Optimizely vs SharePoint

2021. Optimizely to acquire Welcome to help marketers drive Customer Experience outcomes



Optimizely, a leading digital experience platform (DXP) provider, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Welcome, a four-time Gartner Leader. Welcome combines the top capabilities of content marketing platforms (CMP), marketing resource management (MRM), and digital asset management (DAM) into a unified solution. This acquisition will enable the combined company to empower marketing teams worldwide to generate tangible business value by delivering improved customer experiences. In today's digital-first landscape, the internal marketer experience plays a pivotal role in shaping the external customer experience. Marketers, operating in an increasingly hybrid work environment, bear the responsibility of driving business growth and promptly adapting to the ever-evolving needs of the digital consumer. However, the complexity and fragmentation of the marketing stack hinder their ability to provide personalized and contextual experiences, as well as create relevant content at scale.


2020. Episerver to acquire Optimizely, the world’s leading Experience Optimization platform



Episerver, recognized as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Experience Platforms, has made an official announcement regarding its agreement to acquire Optimizely, the leading provider in experimentation and optimization solutions. This strategic union results in the formation of the most advanced digital experience platform, enabling the optimization of every customer interaction throughout the entire user journey. By combining Episerver's expertise in creating digital experiences through content and commerce with Optimizely's capabilities in experimentation and optimization across touchpoints, marketers gain the power to develop experiences that continually improve and evolve over time.


2018. SharePoint gets organization-wide news and content targeting



Microsoft has recently announced several enhancements for SharePoint and Office 365 sites, bringing new capabilities and functionalities. Among the notable updates is the introduction of a designated communication site that serves as the official news portal for the organization. This allows news posted on the portal to be easily identified with a special indicator, ensuring clear visibility on both mobile devices and the SharePoint home page. Additionally, a new feature enables the targeting of content to specific audiences based on their Active Directory (AD) Group membership, including dynamic groups. Moreover, SharePoint sites now have the ability to create mega-menus for navigation, facilitating improved user experiences and seamless site exploration. These advancements aim to enhance communication, personalization, and navigation within SharePoint and Office 365 sites.


2017. SharePoint 2016 finally added SharePoint Framework Support



Microsoft's objective in launching SharePoint Framework into general availability in February was to attract a wider pool of developers to the SharePoint ecosystem. Now, with the introduction of SharePoint Feature Pack 2 (FP2), the company extends Framework support to users of SharePoint 2016. Framework serves as a page and web part model, offering comprehensive assistance for client-side SharePoint development, seamless integration with SharePoint data, and compatibility with open source tools. This release simplifies the process for SharePoint 2016 users and third-party developers to construct solutions centered around SharePoint.


2017. SharePoint Framework is generally available



Microsoft has introduced the SharePoint Framework, empowering developers and administrators to construct and deploy components that are utilized by Office 365 users within their production environments. This advancement entails leveraging web technologies to create agile, responsive, and notably mobile-friendly applications on SharePoint. While SharePoint has served as an application and development platform for a considerable duration, the release of the Framework marks a significant stride in enhancing the developer experience. Historically described as unwieldy and challenging, the SharePoint Framework introduces improvements that address these concerns.


2016. Microsoft connects SharePoint Team Sites to Office 365 Groups



Microsoft is rolling out the integration of SharePoint and Office 365 team sites, introducing a new feature that enables the creation of interconnected SharePoint Online team sites within seconds. This integration simplifies the process as follows: Whenever an Office 365 Group is created, the service automatically generates a SharePoint team site. The appearance of the site can be customized by the team site administrator and includes various elements such as pages, lists, libraries, and team news. SharePoint team sites serve as collaborative spaces where teams can effectively communicate, share documents, and collaborate on projects. They are user-friendly and facilitate the creation of dedicated sites for each project undertaken by the team. Moreover, team sites are easily accessible across multiple devices, making them suitable for mobile workers as well.


2016. Microsoft released SharePoint for Android



Despite Microsoft's withdrawal from actively competing in the mobile OS market for the past two years, the company has been notably sluggish in releasing Android apps. However, Microsoft has finally unveiled its SharePoint mobile client specifically designed for Android smartphones and tablets. This application offers users the ability to collaborate within team sites and access documents stored in SharePoint across various categories, including Sites, Links, and People. To utilize the SharePoint app, organizations must have an Office 365 subscription that includes SharePoint Online. Support for SharePoint Server 2013 and SharePoint 2016 will be incorporated at a later stage. Earlier this year, Microsoft released SharePoint mobile apps for iOS and Windows Phone, with the latter app still being in the preview stage.


2016. Microsoft brings SharePoint to iOS


Microsoft has introduced a new mobile application for SharePoint users, designed to provide access to a company's SharePoint-powered intranet portal and its content on smartphones and tablets. Initially available on iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads, the app will be extended to Android and Windows platforms by the end of the year, according to Microsoft. The app is compatible with both SharePoint Online in Office 365 and SharePoint Server 2013 or 2016 in on-premises or hybrid environments. It includes a Sites tab that enables users to visit their frequently accessed SharePoint sites, view recent activity, access files, lists, pages, and other content on those sites. Additionally, the app integrates with other Microsoft mobile applications, allowing seamless transitions between apps. For instance, clicking on an Office document in the SharePoint app will open the corresponding Office mobile app, while viewing a document library on a team site will redirect users to the OneDrive mobile app for iOS.


2016. SharePoint adds new document libraries


Now that SharePoint 2016 has arrived, Microsoft is gradually introducing SharePoint Document Libraries to its commercial Office 365 subscribers through SharePoint Online. These new document libraries represent a more user-friendly approach to SharePoint, allowing users to conveniently access documents, modify document metadata, and prioritize content within the document library. This development is significant as it addresses longstanding criticisms of earlier versions of SharePoint regarding usability challenges. Throughout the extensive lead-up to the release of SharePoint 2016, Microsoft pledged its commitment to enhancing the user experience.


2015. Website personalization service Optimizely raises $58M



Optimizely, the renowned company synonymous with A/B testing, has secured $58 million in funding. While Optimizely is widely recognized for its tools that enable customers to test different variations of their websites and determine the most effective one, it has been expanding its horizons. The company ventured into new territories by introducing Optimizely for iOS last year, followed by the recent launch of Optimizely Personalization. As a result, Optimizely has established itself as a leading service for optimizing websites (according to Alexa) and mobile apps (according to MixRank). Esteemed customers such as CNN, Microsoft, and Virgin America have entrusted Optimizely with their optimization needs. Despite the existence of numerous A/B testing tools in the market, Optimizely stands out by prioritizing the development of "best in class products" and fostering integrations with a diverse range of partners.