Does SharePoint Online Doom Your PeopleSoft Integration?

Many PeopleSoft customers who use SharePoint have invested significant time and resources into creating a seamless integration between the two and have created a clearly branded SharePoint user interface. From the initial purchase of a SharePoint server and software, they had total control over how the implementation was deployed and managed; including which add-ons and third party plug-ins to incorporate as well as the design of the templates.

Since Microsoft’s launch of SharePoint 2013, the writing is on the wall. Although they are taking a “cloud first, not cloud only” stance, the future direction of SharePoint is clear. A recent study conducted by independent information management analysts AIIM shows a growing acceptance of this in spite of lingering resistance.^[1]

• 29% percent see a move to the cloud/365 as cost savings in IT and nearly one-third of organizations view this as a strategic platform vision, while 22% see it as taking advantage of the latest SharePoint updates.
• 31% of organizations are using SharePoint 365/SharePoint Online and 17% plan to move everything to Microsoft’s hosted SharePoint Online/365. However, when it comes to the issues or concerns with using a cloud or hybrid SharePoint solution, 58% feel security is an issue, while 53% feel control over what is managed in the cloud is an issue.

Whether driven by a desire to stay current, reduce costs or access features not available in the on-prem solution; it’s clear that many organizations are moving ahead with, or considering, the shift to SharePoint Online.

If this sounds like you, you’re likely wondering how SharePoint Online will affect your existing PeopleSoft integration. Exactly what will happen to your hands-on control and customization with the advent SharePoint Online?

Is SharePoint Online Out of Your Hands?

Microsoft’s cloud-based version of their leading intranet portal software doesn’t run on your server, customizations will require more effort to implement and resources to maintain, plus existing integrations will no longer work. Besides, now that SharePoint is in the cloud, software changes and upgrades will be ongoing rather than periodic, so your web services integration approach and traditional ways of implementing customizations will no longer be viable. Especially given the pace at which Microsoft is rolling out changes and feature updates.

In fact, the advice from Microsoft is this:

“Use SharePoint as an out-of-box application whenever possible — We designed the new SharePoint UI to be clean, simple and fast and work great out-of-box. We encourage you not to modify it which could add complexity, performance and upgradeability and to focus your energy on working with users and groups to understand how to use SharePoint to improve productivity and collaboration and identifying and promoting best practices in your organization.”[2]

But, does out-of-box mean out of your hands?

PeopleSoft and SharePoint Online: In the Cloud and In Control

For many, SharePoint Online hovers like a harbinger of doom, threatening to destroy years of painstaking customization and UI design. It doesn’t have to be like that. You can maintain all existing PeopleSoft business logic and customizations, and preserve your branding—even with SharePoint Online’s out-of-box approach. All it takes is a slight shift of perspective.

Instead of fixating on traditional SharePoint on-prem development which leverages web parts or SharePoint components, InFlight captures the rendered webpages from PeopleSoft and turns them into a data source. It’s then a simple task to compose that PeopleSoft content using InFlight and inject it into SharePoint online pages as desired. Essentially, InFlight allows any PeopleSoft content to be transformed and integrated into your SharePoint portal, whether on-prem or in the cloud.

Not only does this approach overcome the challenges of integrating PeopleSoft with SharePoint Online, it preserves your ability to control the customizations, business logic and security of your PeopleSoft application, while still appropriately branding your SharePoint portal—no matter what changes come down the pipe!

Contact InFlight today to schedule a demonstration.

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Works Cited

[1] Impact of SharePoint 2016, http://info.aiim.org/the-impact-of-sharepoint-2016

[2] SharePoint Team, The New SharePoint, https://blogs.office.com/2012/07/17/the-new-sharepoint/