirements.

If you’re not quite sure what would be the best and cost-efficient cloud solution for your company, [contact us for a consultancy](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) and let us help you migrate to cloud the right way.

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Looking to migrate to cloud, but you’re not quite sure about the available options out there? Start by reading Share IT’s Azure vs. AWS pros and cons list.

Azure vs AWS: Pros and Cons List

Creating a website for enterprise-level companies differs in many ways from creating a personal blog or a small business website. 

First and foremost, it’s not something that you can do by yourself if you’re not a professional coder with years of experience. In most cases, bigger companies require complex solutions which can’t be created with premade WordPress themes. Such projects often require outside-of-the-box thinking, custom design, complex database and server configurations, data security protocols, and a lot of back-and-forth collaboration with the corporate IT sector.

The design and the functionality of such websites have to perfectly match the corporation's brand and values, but they also have to complement the company’s sales funnel and help optimize its conversions. 

For people who don’t really have experience with building enterprise level websites, taking a project of this size and complexity could cause a lot of drama. 

Over the last couple of years, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) have created dozens of complex apps and websites for our clients who run big businesses, and none of them were simple solutions. Every single one of them was a challenge of its own that demanded a lot of planning, back-and-forth communication, and great commitment and attention from our best developers. 

From our experience, building websites and apps for enterprise-level businesses is quite similar to building skyscrapers. You need to have the best crew and a sound blueprint before you decide to break ground and start laying down the bricks. Since this is a difficult job where simple mistakes and bad estimations end up costing companies a lot of money, we at Share IT have decided to share our process with you.

## 1. Phase One: Website Architecture

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/25764e4d4b8f425d89781c63ca137e8c.png)

For us at Share IT, the first and most important part of creating an enterprise-level website revolves around its future architecture. Before we can start discussing UI and UX, we first need to get a solid understanding of the general purpose of the website. We need to come up with a clear answer to the question: Who is going to be visiting it and why?

Once we do that, we need to gain in-depth knowledge of everything that’s going to be part of the construction and maintenance of the future website. We’re talking about all the web development tools and marketing technologies that will influence how the website will look and feel. In order to plan the project efficiently and effectively, it’s imperative for us to know with what kind of materials are we going to build the construct (yep, another architecture reference).

We need to learn about the planned website technologies before the production begins. That way, our dev can familiarize themselves with everything they need to know to get the project done right. 

At this first phase, we at Share IT try to get a detailed brief from the client about their business. We define website goals and identify who’s the target audience. At this point, we want to make sure that we understand what the client wants and what is the expected outcome of the project. 

Every website is built with a different idea in mind: to generate more money for the company online, to increase the offline market share through online marketing, to better engage customers online, and so on. This is a very important step because the goal defines the entire direction of the project. 

Our job here is to listen to our clients’ wishes, but also consult them how to reach their ultimate goal with their website. Knowing that most people don’t really know how to set attainable goals, we talk to our client a lot in this phase and, with the help of the [SMART criteria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria), try to help them come up with a concrete and precise goal for their website.

We also go the extra step and analyze the competition to see what kind of solutions they have. Maybe they have something that is worth analyzing and implementing in our product.

## 2. Phase Two: The Functionality and Mechanics of the Future Website

Once we complete phase one and get all the necessary data that we are supposed to create, we proceed to scenario mapping where we begin thinking as future users and start coming up with probable scenarios of their desired actions on the website.

With the help of our client, we create different user personas and try to think about the goals of each of those personas and how they’ll interact with the future website. This process helps us identify weak points in our current blueprint and figure out how to fix them.

Our goal here is to enable future website visitors to easily find the information they need, without any unnecessary complications. The less time they waste digging through the website, the better the chances of generating conversions our client will have.

In this part of the process, we put the personas on one side and the goals on the other. Then, we try to create the best paths to connect them. We categorize them and start thinking about a possible navigation system. You could do this manually, through a Google Sheet, you can even use one of the many available tools online specifically designed for this particular type of work. We at Share IT tend to use [Xmind](https://www.xmind.net/). 

## 3. Putting Together a Prototype

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/06f11eadbcba4d3ab7796275e1ced9e8.png)

Now that all the ground work is done, the production can finally start. In this phase, we start building the website’s prototype. We design the wireframe, place the information on web pages and create a sort of skeleton of the website. 

We start with the homepage and then follow the supposed users’ paths and create a skeleton for each of the clients’ pages. The primary navigation menu comes first. It’s imperative to figure out the number of menu items and the number of drop-down menus.

When creating a wireframe for each of the web pages separately, we focus on the type of users that will most likely land on each of the pages, and then we define what they are likely to be looking for. This helps us organize the information on the page from most important to least important. 

Before jumping into this part of the process, we make sure to take a few steps back and refresh our knowledge of the client’s target audience in the documentation we gathered in the previous phases.

## 4. Phase Four: Testing the Prototype

After you finish designing a prototype, we always invite the client to look at it before we continue with the development. We then show the construct to the right decision maker and explain the benefits of this solution for their specific case. Client education and transparency are of paramount importance. Sometimes, visions won’t match, so it’s essential to leave nothing to chance.

Investing time into nurturing healthy communication is the way to go. We tend to sit down with the client and take them on a guided tour to what we’ve done. But we don’t stop there. Depending on how involved they want to be, we can also explain the alternative options we discussed and showcase why we discarded them in the end. 

If the client has chosen the [Time & Materials constructual model](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/how-we-work), they have the right to request changes during the project implementation. From our experience, a good brief and healthy business communication reduces the revision cycle to a minimum, saving time for both parties involved.

## 5. Phase Five: Prototype Usability Testing

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/a46ef6793e9747e096b535481552d51c.png)

Once the client sends its comments and we apply them to the prototype, it’s time to test it on the potential users before moving further. There are a few ways to do the testing. For instance, there are tools available online that generate prototypes into HTML. [Axure](https://www.axure.com/) is one of them. This makes prototypes interactive and ready for users to try them out.

This part of the process helps us find the possible gaps in the design and fix them before it becomes too expensive or complicated to change things. It’s always smart to organize a small focus group and let people dig through the design while taking notes of bugs or other things that don’t feel intuitive enough. When we at Share IT organize this type of testing, we end up with a valuable list of first impressions and technicalities that need sorting. 

In most cases, the comments we receive from the focus group is targeted towards the UX and UI. They tell us what users found annoying and what made it difficult for them to navigate through the website. This is all precious feedback that we use to improve the overall flow and functionality of the website in question.

## 6. Phase Six: The Development Phase

After everything is sorted, it’s time to compose the project specification document and forward it to our devs. The specs should be detailed and thorough, but also concise as possible. This document should contain information about software and web technologies which should be used to make the prototype come to life. Design requirements should also be clear and in sync with the client’s wishes.

Once that is done, our team starts creating the actual website. The graphic elements are supposed to be designed simultaneously. As with the prototype, the homepage comes first and then the other pages. Frameworks and CMS should be implemented to make sure that the server can handle the installation and setup smoothly. All the static web page elements and layouts that were designed in the prototype phase should be created and tested by now.

After all the pieces are put together, that’s when we focus on the special features and interactivity. This is where the prep work concerning the web development tools and marketing technologies comes to shine.

Not to get too techy, but different technologies have different advantages. For instance, Reactjs might be better for dynamic and single page apps while [Angular is great for enterprise web applications](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/react-vs-angular) and software. It all depends on the specific requirements of each individual project.

## Before You Leave...

Thank you for taking the time to read our latest post. We sincerely hope that it helped you learn a thing or two about building websites for enterprise-level clients, or at least - how we at Share IT do it.

As you can see from everything written above, our process is simple and easy to follow. If you’re a developer, feel free to copy it and reach out if you get stuck in any of these phases.

If you have a web development project in mind, [reach out to us](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) and we’ll get back to you shortly.

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Wondering about what it takes to create a website for enterprise-level companies? Read more about the simplified process

Creating a Website for Enterprise-Level Companies

When starting a new project, a Java programmer, just like any other coding professional, has to decide which framework to use. Sounds pretty simple, right? 

Well, not quite.

Finding the best framework for a new system, app or website that operates on JavaScript is of crucial importance for every business because it directly influences the project’s durability and the ability to maintain it and scale it in the future.

There are loads of JavaScript tools on the market. In fact, there are so many of them that it has become a real challenge for developers to select the appropriate technology for their projects. They are all built for problem-solving, but they are quite different from each other. And these differences are not to be ignored. 

## The Reactjs vs. Angular Debate

While Angular and React remain among the top solutions for all JavaScript related projects, picking the right framework is not easy. Both are highly-performing, advanced, and greatly used by programmers across the globe. If you explore the comparisons available online, the line between the two is really thin. 

The results of [StackOverflow](https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2017)'s study says that React is slightly more popular than Angular. Around  60% of their respondents voted for React, while the remaining 40% sided with Angular. 

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that React is “better” than Angular. It might only indicate that programmers are more used to it, especially because React is used on such projects as Facebook or Instagram. However, as a company that also uses Angular for a lot of projects, we can claim firsthand that Angular is amazing for large-scale web applications.

In order to help you understand the differences between these two frameworks and all the pros and cons that go with them, we at [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) have decided to create a comparison list, based on our real-life experience with both Angular and React, and put them head to head.

## History and Context

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/bbbf7c7f480b4c0e8a9a02e1457be6cb.png)

Before we start untangling the messy Reactjs vs. Angular debate, let us first provide you with a bit of history and context.

Angular is a JavaScript framework written in TypeScript. It was developed by Google. The company known for creating the most popular search engine in the world also maintains this framework and tries to improve it. So far, there are eight versions of Angular. Angular 2 is a complete rewrite of AngularJS, and that version brought drastic changes to the table. Other versions carry smaller tweaks, changes, and improvements, but they’re also quite important. Google uses Angular for some of its most important projects like AdWords, so it’s safe to say that Angular is important and that Google has no plans of letting it fizzle out.

Similar to Angular, React is also created by a major company. Facebook is in charge of developing and maintaining this JavaScript library. React was released six years ago and is described as “a JavaScript library for building user interfaces”. React is used far more at Facebook than Angular is at Google. Facebook is betting big on this technology. Bearing that in mind, it’s safe to say that React is here to stay, just like Angular.

So, now that we understand the basics of these two frameworks, let’s compare them.

## Main Differences

As it can be seen from everything written above, React is a JavaScript library, whereas Angular is a complete MVC framework. The former is created using JavaScript, while the latter is developed in TypeScript. 

- Taking the User’s Level of Experience in Mind

React is just a view part of the MVC framework, while Angular is much more than that. Both React and Angular provide users with a lot of quality tools, but those who prefer to code in classical JavaScript may find React a better option. For those who already have experience working in JavaScript, the learning curve is much lighter with React than with Angular. However, for programmers who are looking for a mature and sophisticated solution - Angular is clearly a better choice. 

- The Compatibility with Newer Versions

ReactJS is completely compatible with its older versions. You can add different releases of the libraries to your web app and update the old ones with the property inheritance. Since AngularJS has been completely rewritten into Angular 2, the compatibility with newer and older versions of this framework stop with its second release. To add a component from Angular 2 to Angular 3, you first need to install all the updates from the newer version. You can’t really just jump in. This, however, complicates the process and might negatively influence your project. 

- Looking at the Community Support

When it comes to community support, Angular has stronger support since it is being more used than React. There are many detailed-documents and guides you can find for Angular, so in most cases, you don’t even have to reach out to the community for help. Since Angular is used by lots of programmers, you can find a lot of resources online where you can ask questions about specific problems and search for answers on your own. 

With React, things are a bit different. The tech support is more complex than it should be. Yes, the community is huge and willing to help, however, it’s never easy to find the documentation that has all the correct information about the implementation. Since React is an open-source code and new libraries tend to appear every day, the lack of information often becomes a problem.

## And What About the Rendering and UX?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/058fc54d829e4628b3d8513e8f2dadc4.png)

ReactJS is best utilized for dynamic and single page applications since it uses virtual DOM, can quickly react to data changes whereas Angular is best suited for creating cross-platform mobile apps and progressive enterprise web applications and software.

