I previously wrote a post on TechRepublic called “Top iPad apps for accessing SharePoint.” Readers in the discussion thread told me about harmon.ie: SharePoint Mobile Client. This app is now high on my list in terms of usability and design, which is why I’m recommending it for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives. With a little bit of training upfront, BYOD users can use harmon.ie to access corporate SharePoint and Office 365 sites with ease.



You can check out harmon.ie Lite: SharePoint Mobile Client for free. However, the Premium Edition costs $19.99 (USD). When you open the app for the first time, it takes you right to a list of SharePoint sites. This app is very responsive and gets down to business with no added levels of complexity. Tap on a site, and you’re taken right to it. Then you can access document folders and other materials on the site. Figure A shows the harmon.ie Sample Site open in harmon.ie: SharePoint Mobile Client.
Figure A

A SharePoint site in harmon.ie: SharePoint Mobile Client.

Working with documents

Another critical element of SharePoint client apps on the iPad is document access. Tap on a document in harmon.ie: SharePoint Mobile Client to open its Document Info page. Whether or not you’re a SharePoint purist, you’ll find a page that’s well laid out with nice-sized icons to perform various tasks. Figure B shows the Document Info page for an Excel spreadsheet.
Figure B

Document Info page in harmon.ie: SharePoint Mobile Client.

You can check out documents just like you can when accessing a SharePoint document library through a PC’s web browser — but with some nice iPad twists. Tap to open the Document Info page for the document. Then, depending on your privileges, you have the option to check out (for editing) or just view the document using the requisite iPad productivity app, which is nice. It’s a straightforward process without proprietary tools to get in the way.

People in harmon.ie: SharePoint Mobile Client

While there have been considerable advancements in the sophistication of iPad access to SharePoint, the next evolution in the cycle is going to have these apps tap more into people — document authors, team members, stake holders, and other important players in the project life cycle. Some industry experts are calling this “Social SharePoint.” Tap on People to access your contact list and profiles of participants on the site. Figure C shows an example of how harmon.ie: SharePoint Mobile Client renders a profile.
Figure C

A profile in harmon.ie: SharePoint Mobile Client.

Social tools are becoming part of SharePoint strategies from Microsoft, third-party vendors, and large enterprises. Even harmon.ie is letting mobile users get in on the act by allowing them to add colleagues to their profiles and take advantage of activity streams for collaboration. Users can also update an activity stream with information about their status. Activity streams can be a more powerful collaboration tool for mobile workforces than email, because it’s easier for users to get a view over the status of your other team members at a glance.

Working with settings

The harmon.ie: SharePoint Mobile Client includes settings that govern the configuration of SharePoint Social Servers, passcode for updates, setting a passcode lock, app location history, caching, connection, and logs. In a BYOD initiative, I’d really hope to see the option to lock some or all of these settings down from end users.

Harmon.ie: SharePoint Mobile Client in the enterprise

There are some great apps available for accessing SharePoint from an iPad, but harmon.ie takes the time to focus on the enterprise. The harmon.ie Enterprise Edition includes tools for centralized provisioning and deployment of the app.

Their Enterprise Edition might be worth investigating as a corporate standard app for BYOD initiatives, because it can bring another level of control over SharePoint access from BYOD iPads — especially app settings.

Find harmon.ie in SharePoint

The harmon.ie: SharePoint Mobile Client, with its focus on usability, the enterprise, and social tools, makes it attractive for BYOD users. If I dare say, it’s one of the friendlier SharePoint client apps for the iPad on the market, and it’s my choice as a standard SharePoint app on the iPad for BYOD.

Which app do you use to access SharePoint from your iPad or Android tablet? Share you experience in the discussion thread below.