Dear customers, throughout 2023 we have been focused on HarePoint Analytics for SharePoint Online development. It has been in development since 2021 and has been actively improved and updated over the past two years. With the help of new customers, we have been able to implement new functionalities and expand its capabilities. However, we also take into account the trends of Microsoft in the development of their products and have had to do a lot of work to redesign one of the main components of the product to ensure it is up-to-date with the latest technology.
One of the most important updates to the product is the significant optimization and acceleration of data rendering for large datasets in Power BI. Previously, generating a report on files stored in Documents Libraries could cause a timeout when the number of files exceeded 5 million, but after the February product update, generating such a report with several tens of millions of files is possible. This is a significant improvement that allows users to work with larger datasets more efficiently.
We have also improved the Data Set Compression algorithms and reduced the dataset size by more than half, which allows many users not to work with large amounts of data without Power BI Premium subscription. This is a great benefit for users who want to work with large amounts of data but don’t want to pay extra for premium features.
Another important update is the expansion of data storage regions. Now more than 40 regions are available when registering an account, allowing customers to choose where they want to store their data. This is a great benefit for customers who want to have more control over their data and where it is stored.
We have also improved recognition of browser versions, operating systems, and devices from which users work with SharePoint Online. Nowadays users access SharePoint sites and use it from a variety of different devices and platforms and getting of this information is very important to optimize the content and SharePoint structure.
In addition to these updates, we added data collection for Custom events and Custom metadata to allow users to collect more data and generate more reports to their specific needs. Also, we redesigned the set of permissions required for product deployment, making it easier for users to deploy the product and get started using it.
Looking to the future, we plan to release an Enterprise version that will allow users to install the product in their own Azure Tenant. This will ensure that data collection, processing, and storage are performed within the user’s own Azure Tenant and data will not leave its boundaries. This is a great benefit for users who want more control over their data and want to keep it within their own environment.
Also, we plan to expand the set of supported products from Microsoft Office 365 and add reporting packages for Microsoft One Drive and Microsoft Teams in 2024. This will allow users to work with even more data and get more insights into their Azure environment.
Overall, HarePoint Analytics for SharePoint Online is a great tool for users who want to get insights into their business processes and know more about thin points in the Azure environment. With its many updates and improvements, it is a product that is continually evolving and improving to meet the needs of its users.