ReactJS uses one-way data binding. This means that any model changes can affect the view but not vice-versa. With Angular, it’s a different story. This framework uses two-way data binding means any model changes would affect the view and vice versa.

ReactJS uses virtual DOM which is a simplified version of DOM. Angular 4 uses the browser’s DOM. In case you’re not familiar with the term, DOM (short for Document Object Model) is a cross-platform and language-independent interface that allows programmers to access and change the document’s contents, layout, and even structure. 

Both React and Angular have their unique way of DOM processing which influences the rendering of the end page displayed on the user’s screen. For instance, React clones the DOM, processes the copy and compares the results with the source. Then, in the original doc (the one that is displayed on the user’s screen), React replaces the parts that are different from the processed version. This drastically speeds up loading time and rendering of the page, which, at the same time, significantly reduces the amount of traffic used. This is of great value to mobile users.

DOM processing is quite different in Angular. This framework splits the DM in two threads, where the browser (on the client’s side) is in charge of the DOM rendering while the main thread (on the server-side) is responsible for creating directives as well as loading the code and the services.

However, this doesn’t mean that the rendering is done on the client’s side. The visualization is still carried out by the servers. This positively affects the whole SEO aspect of the story because Google bots will get the correct page while indexing the page.

When directly comparing the rendering methodology and capabilities of React and Angular, React comes on top as a better option. 

## Closing Words

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. As you can see from everything written above, picking the right JavaScript framework is not as easy as most people think. It can be really hard to stay objective and find a good enough reason to write-off one of these options from the list.

Speaking from our experience, React is better for smaller projects, those where you need to get the gist of an environment quickly. When it comes to bigger ones, it would be smarter to rely on Angular because it guarantees you flexibility and really quick rendering. If you come face to face with any serious obstacles, Angular’s rich support and community will definitely make all the difference.

*For more resources like this, check out the growing [Share IT’s library](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog). In case you have a project in mind, [contact us](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) for more details and we’ll get back to you shortly. *

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Curious about the pros and cons of Reactjs and Angular? Read more about the Reactjs vs. Angular debate and discover which framework works the best for you.

Reactjs vs Angular: Pros and Cons List

The way we work is constantly evolving. Just a couple of years ago, remote work was a concept that was strictly reserved for startups and smaller companies that operate on a very modest budget. They didn’t have much to offer to their talent so they needed to get creative in order to encourage better employee retention rates and bring in new quality workers to their ranks.

A flexible work schedule seemed like a good idea, so most smaller companies and startups made remote work an integral part of their offer. 

Remote work culture is what motivated companies to invest heavily in cloud-based solutions that help them store files on centralized servers that can be accessed from multiple devices. Two of the most well-known cloud-based platforms that allow you to save, share, and sync files across devices are Microsoft’s [SharePoint](https://products.office.com/en-us/sharepoint/collaboration)and [OneDrive](https://onedrive.live.com/about/en-US/)for business. 

Since we at [Share It](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) are certified Microsoft professionals with in-depth knowledge of all Microsoft products, we decided to write a new post on our blog about these two products and their key differences. The idea here is to deeply acquaint you with both SharePoint and OneDrive and enable you to make an educated decision when choosing the right cloud-based platform for your business.

## Taking a Closer Look: Why Intelligent Cloud Solutions Are Necessary for the Remote Work Culture

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/cb6d4c5f72ec457791d1d4110c12fb80.png)

What once seemed like a “Hail Mary”, today became the norm. In 2019, remote work is slowly becoming a concept that even bigger players are trying to implement. A significant number of bigger companies now have some sort of remote work policy, making it possible for their employees to do their job outside of company walls. This particular decision is definitely having a wildly positively impact on the overall [employee productivity and satisfaction rates](https://www.workflexibility.org/the-business-case-how-work-flexibility-improves-productivity/). 

According to [Global Workplace Analytics](https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/resources/costs-benefits), businesses can save a lot of money every year just by allowing their workers to work from the comfort of their home or their favorite coffee shop. [AT&T saved $30 million in real estate](https://www.networkworld.com/article/2316533/inside-at-t-s-telework-program.html) by offering remote work options. Similarly, Dell saved $12 million on office space expenses and is planning to further develop its [remote work program](https://money.cnn.com/2016/06/09/pf/dell-work-from-home/index.html).

In such a climate where people are being given the opportunity to work from anywhere they please, providing employees with solutions that enable them to successfully collaborate across different locations or alternate between a home office and corporate headquarters has become an extremely important factor.

## The Fundamentals of SharePoint and OneDrive

If you have been reading our blog, you’re already familiar with SharePoint. We published a [beginner’s guide to using SharePoint](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-basics) and other pieces that go into detail about [SharePoint’s intranet](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-intranet), [optimizing workflows](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/The-ABCs-of-Optimizing-Your-Workflow-with-SharePoint), and using this tool for [ticket management](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-ticket-management).

In case you haven’t read any of these articles (and we think you should), let’s start from the beginning and cover the basics.

SharePoint and OneDrive are cloud-based services developed by Microsoft that allow you to store, share, and sync files across different devices. Both of these products are part of the Office 365 suite and they are designed to help small to enterprise-level businesses from any industry excel at their work.

SharePoint has been on the market for almost 19 years. It was released back in 2001 and reportedly has over 190 million users. OneDrive, on the other hand, was launched 12 years ago and has roughly around 250 million users.

## SharePoint vs. One Drive: User Focus

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/2fcca9aa8fa54f829f977a14a604f097.png)

If you take the time to carefully analyze both of these products, you will notice that they are marketed differently. SharePoint is marketed mainly as a document management and storage system, [but it can be configured to provide much more than that](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/what-is-sharepoint-and-what-do-enterprises-need-to-know-about-it). OneDrive, which was previously known as SkyDrive and Windows Live Folders, is part of the Office suite of online services.

For regular users who own a Microsoft online account, OneDrive is available for personal use. There is also another product called OneDrive for Business that is available for users who pay for the Office 365 subscription. As you probably know, Microsoft cares deeply about user experience and designs its products so that they offer maximum convenience to those who need them. This is why it's possible to access your SharePoint storage locations directly from the Office 365 dashboard.

Now, if you are someone who uses both OneDrive and SharePoint when in the office, you might find it hard to look beyond the overlapping points of these software apps in terms of their functionalities. They seem similar, don't they? This is why it can be quite a challenge to map out the pros and fortes of OneDrive and SharePoint, and really make the best of them. Today, we'll try to provide a comprehensive answer to the ongoing SharePoint vs. OneDrive debate.

## SharePoint vs. One Drive: Access Management

OneDrive is probably the best place to upload private work documents that only you need to see. As said above, OneDrive is meant for personal use. This is not necessarily a problem unless you find yourself in a situation where you have to move documents.

Sometimes, documents you start on your own grow in importance and become of crucial value to projects you’re working on with other people. When that happens, it’s only logical to assume that you will need to move or copy those docs to folders where others who work on those same projects - can access them as well.

However, moving documents via OneDrive is never an easy task. There are a few issues you need to keep in mind when moving files from your OneDrive to a shared library. 

Firstly, the default setting on every document is private, which isn’t really the case with SharePoint. SharePoint allows you to set permissions by directory or folder. Every new upload inherits the unique permissions of the folder or directory in which it is being uploaded. This makes SharePoint generally a better choice for files that are meant to be part of a team collaborative effort.

## SharePoint vs. One Drive: Collaboration and Document Discoverability

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/61ed3e6aeeeb43adae65a9e02c667947.png)

Hyperlinks are a problem as well for OneDrive. If you create a copy of the doc and delete the original file, the links will stop working. With OneDrive, it’s highly advisable to share the document you moved to the team site to give people on the site an updated, working link. Plus, it’s also not a bad idea to replace the old resource with an announcement that discloses the new docs precise location.

With SharePoint, sharing and moving files is not such an issue. On this platform, employees can view and edit all stored files that they can see. The changes they make are always being tracked which makes it possible for everyone with a higher-access account to keep a close eye on everything that’s happening with specific docs.

The one big thing that sets these two products apart lies in the following: SharePoint allows offices to create collaborative hubs for shared workspaces. Teams are able to set up their intranet websites that enable them to work together on specific projects. From there, they can run entire projects, add status updates and use the embedded calendars to keep track of all the tasks and deadlines. SharePoint also makes it possible for users to message each other with the help of a simple tool called Yammer. The platform directly removes all the pain points that come with online collaboration and makes it easy for everyone to stay up to date and productive.

## SharePoint vs. One Drive: Storage and Functionalities

For personal and simple document storage and management, OneDrive is a decent enough solution. It makes external sharing difficult, plus it is not intended as a place to permanently store files. But that’s not a problem if you use it for yourself.

However, it’s important to disclose that OneDrive gives each user 1TB of storage, which is not enough for any bigger team collaboration. Sure, you can pay for more, but it’s gonna set you back probably more than you would initially want to go. The max capacity you can get is 5TB.

If you’re looking for a platform to help you collaborate with a higher number of people, SharePoint is definitely a better option.

Simple and easy file access for all your team members, smooth collaboration, advanced security, flexibility, versatility, scalability, integration - these are just some of the key value points that come to our mind when talking about SharePoint as a collaborative document management system for businesses.

## Closing Words

SharePoint vs. OneDrive share a lot of the same features. They are not exactly the same, but not entirely different either. 

It all depends on what you plan to do with your cloud-based storage and doc management platform, how much storage you need, and how many people will collaborate on specific projects.

We hope this article helped you grasp the essence of these differences. For further insights and the best solution for your particular case, [reach out to us](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) for a consultation.

box.png

You need an efficient cloud solution to support your workflows, but not sure where to begin? Start by reading our SharePoint vs. One Drive blog post.

SharePoint vs. OneDrive: Key Differences Between the Two Platforms

As a web and app development company,[Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) is responsible for creating code that “tells” websites and application how to operate. In our company, we usually build apps, services, and websites from the ground up, which means that we pay extra attention to how our products are going to communicate with the end-users.

In order to ensure that our solutions actually meet our clients’ needs and preferences, we use a wide variety of different coding languages and frameworks. 

In this particular article, we would like to talk about ASP.NET, one of the most important weapons. We are going to cover all the basics about this particular product and explain why we use it for creating custom solutions.

So, without further ado, let’s jump right in.

## What is ASP.NET and How Does it Work?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/f41a903c27ed45e899254814ceccdfd6.png)

ASP.NET is an open-source, server-side web application framework. It was created by Microsoft at the beginning of the century and it runs on Windows. ASP.NET makes it possible for developers to create web applications, web services, and dynamic content-driven websites. It is used for creating solutions based on HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript that are simple, fast, and can scale to lots and lots of users.

The Dot Net technology is still widely used in the corporate sector. Since Share IT works with a lot of enterprise-level business, we tend to look at ASP.NET as our golden goose.

ASP.NET is made out following components:

- **Language** - a number of different programming languages that exist in the .net framework. For example, languages like VB.net and C#, which are used for developing apps
- **Library** - a base full of different classes of libraries that have all the necessary components which developers use to produce websites and web-based apps 
- **Common Language Routine** - also known as CLI (The Common Language Infrastructure); This is a platform on which Dot Net programs are executed on. Developers use it for running key activities like exception handling and garbage collection.

Using ASP.NET is, to say the least, interesting. Within this framework, developers can separate the design from the code, which makes it easier for them to maintain the ASP.NET app.

In addition, coding with ASP.NET allows them to [control state management](https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/nipuntomar/state-management-in-Asp-Net/), which tends to be a nightmare to code. With ASP.NET, developers can also implement the concept of [caching](http://highoncoding.com/Articles/356_Data_Caching_in_ASP_NET.aspx). The performance of the application can be significantly improved if pages which are often requested by users - get cached and stored in a temporary location. This enables a faster and better response, thus providing a better user experience as well.

Many companies have invested in MS Windows and so they choose to do their web development within that environment. 

