PremierPoint Solutions Announces Significant New Features in Extranet Collaboration Manager

PremierPoint Solutions Announces Significant New Features in Extranet Collaboration Manager for SharePoint 2013 R2

1888 Press Release ­ PremierPoint Solutions has added new features in its Extranet Collaboration Manager for SharePoint 2013 R2 release that make it fast and easy for companies to deploy a SharePoint extranet.

Nashville, TN ­ PremierPoint Solutions today announced the company has added new features in its Extranet Collaboration Manager (ExCM) for SharePoint 2013 R2 release that improve ease of deployment and configuration; give users a self­maintaining extranet site directory; and provide support for Trusted Identity Providers (TIPS).

An R2 is a major new release of a software product. Current ExCM customers with support can get the R2 at no cost. New customers can download and evaluate the R2 with a 30­day trial key.

ExCM 2013 R2 makes it extremely easy and fast to deploy a SharePoint extranet. It includes a new easy­to­ use Forms­Based Authentication (FBA) setup wizard that deploys in about 10 minutes. The automatic ASP.NET Membership Provider configuration works in single server and multi­server farms, and there is automatic creation of the extranet directory database. There also is support for multiple extranet web applications.

In addition, the new release makes it easy to configure several advanced features that previously required tedious and error­prone XML­file edits. Graphic User Interfaces (GUIs) are included for: • Extranet Account Manager set up • Extranet password policy • Account expiration policy • Password expiration policy • Global registration settings • Global domain policy • People Picker restrictions For external users needing access to multiple sites, the new release has an extranet directory web part that ships with ExCM. It is security trimmed so that users only see what they have permission to view. The directory is self­updating and self­maintained.

Support for TIPS includes Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) and other SAML authentication providers.

"Companies that use on­premises SharePoint 2013 for their intranets have access for an unlimited number of external users­such as vendors, customers and other business partners­ included in their SharePoint licenses access," noted Jeff Cate, president of PremierPoint Solutions.

"It can be easy and inexpensive to deploy an extranet web application that is secure and completely separate from your intranet web application, enabling you to leverage the investment you've already made in your SharePoint farm," he added.

ExCM was initially created as a software add­on for SharePoint 2007. Just six months after its introduction in February 2007, it was named winner of the "Editor's Best Awards" in the SharePoint award category by Penton Media's Windows IT Pro magazine.

PremierPoint Solutions subsequently developed additional versions for SharePoint 2010 and SharePoint 2013 as ExCM established itself as the industry leader in powerful, effective SharePoint extranet deployment and management. Today, it is a trusted and proven product that many companies depend upon to enhance their extranet collaboration.

Later this year, PremierPoint Solutions will release a new version of ExCM for SharePoint 2016.

While SharePoint provides many of the raw capabilities necessary for extranet collaboration, it lacks critical tools that SharePoint administrators need to establish and maintain the collaboration environment. That's where ExCM comes in.

ExCM 2013 is a seamless add­in to SharePoint that extends and enhances SharePoint's out­of­the­box extranet capabilities, simplifying SharePoint extranet administration and enabling easy collaboration for extranet users.

ExCM improves collaboration with individuals outside an organization by providing partners, customers and suppliers with access to important information while still maintaining security. The product relieves IT staff of much of the burden of administrating a SharePoint extranet by enabling an administrator to delegate authority to power users designated as "site sponsors," who can perform routine administrative tasks like sending invitations, adding and unlocking accounts, etc.

It also empowers extranet users to do for themselves things such as signing up for extranet accounts, resetting their passwords, updating their user profiles and more.

Based in Nashville, Tenn., PremierPoint Solutions is a Microsoft Certified Partner and a nationwide leader in expert­led in­person and online public classes on SharePoint products and technologies. The company's software division professionally develops high­quality commercial add­ons for SharePoint. For more information, visit www.premierpointsolutions.com. https://www.premierpointsolutions.com/products/extranet­solution/new­features­in­excm­2013­r2­and­ excm­2016/ ###