Chapter 29
Configuring PowerPoint Services
PowerPoint 2010 has a new feature called Broadcast Slideshow. This feature enables you, with SharePoint's and Office Web Apps' help, to push your Microsoft Office 2010 PowerPoint presentations out to invited users (50 or fewer simultaneous users for best results) via a SharePoint 2010 site collection. If you don't have SharePoint or Office Web Apps, you can still use this feature with Windows Live ID and Microsoft broadcast servers. It removes the need for third-party providers when remote access to PowerPoint presentations is required.
PowerPoint Service Application
To run the PowerPoint broadcast operation on your own SharePoint servers, you need to install Office Web Apps. After this software is installed, the PowerPoint Service Application is started on the SharePoint server. A new site collection template and a default PowerPoint broadcast site collection are also installed. Figure 29.1 shows the PowerPoint Service Application configuration screen in SharePoint Central Administration, following an installation of Office Web Apps. The PowerPoint Service Application configuration enables you to do the following:
- Specify the File Formats Supported: You can choose the newer PowerPoint file format of PPTX and/or PowerPoint 97-2003 file format using the PPT extension.
- Broadcast Site: You specify the default PowerPoint broadcast site or create a new broadcast site collection.
- PowerPoint 97-2003 Presentation Scanning: SharePoint scans older format files for malicious content. You can disable the behavior in this section.
When the PowerPoint service application has been configured on SharePoint, you can use PowerPoint broadcasting. You will use the default server broadcast site or create a specific site collection to host the broadcast.
In this exercise, you will set up a broadcast site collection and broadcast a PowerPoint slideshow.
Lesson Requirements
To complete this Try It exercise, you need the following:
- PowerPoint presentation saved as a PPTX file.
- If you do not have Office Web Apps installed, you also need a Windows Live ID (required to use the Microsoft broadcast service).
- Office Web Apps and a default broadcast site created.
Step-by-Step
To begin the exercise, you need to create a new broadcast site collection from SharePoint Central Administration. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Application Management.
2. Click Create Site Collections.
3. Enter a title for the site collection, and name it Lesson 29.
4. Enter a URL: /sites/lesson29.
5. Click the Enterprise tab in Template Selection.
6. Select PowerPoint Broadcast Site.
7. Enter your user details as the site collection administrator.
8. Click OK to save the changes and create the broadcast site collection.
Figure 29.2 shows the new site collection in the browser. As you can see, it is slightly different from other site collections, because its sole purpose is to host PowerPoint broadcasts and not to store content.
Permissions are the same. People and Groups in the site collection provides your users permissions to create or to attend PowerPoint broadcasts. Three default groups are available:
- Broadcast Administrators: Full control on the site.
- Broadcast Presenters: Broadcast permissions on the site collection; these users can only add items.
- Broadcast Attendees: Ability to attend PowerPoint broadcasts; read-only permissions.
To continue the exercise, follow these steps:
1. Open Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 (keep the new site collection open).
2. Click File.
3. Select New.
4. Click Sample Templates.
5. Select the Project Status report template.
6. Click Create.
7. Return to the File menu.
8. Click Save and Send.
9. Click Broadcast Slide Show in the Save and Send category.
10. Click the Broadcast Slide Show icon to open the Broadcast Slide Show dialog.
At this point, the Broadcast Slide Show dialog opens. If you already have a site set up, you might have to substitute the new site you just created. If this is the first time you have used this option, proceed as follows:
11. Click Change Broadcast Service.
12. Click Add a New Service.
13. Enter the URL of the site collection you just created.
14. Click Add.
15. Click Start Broadcast.
The service connects to your SharePoint site and provides a URL to use in your invitations to the broadcast. You can copy the link and paste it into an email, or create an email to invite users directly from within PowerPoint by clicking Send in Email to open Microsoft Outlook. When you are ready to begin the broadcast, click the Start Slide Show button. To end the broadcast, you can click the End Broadcast button below the PowerPoint Ribbon.
Figure 29.3 shows a broadcast in an attendee's browser before the presentation begins.
If you do not install Office Web Apps, you can still make use of the PowerPoint 2010 broadcast feature by using a Microsoft server to host the broadcast. You do this by choosing PowerPoint Broadcast Service in the Broadcast Slide Show dialog. To use this service, you must have a Windows Live ID. The running of a broadcast and the process of inviting attendees is the same as with using your own SharePoint server and the Office web apps.
Please select Lesson 29 on the DVD or visit www.wrox.com/go/sp2010-24 to view the video that accompanies this lesson.