However, all that aside, there are many benefits of using ASP.NET for developing websites and apps:

## 1. Simplicity, Security, and Rich Support

The Dot Net tech solves some essential issues most developers struggle with, such as memory management, security, and exceptional handling.

ASP.NET is built into the familiar Windows server environment, which means that it takes our developers less time to set up and configure their environment; that is, if we compare ASP.NET with the other web development platforms which require unique installation and configuration. 

ASP.NET is a quite popular environment. This means that devs can find lots of great resources about it online. Even though this is a free open-source platform, Microsoft has been heavily investing in its development. ASP.NET has a big community that cares about the product and offers support to the companies that run their development through ASP.NET. Simply put, you don’t have to worry about this platform becoming dated anytime soon. 

## 2. Speed

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/97486de6e16842bdb82170e27e9ed1d9.png)

Websites and apps built with ASP.NET have the potential to be a lot faster and more efficient than websites and apps built with PHP and JavaScript, for example. ASP.NET apps are compiled, which in layman's terms means the code is translated into object code, which is then executed. The process takes a small amount of time to complete. After compilation is finished, the code can be executed over and over by the Dot Net platform in almost no time.

The main difference between compiled and interpreted code lies in its execution. The interpreted code is not directly executed by the machine -  it first has to be read and interpreted, and then we get to the execution part. Unlike PHP, JavaScript and Ruby (which fall under the “interpreted code“ category), compiled code doesn’t demand that extra step. This usually makes it faster and more scalable for development. 

## 3. Cost-Effectiveness

In addition to everything mentioned above, ASP.NET also helps cut down costs. As you probably know, software development is a pricey game. Back in the day, development companies had to pay for expensive software in order to build applications.

Thank God we can talk about those days in past tense. In 2019, things are looking far better for devs. In today’s world, almost any type of code can be written with the help of free software.

For example, the code for ASP.NET can be produced with the help of simple text editors, numerous programming text editors that you can find and use for free online, and, of course, Microsoft’s very own Ubiquitous Visual Studio app. This app can also be downloaded for free for non-corporate usage. 

However, if you have a bigger team, you will need to pay for the license to use the Visual Studio. But the service won’t set you back much. The prices are actually okay when you compare them with other integrated development environments and other programming platforms.

In case you have zero to none funds to spare, you can count on Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code, a lightweight editor that is free for use for everyone, even for larger companies.

Since the 2016’s ASP.NET Core release that made it possible for users to host ASP. NET applications on Linux, macOS, and Windows as well (in addition to the standard IIS), the overall server cost has also been significantly cut down to size. Today, handling serious dev projects on ASP.NET is a pretty reasonable process from a financial point of view, too.

## Closing Words

Thank you for taking the time to read our latest blog post in its entirety. We at Share IT sincerely hope it helped you learn more about ASP.NET and all its many benefits.

As you can see from everything written above, ASP.NET is a great framework to use when developing websites and web applications. It is very fast, user-friendly, cost-effective, reliable, and quite popular within the dev community. 

The best thing about  ASP.NET is that it gives its users full control of their development. This platform can be used for literally all types of projects, regardless of their size and complexity.

If you want to learn more about ASP.NET, feel free to reach out to us and we will do everything in our power to answer all your questions. In case you have a project in mind and would like to discuss it with our development team, [contact us](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) today.

Ever wondered what is ASP.NET exactly? Get answers to all your questions and find out why the Dot Net technology won’t become dated anytime soon. 

What is ASP.NET, How Does it Work, and What are the Benefits?

At Share IT, we care deeply about connecting with like-minded people. We believe the IT industry is a vivid and exciting one, filled with inspiring and outstanding professionals and innovators.

This is especially true for the Serbian tech scene.

Looking at the past four years, the IT sector has been the largest contributor to the Serbian economy. Currently, there are more than 2500 software companies and over 30.000 IT people active in Serbia. About two-thirds of them operate with outsourcing as their main business focus, while the remaining one-third develops their own products.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The tech scene is definitely booming and we’re proud to be a part of it. This is why we joined [Tesla Nation](https://teslanation.org/), a project by SEE ICT / Startit.

## What is Tesla Nation?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/6815fde067ee4c81a8f1d07b8212878a.png)

Tesla Nation is a project started with the goal of choosing the best technology inventors and professionals of Serbian heritage, and connect them to partners from all around the world. It is inspired by Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest inventors of all time, the “genius who lit the world”.

Nikola Tesla has gained global recognition in recent years, especially when [Elon Musk named his electric car model](https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/why-elon-musk-named-his-electric-car-tesla/) after the brilliant scientist. Nikola Tesla had around 300 patents in his lifetime but the thing that carved his name in human history is the development of alternating current. This laid the foundation for futuristic technologies such as wireless transmission. Without any doubt, Tesla’s contribution in the field of electricity, radio, and robotics is truly unprecedented.

The late 19th and beginning of the 20th century have been bright years for Serbian science. In the following decades, technical universities were blooming and receiving funding for research. This tradition and the culture of knowledge-sharing continued to live.

Computer science is very present in the Serbian educational system and young kids as little as 11 years old are encouraged to learn different program languages. Some of the languages such as Python are now a mandatory part of the elementary school curriculum. 

This is really good news since kids have an opportunity to explore their interests very early and might discover they have a huge talent for a specific STEM field.

In the light of this rich heritage and equally bright future that awaits, Tesla Nation was formed. Today, it gathers many perspective companies in IT looking to make their own impact in the world.

## How is Tesla Nation Important for Serbia?

The success of Serbian tech scene is huge.

Serbia has truly exquisite engineers which [rank among the top 5](https://teslanation.org/blog-top-5) in the world according to the Global Startup Ecosystem report. In addition, it became the first European country to enjoy the support of Google for its startup accelerator. Not to mention that the Microsoft Development Centre Serbia became one of the most reliable stations in the world with its highly talented and forward-thinking people.

Simply put, Tesla Nation is one of those projects that aim to help this positive image of Serbia come to the surface while tackling prejudice and ignorance.

Indeed, the country has a complex past and political history that many find too complicated to comprehend. However, the false idea of Serbia as an undeveloped or even primitive country is a myth worth busting. Here, some of the finest brains in the world are accomplishing a lot in the field of AI, cloud infrastructure, digital entertainment, and security.

Serbia also attracts a lot of expats because of exciting projects that take place here and intriguing, mission-driven startup stories people want to join. There are also many networking events and plenty of room for professional development.

In such a climate, Tesla Nation acts like a catalyst: it connects people and supports their collaboration.

For instance, if you’re someone who needs help with validating your product hypotheses or you need assistance in the R&D department, Tesla Nation will gladly accept your inquiry and connect you with the right people. Likewise, if you happen to have an idea for building something and you’re looking for an experienced person to take their place as a co-founder, Tesla Nation can help you out.

## Why Has Share IT Joined Tesla Nation?

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/3025177991ff49a5bd242b9605b8a7a4.png)

The ultimate goal of Tesla Nation is to position Serbia as one of the leading countries in the fields of technology, science, and innovation.

This is a cause we too believe in and something we can definitely relate to. Connections and partnerships are equally important as the projects we work on. 

Here’s what Share IT’s founder and CEO Stevan Bebic has to say about this partnership:   

“*We see Tesla Nation as a global PR of the Serbian IT industry. Showcasing the incredible talent pool of Serbia, their accomplishments and success, can surely influence the image of our country in the most positive way. In addition, this project will contribute to the recognition of the great potential we have and build additional trust in our knowledge, capabilities, and education centers. Consequently, I believe, this will lead to further growth and development of our IT companies.*”

It can be tiring to deal with all the misconceptions people might have about Serbia, but it has to be done in order to rehabilitate the country's reputation, and protect and grow the international business operations, too. Acting as a whole and utilizing the power of community is much more efficient than flying solo and taking the role of Don Quichote, explained Stevan:

“*At Share IT, we feel we always have to prove ourselves and go the extra mile because the market looks down on us due to the poor image of the country we come from. Fighting these prejudice alone is exhausting and the achieved results are often short-term. We do note great success in doing so through our everyday work, with individual clients and projects. The high quality of our work can be particularly disarming.*

*But making a greater impact demands a lot of money and time. By connecting with others and joining Tesla Nation, we have an opportunity to be part of one big, significant story that has goals we feel passionate about. The decision to join was good for both Share IT as a business and the individuals who make the company what it is.*”

## Final Words: Connecting the Dots in IT

Our experience has shown that nurturing a sense of community, especially in fast-paced industries such as IT, can be beneficial for all the key stakeholders. Supporting the workforce by exchanging knowledge and unanimously fighting for an important cause such as improving the image of the Serbian IT sector, is something we stand by.

The tech market is truly big and we believe there is a place for everyone.

Like in any other industry, it is possible to distinguish yourself from the competition with the quality of your services, the level of expertise and tech knowledge, the way you handle client communication, the speed of turnarounds, and more.

Since many companies in the region lack marketing and sales skills but excel at technical knowledge, projects like Tesla Nation are more than welcome. They help by filling in the skill gaps and promote those who deserve it the most, thus creating a win-win situation for everyone involved.

We thank Tesla Nation for recognizing Share IT as their valuable strategic partner and look forward to doing great things together. To paraphrase Tesla, the great scientist who inspired this project - the future for which we work will be ours.


tesla_prvi.png

Do you know about Tesla Nation? Read more about this project inspired by Nikola Tesla, the “genius who lit the world” and see why Share IT joined

Share IT Joins Tesla Nation, a Tech Community of Best Industry Professionals of Serbian Heritage

At Share IT, we use a wide range of technologies in order to create the best possible solutions for our clients: from .NET and JavaScript to HTML5 and other languages - we got it covered. Our skillful developers have comprehensive knowledge and are committed to continuous professional development, which ensures every written piece of code is structured and search-compliant.

Today, we wanted to share some insights about ReactJS, an open-source JavaScript library used in web development to build interactive elements on websites. It is especially praised for building single page applications and amazing user interfaces which include buttons, search bars, menus, and all the other elements which enable users to interact with a certain website or app.

ReactJS was created by Jordan Walke, a software engineer at Facebook. It was first deployed on Facebook’s newsfeed in 2011 and then on Instagram the following year.

Want to find out more about ReactJS and its potential, and just how we at Share IT use it? Read more about what our freshly employed frontend developer Stefan Maretic has to say about it, and discover how he found his place in the company. 

## An Early Chance for Professional Growth

Maretic is a Computer Science graduate and a frontend enthusiast, passionate about JavaScript and its modern ecosystem. In addition, he’s been playing guitar over fifteen years and loves discovering and listening to new music.

Maretic has been working in Share IT for 7 months now:

“*I got into Share IT while still going to college. My talent was recognized and I was given an opportunity to work here, even though I didn’t have a lot of work experience. What I like the most about Share IT is a pleasant working atmosphere and a nice [work-life balance](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/work-life-balance) where professional growth is encouraged.*”

Company’s hiring policy relies on recognizing talents and offering space and resources for learning. Like many businesses in the IT industry, the focus is always on the individual’s potential and motivation - even though we value knowledge and professional skills too. Still, from our experience, having the will to learn from seniors, being ambitious and having an inner drive while also feeling comfortable in the company’s culture is often far more important.  

Now, to focus on ReactJS! Here’s what Maretic had to share on this topic.

## ReactJS is Excellent for Making Websites and Apps

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/6a579e9b160e40019ff205acb1f28592.png)
    
Firstly, we were curious to find out how Maretic fell in love with ReactJS and frontend in general:

“*What I like about React is that it taught me how to love JavaScript. In recent years, the usage and growth of JavaScript has inclined astronomically. React was there to push its growth. It is the most popular library for developing modern frontend applications, by a long shot. All of us who work with React have been witnesses to the directions its development took leaps to. I believe it is one of the reasons modern web development got to the place where it is currently at.*”

As he explained, the main advantage of React is that it provides an excellent developer experience for making websites and applications. That is, if you’re efficient at it. Although users can’t tell the difference between an application built with React and some other technology such as Angular or Vue, developers enjoy massive benefits that also influence user experience in the long run:

“*Working with ReactJS, we as developers have the massive benefit of component composability and reusability. When we build our websites in such a way, we extract pieces of a puzzle, and enable ourselves to develop every piece in a self-contained state.

