Recent enhancements to Microsoft SharePoint Online intranet services represent the greater effort of Microsoft to fully integrate their services, all playing a part in one cohesive environment with optimized interoperability. In the past, third-party services helped organizations manage data and communication, providing intranet-in-a-box solutions in an appealing interface that required minimal in-house development and installation.
While these third-party services provided “skins” for intranet content that was already housed in SharePoint, recent enhancements to SharePoint Online have optimized the user experience. In 2021, Microsoft continued its efforts to modernize SharePoint Online in order for SharePoint Online to achieve the same ease of use and user experience as other Microsoft services like Viva, the Power Platform, and Teams. These enhancements have elevated the interoperability between Microsoft platforms to the point where third-party intranet-in-a-box solutions may no longer be needed. SharePoint Online provides organizations with all they need and more!
In a recent blog post, we provided four reasons why many organizations are choosing to migrate intranet services to SharePoint Online. As the second part of our intranet blog series, this article highlights why recent enhancements to SharePoint Online can give your organization all you need in an intranet, without requiring third-party intranet-in-a-box solutions.
How Microsoft Modernized SharePoint Online in 2022
Similar to recent innovations in Microsoft Viva and the Power Platform, in 2022, Microsoft widened its focus on enhancing SharePoint Online by not focusing solely on the functionality of this service but, rather, also focusing on a seamless user experience. These key enhancements ensure that your intranet has the same user-friendly look and feel without sacrificing functionality.
Key Enhancement to SharePoint Online in 2022
1. Optimized Site Creation
At the end of 2021, Microsoft enhanced SharePoint Online’s site creation features, allowing users and administrators to create their own customized SharePoint sites. The key features of this new site creation in SharePoint Online allows you to choose which users are granted or denied access to site creation, including where they can create sites within SharePoint Online, the types and/or subtypes of sites they are allowed to create, and which shared OneDrive library they can choose to integrate into a new site.
Key Benefits: The optimized site creation feature encourages users to customize their intranet experience, enabling employees to contribute to the look and feel of SharePoint sites. This is a well-balanced approach, as administrators can grant and restrict access to site creation within reason, allowing for greater quality control.
2. Integrating Microsoft Lists
In 2022, Microsoft enhanced the features of Microsoft Lists for SharePoint Online, as an extension of the former SharePoint Lists. By navigating through the SharePoint App Bar, users are able to access any of your organization’s lists without having to navigate outside of SharePoint Online.
Key Benefits: Microsoft Lists in SharePoint Online keeps users in one place, boosting their efficiency and contributing to user-friendly experience.
3. Increased Collaboration with Microsoft Stream (on SharePoint)
As part of a greater effort to enhance collaborative potential across all Microsoft services, the new version of Microsoft Stream provides a more interactive experience for users. While viewing videos or images from OneDrive, users are now able to comment and communicate while viewing materials.
Key Benefits: The integration of Microsoft Stream with SharePoint Online not only contributes to collaboration between employees, it also optimizes workflows and efficiency. Administrators can tag specific users on critical files so they know exactly where they can find information they need to succeed!
4. Greater OneDrive Accessibility
With the addition of an aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly command bar within SharePoint Online, all OneDrive content is searchable and accessible without having to navigate away from SharePoint Online.
Key Benefits: By keeping users in one place within SharePoint Online, Microsoft has eliminated the need for your organization to invest in third-party intranet-in-a-box solutions.
SharePoint Online is the only solution you need, and these recent enhancements continue to make SharePoint Online the best intranet experience for your employees into 2023 and beyond.
If you are looking to migrate from intranet-in-a-box solutions to SharePoint Online, or if you’d like to know more about how to get the most out of SharePoint Online, reach out to our team to request a free consultation. Elantis has a Microsoft Gold-certified team of enterprise content management experts who are here to help!
