In November, I got the honour to present the new versions of Microsoft Project and SharePoint to a lot of customers cross-over Germany. I gathered lots of questions that I’d like to share. Here are my top 7 frequently asked questions (FAQ) from these sessions.
General Topics
Is there a summary on what’s new?
Yes. There are multiple summaries. Here’s my personal distillation on The New Project. My colleagues Boris and Markus have been featured in the magazine ComputerWoche on ‘Microsoft SharePoint 2013 – How good is new office collaboration suite?’ and ‘What’s new in Project 2013’.
What’s your conclusion on the new release?
Microsoft brings a complete new ‘Modern UI’ that give a great usage experience across all platforms (Windows, Office, Project, SharePoint, etc.) Within SharePoint, the collaboration features get very strong. This enables users to follow that information they need. Regarding Project, the stronger integration with SharePoint as well as Project Online bring up lots of opportunities. Companies now get the chance to use that piece of a very strong Project Management suite that fits to their maturity.
App Store, Marketplace and Licensing
What if I am running a Microsoft SharePoint 2013 farm. Is anyone allowed to download and buy apps?
In general, everyone can be granted access to the app store. The question is, if you would like to limit that access – and this is possible as well.
Can I develop and deploy my own apps?
Yes – you can. There will be an option to deploy your own apps to your farm. But: Think about if it is valuable for you to employ designers, developers, quality managers, etc. to develop your own apps. Is that the business you are in?
What will be the license prices for apps?
As of today, there are no license fees for apps. All apps are available for free since the entire marketplace is in beta state. I encourage you to download and test apps that bring benefit to your business. Regarding the app fees, the next months will be quite interesting to follow the market when the marketplace goes live. For sure, there will be lots of movement and adjustments. I expect even the pricing models to be changed from perpetual to pay-per-use models.
What will be the license price for Microsoft Project Server 2013 and SharePoint 2013?
Ask Microsoft. Honestly – prices vary based on the agreements between your company and Microsoft. In most cases, you’ll be in contact with a LAR (Large Account Reseller). They are able to name the license fees.
Custom Extensibility
Can I still use the old API of Project Server (PSI) with Microsoft Project 2013?
For sure. If you are going for an on-premise installation, PSI will most properly work as it is working in Project 2010. PSI is definitely not the future. This is why Project Online is not extensible with PSI. Your options there is the Client-Side Object Model (CSOM and OData).
What are your questions? Please let me know!
Ingo Meironke, PMP – Manager at Campana & Schott – @meiroTweet