When we build components in isolation that can work without bugs, I think that’s where the users benefit the most. Of course this is in the ‘hands’ of the developer. No framework can help you if you write bad code, but frameworks can help us to make less mistakes in scenarios where it’s easy to make them, and hard to notice.*”

## How ReactJS Works: Getting Technical

Now for the technical part! We asked Maretic to explain how ReactJS works:

“*React works in such a way that it injects a dynamic virtual DOM into a single HTML node. We can have multiple nodes where we will inject our code into, but each node will have a separate tree structure built on top of it. However, these multiple trees will not share state between each other.*”

And what are refs, props, and state in React exactly? Maretic shared his knowledge with us:

“*We can think of refs as selectors for our HTML nodes. They represent the ways we can access inputs in an uncontrolled manner. We can also use refs to programmatically execute code on certain elements, inputs, etc.

Props are properties that we pass in a unidirectional way downward for our JSX tree. They can be of any type -  string, number, boolean, object, function, even another component. There is just one rule about props: they are read-only. We don’t change them, ever. They are there as a reference to what is supposed to be rendered in our browsers, and whenever our props change due to an external action or state change, our component tree re-renders.

State is what we use to store data inside of our components. We can pass state along as props but not vice-versa. If we want to update any value that gets rendered over time it should be handled by state. We have a direct way to update our state in an immutable manner through setState methods.*”

## ReactJS: Controlled, Uncontrolled Inputs, and More

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/e7250591a77f4d60a288696027eded56.png)

The next thing we were curious about were controlled and uncontrolled inputs. Why do we have both of them in ReactJS? 

“*Controlled inputs are the preferred method of storing form and input state inside of our application. Instead of inputs handling their own values, we control their values with state we specify inside of our components. Uncontrolled inputs are inputs that control their own values. By default, every HTML5 input is an uncontrolled input, unless we bind a value and onChange handler to it*”, said Maretic.

So, which ones should be used? Our interlocutor said their usability depends mostly on the chosen approach:

“*Either approach works, although if we want to have complex state management solutions and process form data, uncontrolled inputs will quickly become insufficient. For example, if we want to store state across page refreshes, it’s much easier to store state in the client’s browser than it is to sync uncontrolled inputs to past values.*”

And what about the key property? Here’s why it’s needed:

“*In a tree of siblings, usually rendered through array functions, we need to provide unique keys for each sibling which JSX will reference and know not to update those that haven’t changed. If we didn’t provide keys for each element inside of a list, all of them would get an update on any change in any single component.

Hooks are a new addition in React. They let you use state and other React features without writing a class. My favorite hook is the useReducer hook. It takes a reducer function, and initial state as arguments. Basically it gives us the opportunity to take a redux/flux based approach of updating our state, except the state isn’t global but encapsulated locally wherever the hook is called.*”

## The Future of ReactJS Looks Bright

Because of its extra simplicity and flexibility, ReactJS is becoming very popular. According to the [data from the end of 2017](https://medium.com/@thinkwik/why-reactjs-is-gaining-so-much-popularity-these-days-c3aa686ec0b3), more than 1,300 developers and over 94,000 sites utilize ReactJS. We’re pretty sure this number is now significantly higher and Maretic agrees:

“*React is growing more popular each day, and a lot of enterprise systems are using it on a large scale. And it’s being developed by Facebook. Even companies like Microsoft are adopting and creating third-party libraries for the ecosystem. React is definitely here to stay, job security is certain, and a lot of companies are trying to adopt it as we speak.*”

And what about the future? What will React evolve into? Maretic shares his prognosis: 

“*My personal opinion is that React will be further developed and will continue to grow in the next five years for sure. A lot can happen in this period, especially in an industry that’s so fast-paced, so it would be hard to state any prediction after that. But I think that, no matter what happens, React will exist as a legacy system. Lots of applications will still be using it in the future so their maintenance will be required for the next ten years or so.*”

## Are You Just Starting with ReactJS? Here’s Some Advice

If you’re a frontend developer who’s looking to build a career and wants to specialize in ReactJS, here’s some advice from someone who’s taken that road and is still excited to discover new things:

“*React documentation is the best source for learning the library. There is a lot of good resources from other people as well. But a lot of people teach their personal style of programming as something that is standard, which may not be true. React has a really stable and mature ecosystem, even though with hooks - we experienced a mind shift. Best practices have been instilled for some time now. 

So in short - study through the documentation fully and take your time. React is pretty easy once you know how to use it, but it’s challenging to get there. Don’t rush anything, and go back a few steps if necessary. Sometimes reading things multiple times is the best thing you can do*”, says Maretic.

We thank Maretic for an exciting talk about ReactJS! If you are an aspiring developer looking for employment or internship, feel free to reach out to us and check if there are currently any available places in Share IT.

In case you are a company that’s looking for web or app development service, [reach out to us](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) and we’ll get back to you shortly to discuss your project.



stef.png

Want to learn more about ReactJS? We talked with our frontend developer Stefan Maretic to discover insider details about the growing JavaScript library.

ReactJS in Focus: A Talk with Share IT’s Frontend Developer

As your business grows, you’ll come to a point where you will need to make certain modifications. Regardless of how efficient or well-organized your operation is, the growth itself will force you to think about the bigger picture. For most modern businesses, that means automating and optimizing key processes, increasing productivity, simplifying communication, and improving their bottom line.

You want to leave as much to technology as possible so you and your employees no longer have to waste time on mundane, repetitive tasks that could be done by a piece of software.

This is where IT experts and software development companies enter the picture. For most businesses that don’t have various devs on retainer, reaching out to freelancers and software development companies like [Share IT](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/) is the only way to get their hands on custom technology needed for their business to operate more effectively. They’re far too busy with their day-to-day responsibilities to think about innovation strategies, so they reach out to external contractors and companies for help.

However, this is never a simple process. For organizations that don’t have skillful and experienced IT professionals in their ranks, coming up with custom IT solutions can be a challenge. They don’t really know what they need and how to get it done as quickly and cheaply as possible, so the solutions they end up with are often ineffective and disappointing. Shady companies immediately register their lack of tech knowledge and understanding, so they deliberately push long and complicated solutions on them that end up costing them a ton of money. 

Knowing that this is a recurring problem, we at Share IT have decided to provide our readers and potential clients with a solution. In this particular article, we are going to explain the concept of IT consultancy and why most businesses need to invest in consulting services before anything else.

## Hiring an IT Consultant is, Above All, an Investment 

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/5088e12cb74e499994f9b27babf5135e.png)

One of the main jobs of an IT consultant is to educate the client, listen to their needs and desires, and help them to come up with the best solutions that will improve their company. IT consultants bring immense value in the form of expertise, fresh perspectives, extra capacity, and industry specialization. 

Even though it is tempting to cut costs, it’s not recommended to ignore this part of the process and reach out directly to the service provider who will then immediately start working on your project.

You see, if you have ambitious company goals that require new technology implementation, adding the right IT consultant to the conversation is a must. 

Unlike service providers who act in their interest and are mostly looking to get the job done, regardless of the deadlines and the costs - consultants are focused on your best interests. In a way, they are like watchdogs that stand by your side throughout the whole process and protect you from those who intentionally or unintentionally try to do you harm. 

One of their main responsibilities as your IT consultant is to ensure that the service provider delivers what you truly need and not what’s most profitable for them. If you don’t really know about software development or what kind of solution you need, what technologies the provider is planning to use to bring your ideas to life, etc., hiring an IT consultant will certainly help you end up with a cost-friendly result.

## Data Security and Professional IT Services

Apart from ensuring that you get the best out of your deal with the IT services provider in record time for as little money as possible, IT consultants also focus on data security. They advise businesses not only what’s the fastest and cheapest option for them, but also what’s the safest. These experts help businesses identify loopholes in current systems and teach them how to prevent security breaches.

Also, IT consultants can help businesses select and integrate the latest technologies into its operations. They keep a close eye on everything that’s going on in IT, so they can confidently advise their clients which trends in business technologies have a lasting value and how to successfully adjust their operations to what’s currently working best. 

## Specialized Skills

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/7b7b25b8b5354ab386fa961a8d683045.png)

Apart from the obvious benefits, IT consultants also serve as an “outside eye”. They work with many different companies and, chances are, they have probably encountered the problems you are facing with some other clients in the past. In most cases, thanks to their rich experience, IT consultants can provide you with new and innovative ideas that can change the game in your favor. They can warn you about possible gaps in your approach that you can’t spot on your own. 

One of the main reasons why most companies hire IT consultants is to gain access to specialized sets of skills that they don’t currently have in their company. Because our main area of expertise is SharePoint, with particular focus on web development, mobile development, enterprise software, and cloud infrastructure (Azure) - a lot of enterprise-level companies contact Share IT to help them conceptualize their solutions in this particular domain.

Whenever a client reaches out to us, we try to start with the objectives. Once we get a firm grasp of their business and their goals, that is when we slowly move into strategy and deployment. 

## Neutral Party with an Unbiased Opinion

In specific scenarios, when companies are working on certain problems, it can be difficult for them to take action or make decisions because they’re emotionally invested in the project. So, they bring in consultants to provide an unbiased eye and do some of the dirty work for them.

Just like George Clooney in the movie “Up in the Air”, IT consultants are hired by companies to tackle delicate issues for them. The companies hire these professionals based on their experience and lack of ties with the employees and the company. They run new ideas with them that might not be well-received within an organization, like major reconstructions or controversial innovations that have a potential of increasing stress in the workplace.

## Closing Words

Thank you for taking the time to read this article in its entirety. As you can see from everything written above, IT consulting offers multiple benefits to all types of organizations. Businesses benefit from their wealth of expertise and experience in handling technical tasks. Unfortunately, many business owners wait until they experience a crisis to hire experts. Such an approach may lead to irreversible damage, especially in the case of a poor investment or a security breach. 

We at Share IT have been working as consultants for a while. If you’re having difficulty with optimizing your IT expenses and implementing the best software or application for your business needs, feel free to [get in touch with us today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) and we will do our best to get you back on the right track ASAP.

IT consultants bring immense value in the form of expertise, fresh perspectives, extra capacity, and industry specialization. Interested in learning more?

Why You Need an IT Consultant and Not Just Someone to Make Apps for You

When it comes to mental health in the 21st century, the year 2019 will certainly be remembered as a crucial turning point. Namely, in May this year - the World Health Organization has [officially recognized the burnout syndrome as a disease](https://www.stress.org/burnout-is-now-an-official-medical-condition). 

This decision was saluted by many because such a credible institution opened a long-awaited dialogue about modern health issues caused by stress, fast-paced way of life, and in particular - hostile and toxic work environments which take their toll on one’s well-being. 

The burnout syndrome results from perpetual, chronic workplace stress, and is followed by feelings of exhaustion, negativism, and decreased everyday functionality. In most cases, employees suffer through an overwhelming amount of workload, unrealistic deadlines, continuous pressure, and are forced to work overtime.

At Share IT, we take the mental health of our employees very seriously and respect their private lives, aspirations, and in particular - their need for free time and rest. This is why we treat the work-life balance of each employee as sacred.

Want to know more about how this balance is preserved? Share IT’s CEO Stevan Bebic gives away some of the key insider info.  

## Working More Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Getting More Done

We all participate in a “hustle culture” where working 20 hours a day is celebrated and praised. The pressure to be an extraordinary working professional is high. People are always encouraged to work harder than it is considered to be healthy, and it is somewhat symptomatic of the Western society. In addition, getting over-invested in a job role might lead to other serious health problems such as depression.

Talking with Stevan, we were interested to find out more about what work-life balance means to him personally:

“*As a very young parent, I can say that work-life balance is very important for me. I need time to spend with my wife and kids. In the context of my role as a CEO, family time is an essential part of my stress relief therapy. It helps me unwind, enjoy every moment, and pause for a bit. It is sort of like recharging for the next workday*.”

