What to Expect in SharePoint 2019
Modernized Design
SharePoint’s on-premises design is getting an overhaul! Those who are familiar with SharePoint Online’s interface will likely find the SharePoint 2019 redesign very familiar. Utilizing many of the features currently available for SharePoint Online users, SharePoint 2019 is anticipated to have a modern interface that will improve the user experience of the platform by providing users with modern sites, pages, lists, and libraries.
In addition to overall design modernization, SharePoint 2019 is also projected to feature a more mobile-friendly design approach. Currently, the SharePoint 2016 mobile experience is limited and clunky. The new SharePoint mobile experience will likely feature a more image-heavy design and allow for easier navigation through modern design elements.
Aciron’s CEO, Puneet Gangal, recently commented on SharePoint 2019’s anticipated responsive design and modern UI in CMSWire. As consultants, we know that companies have many reasons for staying with on-premises solutions, so we are excited to see how Microsoft will modernize on-premises SharePoint in this upcoming release.
Flow and PowerApps Integration
Microsoft has confirmed that PowerApps and Microsoft Flow will be the successor products to InfoPath and SharePoint Designer. For SharePoint 2019, it is anticipated that Microsoft will begin this transition by giving customers the ability to access their data behind a firewall while using Flow and PowerApps.
Currently, Flow and PowerApps are limited to use only by SharePoint Online customers whose data resides on Microsoft cloud servers; however, with SharePoint 2019, Microsoft will leverage their development and investment in Office 365 and SharePoint Online to update SharePoint Server’s capabilities and allow list integrations for Flow and PowerApps. This new integration functionality will allow users to more easily create workflows and move data between on-premises SharePoint and the cloud.
Next Generation Sync Client
Currently, the new Sync Client is available on SharePoint Online but is not available with SharePoint on-premises. With SharePoint 2019, the addition of the Next Generation Sync Client is anticipated to allow hybrid SharePoint 2019 farms to easily sync files between the computer and the cloud, giving users access to their files from anywhere. With the new SharePoint 2019 sync client, we expect synchronization to be quick and reliable. It will empower hybrid SharePoint farms to work more efficiently than in past versions of the platform.
As you can see from the list of anticipated features above, SharePoint 2019 will give on-premises farms more of the functionality currently available to Online users. If Cloud is the king, then Hybrid is the prince–the features in this latest SharePoint release should empower hybrid farms to work more efficiently through new integrations and updated sync functionality. We’re very excited for the SharePoint 2019 preview to be released in the coming days and will be updating this post with the features included in the preview.
Is your organization considering upgrading to the latest version of SharePoint? Our consultants can help you explore which version is right for your organization. Download our SharePoint Implementation Planning Guide or reach out to one of our consultants today to learn more about how SharePoint can help your organization!