Microsoft has recently introduced the next step in the evolution of the Office 365 platform by releasing the Office 365 API Tools, as shown in the image below. This continues to extend the platform and opens up more possibilities around the hybrid cloud with the capability to access SharePoint 2013 on-premises.
It also extends the platform in Office 2013 by adding the capability for both sites and native applications to consume Office 365 data and can provide major breakthroughs around Power BI (Business Intelligence) hosted in Office 365.
Native applications running on Windows 8, iOS, Android, and other device platforms, will be able to consume Office 365 data by using REST APIs and standard OAuth flows.
The Office 365 API Tools, as shown in the image below, are part of a platform that is built on an entirely newMicrosoft Azure AD. They will provide for the more seamless identity management that is so critical to bringing more compliance and governance to these environments.
There has also been an updated set of tools in Visual Studio developed in parallel so that the overall application life-cycle management (ALM), as well as future Release Management components such as Team Foundation Server, will be able to serve all data sources and tenants.
The Office development tools and templates in Visual Studio can be downloaded at the following link: https://www.epcgroup.net/
EPC Group recommends signing up for a free Office 365 Developer Site by referring to the following link: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/dev-program
Note: These tools were previously code named “NAPA.”
EPC Group Tip “From the Consulting Trenches”
Microsoft has released a new SharePoint Server 2013 Client Components SDK that can be utilized to enable remote and local development with SharePoint Server 2013.
For more information on the new SharePoint Server 2013 Client Components SDK, as well as to access this free download, refer to the following link:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35585
EPC Group’s Nationally Recognized Practice Areas
EPC Group leading Custom Application Development, SharePoint, Office 365, Infrastructure Design and Business Intelligence Practice areas continue to lead the way in providing our clients with the most up-to-date and relevant information that is tailored to their individual business and functional needs.
Additional “From the Consulting Trenches” strategies and methodologies are covered in EPC Group’s new book, “SharePoint 2013 Field Guide: Advice from the Consulting Trenches” covering not only SharePoint 2013, Office 365 and SharePoint Online but Information Management, ECM\RM and overall compliance strategies in this ever changing world of “Hybrid IT.”