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/041cf9f77c9f42828fe88796905aa428.png)

Although some might not resist to stay a bit longer at work and get only one additional thing done within a single day, Stevan explains it’s actually a matter of self-discipline:

“*My motto could be summed up like this: give 120% for 6h at work and go home, do not stay after hours, do not work from home. The truth is, when you are well-rested and feel fulfilled, it will have a huge impact on your work performance. Working more doesn’t necessarily result in getting more done. You have to really be there in order to be productive.*”

This is absolutely true. In fact, researchers have noticed a trend related to this issue: many exhausted employees keep showing up at work, but they are not focused on their tasks. This phenomenon is called [presenteeism](https://hbr.org/2004/10/presenteeism-at-work-but-out-of-it) and it’s costing companies billions of dollars a year. Needless to say, overworking people doesn’t lead to anything good. It can only backfire.

## There is No Trick: Just Treat People Like Humans

We live in a world where companies, especially those operating in tech and IT, invest a lot of effort and money into creating various work benefits for their employees. You’re certainly familiar with the vivid startup environments that often include lazy bags and relaxation book corners, entertainment areas with throwing darts or table football, etc.

While these perks sound really peachy, it’s much more important to provide your employees with the fundamentals: normal working hours, healthy and supportive environment, team buildings, and paid fitness benefits. 

Many managers make awful mistakes by treating serious underlying issues with instant solutions that only superficially address the true problem. That’s what spawned the famous [pizza party meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1484832-pizza), which makes you laugh and cry at the same time.

Stevan explained to us there really is no trick to it. Managers should treat their employees as humans and ensure their needs are covered:

“*The workday needs to end at 4 PM. Share IT’s employees enjoy their one-hour lunch break every day and they cannot stay longer at work. It’s basically forbidden. In addition, the company offers a Fit Pass card, which is a fitness membership card that enables them access to more than 600 gyms and sports facilities. We fully support them in pursuing a healthy lifestyle*.”

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/d55fd41196254f9fbfa3b5a505b3bc3a.png)

Creating a pleasant ambient that feels like home is a must, but business owners should never do it with an intention to disrupt the work-life balance. They shouldn’t offer it as an incentive and encourage employees to stay at the office longer.

## As a CEO, It’s Your Job to Be at Disposal to Your People

While some CEOs might believe they should only direct business operations and not get involved too much with the procedures and operations, it’s a lot different when the company is smaller and the collective works much closer. Stevan is highly involved with everything that goes on in Share IT and he actually wears multiple hats:

“*My typical workday is a bit chaotic. It starts by checking on all the employees and making sure they have everything they need to be productive. In case they need my assistance, I am there to jump in and help them immediately. Only then can I freely focus on my tasks that require switching between the roles of Project Manager, Developer, Account Manager, etc*.”

Having a CEO who doesn’t just overlook what goes on from his ivory tower is certainly a positive boost for the company culture:

“*Business owners rarely work until 4 PM and my case is no different. My working day usually doesn’t end until midnight, mainly because we have clients from different time zones. However, as I said before - this doesn’t disrupt my personal work-life balance. I don’t find this rhythm hard since after official working hours - my job is mostly to check emails and react immediately if the matter is urgent. Sometimes there are some after-hours meetings, but it’s really not that often.*”

For Stevan, being there for the team is something that is understood. There is an organizational hierarchy, but it’s mostly in terms of decision-making and the level of responsibilities. People know they can be vocal about their ideas. Showing initiative is not looked down at. As Stevan explained:

“*The most important thing for us is to maintain a positive and healthy work environment. We care about open and assertive communication as it ensures everything runs smoothly and everyone feels appreciated and heard. Employees are encouraged to provide feedback on various things, and this has proven to be a great way to improve our work processes and to improve overall performance. Diversity is great and from my experience - different people see things differently. Listening to what they have to say helps us cover all the angles*.”

Amen to that. People need to feel good when they are at the office and never feel guilty about enjoying themselves after working hours. 

## Let People Be, Share and Encourage Success

Driven by good intentions, many companies find themselves on a slippery slope when trying to promote better work relationships and inspire team members to connect and bond. Instead of acting as catalysts, they actually force people to attend parties or team buildings, which tends to backfire. Stevan says this is not the case in Share IT:

“*We all like hanging out and we get along really well. Share IT is a small company that gathers young, creative, smart and very talented professionals. More importantly, we are all team players. Also, it sort of happened that most of us are into sports, which is a pleasant thing to have in common. There is always something we all enjoy doing together. Usually, we spontaneously agree to meet up, but from time to time - the company hosts official team building events that require a bit of upfront organizing, and these are always really laid back and fun.*”

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/59d64b62a81e441481de957011c81737.png)

We were also curious to find out more about the way Share IT measures business success and how do employees react to this. Stevan explained it would be crazy not to measure performance, but they never micromanage:

“*I would be lying if I said we don’t measure success and that we do not have set goals. But it is more laid back compared to other companies. I feel that it’s important to give people room to be their best selves; that’s when you get the best results. Our primary business goal is to keep our clients happy. Right after that, we aim to grow steadily and healthily. Company success is not measured through income, but by looking at the number of new clients and new employees*.”

Also, providing people with a chance to grow professionally is a great way to motivate them to look forward to each new workday. Exciting projects certainly make Mondays less mundane and help people feel satisfied at work:

“*We are lucky to be in an industry where people are very competitive and always strive to be better than yesterday. Bearing that in mind, it’s not that hard to help our team move the bar a bit and always reach higher. We give them the means and the opportunity, and we are always there to help them overcome any obstacles. Ultimately, when you feel great and appreciated at work, you achieve the balance and enjoy life to the fullest*.”

---

Thank you for reading our story about work-life balance in Share IT! We hope the story of our culture has inspired you and that you’ve learned a few new things. For more stories, check out [Share IT’s blog](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog).

hamlet_prva.png

In the burnout culture, work-life balance is of crucial importance. See how Share IT ensures Mondays aren’t mundane and all employees stay healthy and happy.

Work-Life Balance: Learn How Share IT Operates as a Company

Cloud computing has swept the business world off its feet. Over the past 20 years, the technology has evolved significantly, bringing additional benefits to modern businesses. New solutions emerged on the market helping companies solve their data storage issues and secure safe and seamless business operations.

Today, migrating to cloud doesn’t only help you take care of a vital segment of your business but it also ensures you optimize your expenses and gain competitive edge.

Large companies tend to incorporate cloud into their strategic planning which then allows them to take advantage of the full potential of this technology. When it comes to enterprises, [nearly seven out of ten corporations use the cloud](https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+businesses+use+the+cloud&oq=how+many+businesses+use+the+cloud&aqs=chrome..69i57.7490j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8), and this statistic only covers the European market. The global scope is even bigger as the user cloud adoption grows steadily.  

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits cloud can bring to your business.

## 1. Great Performance and Flexibility

When it comes to the benefits of cloud computing, **great performance** and **flexibility** are among the top ones.

In particular, what businesses care about is **speed**: they want to ensure that the cloud environment enables fast development of apps and products, and that they can get to the market quicker than if they were to work on-premise.

So, let’s imagine that the development of one app requires 6 months. Now, imagine if you could cut down this period to 30 days? Given the fact that the cloud updates all the data in real time, the centralized control panel within the system makes the development process faster, enabling users to spot possible errors and react almost immediately.

Before cloud appeared, companies had to invest a lot of money into software, equipment, and data storage systems, even in the earliest business phases. In case there was an IT disaster or if they experienced sudden growth, the cost of introducing additional resources was pretty high, sometimes even double the initial ones.

However, cloud technology implies having at least 2 data centers with automatic backups. This removes the problem of unnecessary costs and enables precious flexibility for business owners. Cloud technology can support your company’s growth: the system is fully scalable so it’s possible to increase or decrease the capacities you need, and to do it fast. 

Flexibility can also be seen in the following: you can access your cloud system from any off-site location. All you need is an internet connection. This makes things much easier for your employees who can collaborate with one another in real time. 

## 2. High Data Security

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/20a01d8cec364f7ca0249b2a3e38223b.png)
 
Cloud environment is reputable for its **great level of security**.

Compared to the on-premise solutions, cloud has a multi-layered protection system, which is why it’s often a part of the disaster recovery strategy.

Unfortunately, there is no way to protect your IT system 100%. However, there is a way to be smart, invest in prevention, and make sure that the security risks are reduced to a minimum. Having a plan B in the form of a disaster recovery plan is called responsible business management. Thanks to the backup systems and continuous data replication, cloud ensures you never lose your data or your money due to unplanned downtime.

Business continuity is ensured thanks to the high security of your entire IT system. Complex algorithms and encryption methods enable system access only if the user has a unique authentication key. The third party (i.e. cloud provider) is responsible for maintaining the highest level of system safety and to react if some infrastructure vulnerabilities or irregularities happen to occur. You don’t need to worry about data breaches or hacker attacks since this is something the provider takes care of.

This leaves you as the user pretty carefree in terms of IT: when this burden is lifted from your shoulders, you can focus on developing other segments of your business and invest your time and effort into, let’s say - prototyping and product testing, establishing partnerships, or creating new market entrance strategies.

## 3. Different Cloud Types That Match Your Business Needs Perfectly

Cloud technology is available as three different solutions: **public cloud**, **private cloud** and **hybrid cloud**. Depending on the type of data your company stores, as well as the expected level of security and the way system access is defined, one of these options will suit you better than the other.

**Public cloud** is a type of computing in which a service provider makes resources publically available via the internet. Available resources and capabilities depend on the provider. Public cloud allows for scalability and resource sharing that would not otherwise be possible for a single organization to achieve.

A **private cloud** is designed to offer the same features and benefits of public cloud systems, but many would argue it offers better control over enterprise and customer data, and higher security levels. They provide advanced security, better data privacy, and higher resilience to individual failures in comparison to the physical infrastructure.

As you might have guessed on your own, **hybrid cloud** computing refers to a combination of two or more clouds, the best of the two worlds. With this type of solution, it is possible to allocate a portion of resources from the private cloud to public cloud, and determine the best way to store critical applications which ensure business continuity. This is very important for companies that do not tolerate downtime even in extreme conditions. For example, online businesses (such as e-commerce companies) need to have a well-designed system that can handle high demands and heavy workloads over a small period of time, such as during big sales (e.g. Black Friday) or discounts.

## 4. Reduction of IT Costs and Better Efficiency

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/fd547e0dfbbf4f14a1db5113069a2ea8.png)

By outsourcing your IT infrastructure to a third party, your company is saving money on system maintenance. You’re eliminating the necessary cost of upgrading hardware or hiring new IT personnel as you experience growth.

Also, cloud technology implies less capital investment, thanks to the pay-as-you-grow principle. With this subscription model, companies are only obliged to pay for the actual storage space they need and only those features they plan on using. No money is being wasted in this process and all your IT costs are optimized.

Cloud technology can be used in any of the following scenarios:

- IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
- PaaS (Platform as a Service)
- SaaS (Software as a Service)

In the first scenario (IaaS), companies rent cloud services for a specific time period - hour, week or month. Some cloud providers also charge the amount of storage space consumed on virtual servers under this model.

In the case of the PaaS model, users usually pay for cloud technology per application, or based on how many gigabytes they consume per hour.

The third and final option, the SaaS model, involves billing based on the used storage or specific features of the system.

Rational allocation of resources plays a significant role in the context of company savings and contributes to a better business efficiency. By selecting the right model, you can save a lot of valuable money which you can later on invest in something else to help your company grow. Data storage and availability shouldn’t be an issue in 2019, and with cloud technologies - it certainly is not. 

## 5. Better Overall Productivity

Cloud technology has also been frequently mentioned as a solution that supports productivity. According to the [Microsoft Office’s survey report](http://m-hance.com/app/uploads/2017/05/mhance-office-365-cloud-trend-report.pdf), **79% of cloud users reported to have saved money and increased productivity** thanks to this technology. Working in the cloud can truly boost your internal operations, and in significant amounts.

Managers who offer additional work flexibility and allow their employees to occasionally work from home or remotely, can expect huge benefits from embracing this approach. As of this year, [burnout has been officially recognized as a disease](https://www.businessinsider.com/burnout-is-now-a-clinical-syndrome-2019-5) so giving your professionals a little space when they need it is something that will ultimately encourage a much healthier work environment. 

Bearing that in mind, cloud is something that supports a good work-life balance in your company, ensuring people can smoothly work together and communicate with one another without any disruptions or interferences. Additionally, the simplicity of accessing the cloud really saves your time and energy.

People who can see a bigger picture here know just how important the procedures are in order for a job to be done well in the end. Cloud enables instant file sharing, effective document management, making edits and changes in a jiffy. Shortly put, it ensures your business operates like a well-oiled machine, without any significant hiccups (at least in the tech department).

## So, Are Your Ready for the Cloud?

In today’s competitive market, companies need to show agility in order to survive. They need to understand that speed matters in the ever-evolving landscape shaped by innovations and new technologies. Cloud is a great ally in that sense, given the fact it supports cross-team collaborations and gives you all the data you need in a matter of seconds. Companies that want to improve their market position surely appreciate this type of benefit.

Of course, there are many different cloud providers and solutions out there. We invite you to take a closer look at [Microsoft Azure and its benefits](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/Top-Business-Benefits-of-Microsoft-Azure), and reach out to us at Share IT if you’re interested to see how we can help with cloud migration and infrastructure solutions. [Contact us today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) and ask for a consultation or a quote. We’re always excited to hear from you.

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Cloud has a lot of benefits, especially for enterprise-level companies. Interested in learning more about it? Read our top 5 reasons to trust the cloud.

Switching to Cloud: 5 Benefits of Cloud Computing

Once again, we are going to talk about [SharePoint](https://products.office.com/en-us/sharepoint/collaboration) on our blog. If you have been paying attention, then you probably noticed that we at ShareIT already wrote quite a lot about this wonderful collaboration system. Just last week, we went through the [main benefits of using SharePoint](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/sharepoint-basics), how it works, and how and where people can learn to use it. Even though we covered a lot of ground and talked about a couple of key moves that can drastically speed up your learning process and help you get an idea of how to use SharePoint, there’s still so much left to say on this topic. 

SharePoint is a treasure chest of business-enabling functions and features. It makes it easy for organizations to simplify certain processes and elevate their overall productivity on many levels. There is so much you can do here if you just take the time to fully acquaint yourself with the platform and all its abilities. 

For example, SharePoint is great for streamlining and automating various internal processes. Despite the fact that the platform is mostly famous for its document management capabilities, it is used by many organizations for ticket management. A lot of users have figured out that they can create a quality Help Desk solution in SharePoint in record time. The platform offers a lot of out-of-the-box functionalities that are perfect for such tasks, and today we’re going to explore them. 

Here are three reasons why you should consider using SharePoint for managing issues and requests.

## 1. Simplicity 

Once again, SharePoint’s super easy interface earns a mention. Everything is crystal clear and on the nose here. There’s no clutter. All your important information is neatly organized so that you and your team remain productive. You can easily create an issue tracking list that’s user-friendly and personalized for your end users.

There are numerous [online videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTGJ9RbeB6Q) that show you how to create and customize a SharePoint list to receive external email addresses, and then create the columns that you need to follow up and track these customers’ requests. It takes no longer than 10 minutes to complete all of that and save yourself a lot of headaches. 

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/22dd07ac5c7d4bfe80c593ee54982bd1.png)

There are many SaaS companies that charge an arm and a leg for this kind of services.

Organizing your support team and ensuring that they don’t step on each others toes and reach out to the same customer at once can be a challenge, even with external tools. This is because most of the tools imply a learning curve and require additional effort in order to become integrated into your existing process.

With SharePoint, you can easily make your own list that will collect all of your customers’ requests under a unique queue. You can easily keep your entire support team informed about new and updated requests. You can keep track of all your issues, interact directly with your customers, monitor discussions, assign tickets to individuals or groups, classify tickets, view request by profile and name, and all that from a single place. Pretty neat, right?

## 2. Rich Out-of-the-box Solutions

If you have been reading about SharePoint, you might have bumped into this phrase “out-of-the-box. But what does it really mean? 

Quite simple, really: out-of-the-box functionality in SharePoint means that you don’t have to use any coding or third party tools to solve your business needs and serve your clients. You can make a few compromises and work with what’s already present within the platform.

Most users like to customize sites and web parts with custom metadata, views, security level, look and feel. But when they are just getting started with SharePoint or forced to operate on a tight budget, they choose to invest time into exploring what’s already available within the application. And that’s certainly good at the beginning since it doesn’t impose any extra coding, add-ons or third party web parts from the SharePoint Store.

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/a06e970364c74173bde36e9e8720525e.png)

The truth is, you can do a lot of great things in SharePoint point without spending an extra dollar. That’s the beauty of it. Many opt for a DIY approach and do some additional coding in an attempt to adjust a few things so that their ticket management process is indeed streamlined, just the way it suits their organization. Just bear in mind that, anytime you add a new line of code to SharePoint - you need to make sure that it’s clean and that it doesn’t not negatively affect the speed of your SharePoint environment. 

With native functionalities, you don’t have to wait for someone to develop a custom solution for you, then test it, then fix all the bugs before you give it to your team and give them time to learn it. Also, you can find a lot of free resources online that can teach you all the ropes. There are numerous blogs out that go into great detail SharePoint and all of its features.

However, native functionalities will only take you so far. The main disadvantage of using SharePoint as is lies in the fact you will always have to adjust the way you work to the platform, not the other way around. This can work, but it can also frustrate users and disrupt the usual workflows.

If you want to create something that requires meeting special needs, you will need to get someone with technical skills and knowledge about SharePoint to help you develop your custom solution.

## 3. Endless Сustomization

SharePoint is a platform that gives users a lot of room to try out new things and build things on their own. For people who are interested in using SharePoint a ticket management solution, certain customization is required. 

Depending on your business needs and desires, there two types of customizations that can be deployed here:

- Easy customization
- Complex customization

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/163c48caa82a4f27835d22ab389bc5dc.png)

The former type of customization doesn’t require a lot of time and effort, however some coding is needed. It’s not as simple as configuration of out-of-the-box features of SharePoint. 

This type of customization is usually used for developing solutions for HR, IT, and office support teams. It mostly revolves around creating detailed forms (containing a requestor’s name, contacts, location, etc.), options to attach and share files, creating and prioritizing tickets, tagging specific people, and more.

The former type of customization is usually suited for tightly-regulated websites that are owned by organizations from the finance and security sector. They are highly dependent on advanced analytics and complex notification systems, so it’s only logical to assume that their solutions require more skill and work.

## From User Familiarity to Great Security, SharePoint Has a Lot to Offer 

As you can see, SharePoint is great for ticket management and it can meet the basic requirements without any larger issues. People who already use [Office 365](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/Office-365-benefits) are not likely to experience any problems when finding their way around within the platform. It is very intuitive and easy to use, which makes the adoption phase almost painless. In addition, the fact that Microsoft enabled a single sign-on for all its products makes it simpler to access tickets and react timely. You can access the platform 24/7 from any device.

Let’s not forget the great level of security SharePoint has. Physical security of the Office 365 servers is strong, data is always encrypted, your data is never misused or sold to third parties for advertising purposes, backups are done on a regular basis, hard passwords and multi-factor authentication is also available. Most importantly, you can manage privacy settings and set permissions as you wish.

But there’s more to it, really. The full utility of SharePoint for ticket management reveals itself when you actually try the platform or discover all the ways you can tailor it to perfectly match your needs. Because let’s be real: why wouldn’t you make an investment and ensure all the processes run smoothly, saving you time, energy, and money in the long run?

If you’re interested in how Share IT can help you make the most of your SharePoint for streamlined ticket management, and more - don’t hesitate: [get in touch with us today](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us)! 

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A proper ticketing system should help you solve problems seamlessly or react to queries in a jiffy. But, is SharePoint up to the task? Read on to find out.

Top 3 Reasons Why SharePoint is Great for Ticket Management

Here’s a question for you: when was the last time you took Yellow Pages to find a service you need or inform yourself about the working hours of a certain shop? Can’t really remember, can you? Yeah, we thought so.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that the internet has become our go-to source for every possible question. [Google receives around 63,000 search queries](https://seotribunal.com/blog/google-stats-and-facts/), but we especially use it to do research in order to make an informed decision about shopping. Whether you need a plumber or you’re trying to find more information about the actual benefits of that hair product you’re thinking of buying - you want to snoop around other people’s experiences and ensure you get worth for your money.

Undoubtedly, in today’s day and age, doing business without having a professional looking website is practically unimaginable. The website is the alpha of your business and the main touchpoint people have with your brand. It is the cornerstone of your online presence, like an online business ID that speaks on your behalf 24/7, bridging the usual obstacles of time zones and geography. 

Modern consumers expect from businesses to have a well-thought-through online presence and they won’t forgive a poorly designed website. [According to research](https://www.realwire.com/releases/70-Per-Cent-Of-People-Dont-Trust-Badly-Designed-Websites), 70% of people wouldn’t buy from a company that has a visually outdated or unpleasant website.

But building trust through your website is just one of the benefits. 

## 1. Control the Brand Message

Carefully designed websites are essential for setting and controlling the brand message. Enterprise-level companies in particular have the opportunity to differentiate themselves from their competition with their tone of voice and their visual identity since corporations usually don’t like to experiment much. Doing something a bit out of the box will certainly catch the attention of your target group.

Enterprises that want to push the boundaries a bit and make their businesses a little bit less “sterile” need a proper brand strategy with a style guide which sets the rules for communicating the values that the company stands for.

The website can be one’s playground and somewhat like a canvas of what your business truly is. First impressions are very important and your website is a crucial piece of the puzzle here. If you think they’ve interacted with your brand for the first time when they walked into your company premises, guess again: they’ve actually already formed an opinion about your brand thanks to your website.

This is why it’s smart to take a strategic approach and truly make your website work for you.

## 2. Encourage Sales and Generate Leads

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/cfe7a37254a54fbca4d2870fbab7a506.png)

In addition to your website communicating the essence of your business and values you stand behind, and providing key information such as contact and address - it is supposed to clearly explain the benefits of the services or products you offer. 

This means you have the freedom to create a website layout that feels intuitive to your relevant prospects, and is also easy to navigate. The goal is to strategically organize information to encourage people to explore what you do and perceive you as a problem-solver.

Each potential customer or client will be in a different stage of a sales funnel when they first visit your website. It might be the first time they’ve heard of your brand, or maybe they are in the consideration phase, collecting information before the purchase. In any case, your website should guide their attention and make it simple for them to find what they are looking for without much cognitive strain.

There are [numerous ways for you to optimize landing pages for better conversions](https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/08/02/conversion-rate-statistics): for instance, including a video might result in an increase of up to 86%, which is quite a lot. You can always turn to A/B testing to see which pages resonate better with your audience and drive more sales. It’s possible to experiment with everything from the choice of colors and different copy, to position of CTAs and use of visuals.

Content is the key for generating leads, so you need to diversify it - both in type, format, and purpose. But this isn’t the only thing great website content can do for your company, which brings us to the next benefit of having an established online presence.

## 3. Develop Content and Build Online Visibility

The content you create and publish within your company blog has multiple advantages for your company:

- It helps you build credibility in the industry and establish yourself as a thought leader
- It should be helpful and provide relevant answers to questions of your audience
- It should support your employer branding efforts 
- It grants you with an opportunity to become a synonym for expertise and build trust

Many businesses don’t see the value in content marketing simply because they have a wrong perception of it. Content marketing is not a sprint, but a marathon. It can imply short-term campaigns which have a specific sales goal, but it usually refers to continuous efforts of keeping your audience engaged and intrigued through valuable content. 

Your website can be recognized as a unique and useful resource, and you should aim to make this happen. Not only will it generate word of mouth and organically attract the attention of your target group, but it will also create a strong brand recall.

Content is your chance to speak to your prospects on the eye-level and build stronger bonds with them. Quality and originality will never go out of fashion.

In addition to letting your content to its magic through sole quality, it’s also advisable to invest in SEO, so keep reading to find out more about the role of your website here.

## 4. Work on Those Rankings

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/510cb950be4e4db79315423a67218c98.png)

As we already mentioned in the introduction, people rely on Google a lot. It is the ultimate answer machine. As a matter of fact, [93% of online experiences begin with a query](https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2017/08/30/how-to-optimize-your-seo-results-through-content-creation/#2b520eec2aa3) on one of the search engines, with Google having the largest market share and being the most popular one. 

Not only do we use Google on a daily basis, but we also trust its algorithm and treat it as a filter for relevancy. This is why most of us won’t go further than the second or third page of search results. The optimal answers are sorted within the top results for sure.

So, what does your website have to do with this fact?

Well, to rank high you need to actually have a website that will rank (pretty obvious). 

Even though there is more to good rankings than optimizing with relevant keywords, it’s a good place to start. Whether you hire an agency do this for you or you have an in-house SEO team, holding high rankings on Google is automatically associated with authority and quality.  

Denying the information to users who are trying to find out more about your business is pretty risky, especially because the competition is strong regardless of the industry you operate in. With so many brands to choose from, users will turn to those that have invested in solid online marketing and tailored the tone to fit theirs. And you’ve guessed it: it all starts with your website.

## 5. Connect with Your Audience and Extend Your Reach

Your website and the entire online presence (meaning your activity across social media or PR articles you’ve published on other relevant websites) should aim to build meaningful relationships with your audience. We already mentioned strengthening these bonds earlier in the article, but it deserves a closer look.

The content you publish on your website could have different end goals. It could be designed to raise brand awareness or directly sell something. It could also be a part of your [employer branding strategy](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/employer-branding) meaning it should inform readers about your company culture, employee benefits, any events your company organizes or causes you support and care about. 

This is especially important for enterprise-level companies from which it is expected to showcase corporate social responsibility and help those in need through philanthropy. Plus, if you’re operating within an industry which has a deficit of experienced, talented professionals - you need to invest time and effort into communicating why they should consider working at your company.

As for your target audience, it’s good to know the universal rule: people love innovative and entertaining things and they still want to be impressed and dazzled.

If you manage to tailor the brand message in a way that feels inclusive and invites your audience to participate in building your brand, you’ve hit the jackpot; if you manage to produce equally valuable content and show you appreciate your readers, the overall perception of your brand will be much more positive and will result in higher sales.

## Make Your Ideas Happen with the Right Partner

As you can see, your website is a huge part of your corporate identity and literally the cornerstone of your online presence. For it to truly serve its purpose, you need to take a strategic approach and weigh in a lot of different options - from the feel of your brand and it’s visual emblems to the actual content you plan on creating. 

It does require a lot of brainstorming to figure out how you want to present yourself to the world, especially if you’re thinking of rebranding. 

But let’s not forget the most important thing: the technology you’ll choose for the underlying structure of your website and [reliable website maintenance](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/why-quality-website-maintenance-matters-for-enterprise-level-businesses). This might not be the most exciting element for business owners to examine, especially because most people are naturally more interested in the exterior.

However, in order for things to look the way you want them and to function properly, you need the right technology and expert solutions which are tailored to your specific situation.

Share IT has more than a decade of experience in web development and proven skills in .NET, JavaScript, HTML5 and other languages. If you’re looking to build a website for your business, [contact us](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) today! We’re happy to discuss all the details of your project and turn your vision to life.


web.png

Are you one of the doubting Thomases who don’t think enterprise-level companies enjoy many benefits from having a website? Hm, you may want to think again.

How Enterprises Can Benefit from Building a Solid Online Presence

If you’re familiar with our work, then you’re probably also familiar with what [SharePoint](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/what-is-sharepoint-and-what-do-enterprises-need-to-know-about-it) is all about. Not that long ago, we wrote on our blog about this collaboration platform and [what enterprise-level companies need to know about it](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/what-is-sharepoint-and-what-do-enterprises-need-to-know-about-it). 

In that particular article, we described SharePoint as a “highly customizable web-based collaborative platform that integrates with Microsoft Office” and explained that it helps companies develop a more centralized system for secure and simple document management.

However, we never really went deep into detail and elaborated how, as total beginners, users can make sense of the platform and learn how to fully utilize all its offerings.

In this specific article, we’re going to do just that. We are going to share with you some noob-friendly tips for making sense of SharePoint and all of its options.

## What Are the Benefits of Using SharePoint?

Before we jump into details, let us cover the fundamentals and explain why you should care about this web-based collaboration system. 

Just in case you haven’t read our previous article.

Here it goes:

SharePoint is an important part of the Office 365 environment. Among other things, SharePoint is used to increase productivity across all verticals of the company that uses it, and make it possible for the workers to effortlessly and safely access important work-related data and collaborate from any location, all in real time. 

The best thing about this solution is that you can customize almost every element of it.

With SharePoint, companies can streamline and automate their key business processes. It makes it simpler than ever to share data, track information and processes, manage and edit documents, work on projects, and so much more.

It can be on-premise or cloud-based. This collaboration system makes it easy for companies to connect employees with the documents, information, people, and projects they need to perform their jobs effectively. Collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams fill gaps in business communication and use technology to make sure that information is being distributed smoothly within the organization. 

With the help of SharePoint, people can work closely on projects without unnecessary interruptions and barriers.

In a nutshell, SharePoint is basically a treasure chest of business-enabling functions and features that make it easy for organizations to simplify certain processes and elevate their overall productivity on many levels.

## How SharePoint Works

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/780b38e030184326bf26bbe483edea75.png)

For most organizations, using SharePoint means creating a series of intranet sites with different stakeholders who need to be kept in the loop and able to quickly access, store, share, and collaborate on specific documents. For them, each department has its own intranet and controls their data, documents, level of security, and workgroups.

Other organizations create site collections with many different sites, and then invite members of their team to work on a site and easily collaborate. 

Users connect to SharePoint through a browser. However, it can be used with other Office applications as well. It can be accessed via your work computer, home laptop, mobile phone, or a tablet. The platform supports various document formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), making it easier for multiple iterations to happen.

Apart from safely storing and sharing important documents and making them accessible through a simple search, SharePoint also provides insights that users could not attain if, for example, the information was left sitting on people’s desktops or email inboxes.

SharePoint also allows users to create custom workflows and composites that are business specific. This makes SharePoint truly useful in the business setting. Users can create custom content, custom lists, custom libraries, using all kinds of custom apps to best meet their work and organizational needs. Users can then invite people to private communities, allowing them to manage their content and gain insights about what they have created. 

## How and Where to Learn SharePoint

SharePoint is the easiest collaborative tool on the market. As a basic user, you shouldn’t have a difficult time learning how to successfully use SharePoint. The platform is built in a way so that it can be easily understood by people who may not be technically inclined. 

Everyone has at least some experience with Microsoft Office apps such as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. So in a way - SharePoint almost comes naturally to users.


However, there are a LOT of extra things you can do with SharePoint which demand some extra brain power and focus to master. But it is not difficult.

If you want to build and manage your own SharePoint environment - that’s a different story. You’ll need to read a bit. You’ll need to allocate a decent amount of time to playing with the navigation and learning how the system actually works.

The more time you invest in exploring options on the platform and reading as much as you can about its functionalities, the less time you’ll need to truly get the hang of it.

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/5e1ee0526a52449b8cdf25bb6e5c419d.png)

The important thing to remember here is that you can only learn SharePoint the best if you start actually using it. Don’t be afraid to just dive in, use the tools, create your first SharePoint team site and go from there. 

If you get stuck, you can seek out specialized SharePoint training courses and tips to overcome the barriers.

Regardless of what you want to learn, it’s important to remember that Google is your best friend. There is a [wealth of information](https://www.lynda.com/SharePoint-training-tutorials/306-0.html) out there on the Internet that you can easily reach out to at any time. A lot of blogs write about SharePoint today. Also, if you like to consume information visually, there are a lot of videos on YouTube that can teach you almost everything you need to know about SharePoint. 

When starting with this collaboration platform, learning a couple of key moves can drastically speed up your learning process and help you get an idea of how to use SharePoint. We at ShareIt believe that these are the 3 crucial tasks every beginner needs to master:

## 1. Create and Share Site Templates

As mentioned before, most users build intranet sites in SharePoint and share them with different stakeholders. In order to successfully use this platform, you must first figure out how to build the perfect site for your team and save it as a template so you don’t have to reconfigure it next time. 

A template has the same elements as a website: it has content, views, logos, libraries, lists, and other elements relevant to your business. Many create sites as templates so that they can reuse them. 

A template is like a backup. It contains all of your customizations so that you can quickly apply them to other SharePoint environments or even open it in Visual Studio and further customize it there. 

Once you begin to package your site customizations as templates, you start to understand the full potential of SharePoint as a platform for business applications. 

In order to make a template, all you have to do is:

- Navigate to the top-level site of your site collection.
- Click Settings SharePoint Online Public Website Settings button and then click Site Settings.
- In the Site Actions section, click Save site as a template.

Easy as pie.

When you save a template, you create a Web Package file (.wsp). That specific file gets stored in Solutions Gallery and there it waits for further use. It’s important to remember that only the current site is saved. To all the subsites below, the save does not apply.

## 2. Make a Team Site With Precise Permissions

Team sites are the most important part of SharePoint. They are used for collaborating on specific projects with specific members of your organization.

Only the people who are given access to a team site can contribute content to the site and collaborate on documents that they’ve been given access to. 

To make a Team site:

- Click at the top of your SharePoint on the “+ Create site” and then choose the “Team site” option
- A site creation wizard will appear on the right-hand side of your screen and there you will need to fill the necessary data about the site
- If possible, if the admin has enabled this option for you - click on the design you want to use
- Give your team site a name and fill in the Site description box. You want to give people an idea of what’s the purpose of this site
- Once you have finished with that, go into the Privacy settings choose the “Private - members only can access the site option”
- Select the member you want to access your team site and give them permission to do so

## 3. Learn How to Use SharePoint Columns

In SharePoint, all of your data is broken down into departments and then stored in sites (and subsites). In that sense, SharePoint operates like a giant book store and its lists and libraries are like shelves. If the shelves are not properly labeled, finding the right information at the right time becomes a total nightmare.

That’s why SharePoint columns exist.

These columns are a little like the classification system that can help you put the right book in the right place where you can easily retrieve it at any given time. 

It is imperative to figure out how to these columns work, how to quickly move through the content and locate information by setting up and applying specific criteria to lists and libraries across multiple intranet sites.

There are different types of columns in SharePoint and they can be added directly to the lists or libraries. 

All you have to do is:

- Click on the “+ Add column” option at the top of your list or library menu
- Choose the type of column you want from the dropdown menu
- In the "Create a column" panel, type a title or column heading into the Name field.
- Fill in all the other requirements in the menu
- Click Save

Closing Words

Thank you for taking the time to read this article in its entirety. We hope it helped you understand how SharePoint works and how to create your first projects on this platform. If you have any questions about SharePoint that need answering, feel free to [reach out](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us)!


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SharePoint is a noob-friendly platform. However, in order to fully understand its power and abilities, you need to do a bit of reading

How to Use SharePoint: A Beginner's Guide

Private networks (or intranets) have been around for over two decades now, providing business organizations with a central point for internal collaboration and communication. They have significantly improved throughout time and are now rich with customizable features and functionalities. If used properly, intranets can bring great value to the table and become much more than just a file-sharing platform.

Efficient intranets allow organizations to drive innovation and safely develop their products and services, have instant access to structured and unstructured data, collaborate effectively, and maintain the level of employee engagement. 

**SharePoint intranet** is one of the many solutions on the market, side by side with Drupal, IBM Connections, OpenText, and others. Still, it is estimated that up to 80% of Fortune 500 companies rely on SharePoint, and for a good reason. 

Incredible flexibility and great environment for application development are the top benefits, as well as great security and continuous updates and improvements in the field of user experience. 

If you’re thinking of implementing **SharePoint intranet** into your organization, keep reading to find out more about it.

## SharePoint Intranet is Suitable for Organizations of All Sizes

SharePoint intranets might be the most popular among enterprise-level companies, but it is suitable for businesses of all sizes.

Large organizations mainly struggle with keeping teams in the loop, especially if they have remote employees. In addition, they need to find a solution that’s good enough to enable effective cross-team collaboration and address their expectations in terms of functionality and the level of user friendliness. Let’s not forget the integration of ERM and CRM applications which contain all the business critical data.  Since communication flows in many different directions (e.g. with external partners and customers, among key stakeholders internally), corporations also prioritize data security and easy management.

Medium-sized companies naturally have less departments, but they also need a solution that will let them scale with ease. Depending on their budget and whether or not they manage their own IT infrastructure, they can choose between the cloud or on-premise SharePoint.

Last, but not least - small companies are looking for flexibility and affordable solutions that can support their growth in the future. They usually have other expenses which they prioritize over custom tools and software, and they are likely to use out-of-the-box tools.

With team sites, great knowledge management features, personalization and branding capabilities, SharePoint can answer to the needs of organizations, no matter their size. The only difference is that bigger companies have bigger needs and can benefit greatly from investing into custom solutions.

## SharePoint Intranet has Rich Features You Can Adjust

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/1465e59af80a4adea3cd74f7303b5b72.png)

By default, SharePoint intranet has rich features which allow you to create a great intranet for your company. You can ensure:

- Optimal document and workflow management
- Great collaboration, regardless of the time zone and location of the teams that are working together
- Instant access via both desktop and mobile devices
- Defined business processes that function seamlessly
- Ability to work and interact with 3D content (thanks to SharePoint Spaces and the mixed reality technology)
- Personalized experience for each user (thanks to the AI technology)
- Greater productivity and better time management
- Real-time content reviewing and editing

As you can see, SharePoint intranet as the out-of-the-box solution has many great features, but enabling all of them does not guarantee success for your organization. You have to define what you actually need and be aware of how internal processes usually carry out within your business.

SharePoint intranet should support and optimize your operations, not impose a totally new framework your employees will not like. This includes the design as well: typography, layout, visual elements, but the UX too - need to match the preferences of the end users for best results. Since SharePoint Designer has been discontinued in 2016, [new alternatives such as Nintex appeared](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/blog/Nintex-Workflows-for-Sharepoint), offering users a chance to implement workflows just the way they want it.

## You Can Integrate Vital Applications with Your SharePoint Intranet

In case your employees work in different systems, they don’t need to give up on them or learn new tools. SharePoint intranet supports different integrations. These include:

- CRM systems
- ERP and ECM systems
- BI systems
- Various IT service management systems

This is really useful, especially if you’ve already invested a lot of your resources into developing a custom system for content or resource management, or any business intelligence tool. App integration enables working professionals such as sales representatives, business analysts, marketers, or project managers - collaborate within a platform, without giving up on their usual systems.

For instance, sales people can easily communicate with customers and oversee proposals or contract phases; project managers can see in which phases the projects are, measure progress, and ensure stability; HR teams can handle onboarding processes more effectively, etc.

The point is, SharePoint intranet serves as a centralized platform where everything happens, thus providing you with greater control. 

You can say that integrations allow you to have your cake and eat it, without introducing any groundbreaking changes in the way business operations take place within your organization. However, you have to prepare yourself for some extra costs for development work in order to ensure seamless integration.

## SharePoint is Continuously Being Improved

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/c322acebb62a4cc3b5f43e2fa9eaad52.png)

SharePoint is one of those products that is continuously being improved. Microsoft has a great reputation of closely listening to its users and this is definitely one of the main reasons why it holds a leading position in the industry.

Here’s one of the fresh examples. At the end of 2018, [Microsoft has redefined the intranet site experience with SharePoint in Office 365](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/itshowcase/redefining-the-intranet-site-experience-with-sharepoint-in-office-365), making it primarily more modern. Also, some of the issues and shortcomings were resolved, such as:

- Default site templates were improved for a more pleasant appearance
- Customization of certain intranet parts is now easier
- Sites are now by default accessible and mobile-responsive

If you choose [SharePoint Online](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/SharePoint/SharePoint-2019-vs-SharePoint-Online-Comparison/td-p/360225), you can enjoy hub sites that enable you to aggregate sites by purpose, business department, region, etc. There are also improvements in terms of how long does it take to build a functional site, the development is now completely SharePoint Framework first, and you can even target audiences on your internal site, making sure the content reaches the right people who use your internal network.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

## Interested in SharePoint intranet, but don’t know where to start? Share IT can help

Our team at Share IT has over 10 years of experience in SharePoint, so you can say we’ve watched carefully how the platform grew and changed since its earliest days. Whether you’re looking to optimize your SharePoint intranet or you are starting from scratch, we can help you out.

We know how important it is for you to have the right business environment at your disposal, the one that matches the way your team has used to collaborating and their working pace, while also bridging the usual obstacles.

At Share IT, we offer everything from SharePoint consulting services and intranet development, to intranet customization, testing, and maintenance. You deserve the highest platform performance and we can make it happen. For your convenience, we introduced [two different constructional models](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/how-we-work) so you can pick the one that suits you the best. Get in touch with us today and optimize the way you work with SharePoint.

geek.png

You probably heard of SharePoint intranet. But are you aware of what it can do for your company? Read more about why 80% of Fortune 500 companies rely on it.

Everything You Need to Know About SharePoint Intranet

In the digital-first era, enterprise-level companies focus on gaining a competitive advantage by adopting new software and methodologies that help them speed up slow, complex processes and boost their productivity levels from within. No doubt about it, for companies that employ a lot of people and service a great number of customers, optimization stands as a key factor for success.

However, even though certain processes work, that still doesn’t necessarily mean that they should be left in their current state. There is always room for improvement and sometimes - this improvement is crucial for surviving on the market.

As the organization starts to grow, both on the employee and service level, so does the need to simplify complex procedures, enhance mobility and security, automate repetitive and standardized processes, collaborate more freely, and enable the flow of information throughout the organization.

That’s where Office 365 steps into the picture.

As a product that integrates numerous apps and services, Microsoft Office 365 is built with a goal of helping companies of all sizes (especially bigger ones) improve their business on all levels.

Here are 4 rock-solid reasons why Office 365 could be the best intelligent solution for enterprises.

## 1. Simplicity 

Enterprises cannot afford to sit back and relax while the whole world is changing and innovating. And this does not only apply to creating new products or improving their design and functionalities, but it also concerns the technologies that are used internally, in everyday operations.

For instance, if the IT infrastructure is outdated, it might be vulnerable or it could hide bottlenecks that might cause downtime or negatively impact the established procedures without users even noticing.

But if there’s one thing that people fear and hate, that’s change. This resistance towards change is deeply rooted and it’s not that hard to understand: humans are creatures of habit and they enjoy security and familiarity.

Luckily, migrating to Office 365 is not complicated by default. In fact, with the right assistance - it can be simple and hassle-free.

The process of migration usually starts by evaluating and listing your existing content and content sources, mapping out the data, and prioritizing business-critical data. It’s also possible to preserve the existing structure (e.g. sites, libraries, content types, permissions, workflows) your business truly needs, or to create a new, improved one in the Office 365 platform. In addition, Microsoft continuously introduces updates, so you can be sure you’ll never stay behind. 

Migration is possible from various different platforms. The complexity and duration of the migration process depends on the amount of data and the number and type of sources, existing storage systems and platforms used, the governance plan, etc.

If you need help with [migrating to Office 365](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/services/enterprise-software-development), Share IT can help; just let us know.

## 2. Employees Don’t Need to Learn New Tools - They Can Use the Software They Know and Love

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/72c6a72c65604f2daaff2d941fefed31.png)

Microsoft has a lot of great business tools and all of them work great with Office 365.

PowerPoint, Outlook, Word, Excel, OneNote - these are just some of the more popular ones that most of your employees already know and use on a regular basis, and all of them can be added to your Office 365 home screen. 

The Office 365 stack includes the full MS Office productivity suite and makes it accessible online which means that people within your organization can quickly make edits, leave comments and improve current documents, all in real time. 

The days of sending Word and Excel files through emails are now a thing of the past. With Office 365, your employees can easily apply changes to documents and follow what others are doing without having to make 50 versions of the same sheet or text. 

Everything is immediately synced and all the docs can be quickly found in the library.

Office 365 is simple to use and very straightforward. It is super easy to set up and all the features are basically in front of you. This means the learning curve is not steep at all.

## 3. Easy Collaboration and Fluid Communication

It’s the 21st century and people are spread across different time zones and work together from all corners of the world. 

With remote work becoming an undeniable trend, reliable software or platform that enables different teams and professionals to handle projects and communicate effortlessly - became even more important. 

In order to effectively collaborate, your employees need workspaces and tools that are easy to use and feel intuitive. As you’ve probably guessed, Office 365 is a centralized solution built with teamwork in mind and it can help you connect distributed offices.

Within Office 365, there exists Microsoft Teams. It is somewhat a hub for teamwork that offers great flexibility and scalability while letting you automate certain processes so you can focus more on the stuff that requires your undivided attention. 

Here’s what else you can do with it:

- Communicate easily (group and private chats, instant file sharing, meetings, conference calls, or instant co-authoring of various files - it’s all there)
- Be more productive thanks to app integration (enjoy instant access to the documents you need right where you need it; empowered by the cloud)
- Customize different hubs that match the needs of every specific team (each team has its own unique processes, and Microsoft Teams recognizes that)
- Have a peace of mind with industry-leading security (all your sensitive data is safely protected)

In addition, it is possible to connect the workplace with a mobile, intelligent intranet. This means all important news, sources, and apps can be shared within dynamic sites. In the office or on the go - you choose. Office 365 can be reached via different devices, both desktop and mobile ones. The platform supports SharePoint mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Windows devices.

Want to explore the possibility of creating a custom mobile app for your enterprise? Share IT can help you out: just [get in touch](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us). 

## 4. Zero Regard for Servers and Maintenance - Office 365 is Safe and Secure 

![text](https://admin.shareitsolutions.com/uploads/cea027c7218540aab5800d566bec9161.png)

One of the best things about using Office 365 is data security. The Office 365 Trust Center has no rival. Microsoft does not share the location of their servers with the general public, so just finding where the data is stored is one of the many challenges hackers will need to overcome to corrupt your information. 

Secondly, Microsoft uses disks that use BitLocker encryption, SSL over HTTP, and even IRM on Document Libraries. The company does not mine or access your data for advertising purposes, like most platforms used to do before GDPR became a thing. Microsoft uses data only to improve customer experiences, and they never share it. The company doesn’t spy on your actual content. Your mailbox or OneDrive for Business files will never be accessed without your permission. Only data on how you use features to improve the service, not unlike when you look at Analytics of people visiting your website to improve it over time.

Microsoft also runs regular backups of information at their data centers, so that, in case of any type of hazzard, your data can easily be restored. They keep the customer data in the region where the subscription was first created and they give people a timeframe to migrate their information somewhere else, if they decide to stop paying for the service.

Office 365 demands from users to create “strong passwords” so that hackers can’t easily guess how to enter your account. For those who want a bit more protection, it is possible to activate a multi-factor authentication system. With this turned on, users will have an extra level of security.

Both as administrators and regular users, people can control what is seen and by whom within the company. Depending on the organization and culture, not everyone within will be ok with sharing the same data about themselves or on their usage.

## Closing Words

As you can see, Office 365 is truly an all-round intelligent solution for enterprises. It’s scalable and reliable, highly secure and offers you unrivaled flexibility and customization options. Being a multifaceted suite, it’s trusted by more than 120 million users worldwide.

Are you interested in discovering more about what Office 365 can do for your business? Migrate safely to the platform or develop powerful intranets and portals based on Office 365, with Share IT. [Get in touch](https://www.shareitsolutions.com/contact-us) with us today! 

Thinking about migrating to Office 365? Discover why it is one of the best intelligent solutions for enterprises trusted by 120 million users worldwide