Not every cloud based service can be connected with every other service, but fortunately most popular Apps can be integrated. And so can Salesforce and Microsoft SharePoint be integrated – two of the most popular Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products. Why Salesforce SharePoint Integration? SharePoint is a very robust content management and document management platform used by all kinds of companies, mainly for storing business related documents and content. It is mostly used as a secure document repository for intranet portals, websites, cloud based services, and of course as independent repository as well. However it is mostly used by businesses using other Microsoft Office products like Excel and Word to create documents. Now since they belong to the same product family, the created documents can be easily exported to SharePoint. Salesforce on the other hand is a huge SaaS platform used by millions of companies to manage their business processes. It mainly started as a Customer Relationship Management Platform but thanks to its versatility regarding integrations and extensions along with a boost in its ever-growing list of features, it has evolved into a complete sales, marketing and support business process management platform and can be used for many many kind of analysis for businesses. Salesforce SharePoint Integration Using Microsoft Azure Service There are a number of ways you can integrate SharePoint with Salesforce. However Microsoft has not released any API to facilitate direct Salesforce SharePoint interactions so we need to involve a third-party adapter or service. The different ways are: - Integrating using a third party system installed adapter - Integrating using a Microsoft Azure hosted service. - Integrating using a third party integration service. The best cloud integration method left is to use a Microsoft Azure hosted service to integrate your Salesforce and SharePoint. This method involves multiple steps - Step 1: Salesforce sends authentication request to the Adapter. - Step 2: The Adapter passes on the request to the SharePoint. - Step 3: SharePoint authenticates the information and passes on a security token for further use. - Step 4: The adapter receives the token and passes on the token to Salesforce. - Step 5: Using the token as an authentication key, Salesforce then send request to view specific or all accessible files and folders. - Step 6: The Adapter passes on the request along with the token and receives an output which it again passes on to the Salesforce installation. - Step 7: Either the token expires and the process is repeated again, or using the same token more requests are sent and received.

2. This is the Cloudage

3. Everything everywhere is connected with each
other via cloud hosted web services and
people can access these services from anywhere
in globe, anytime.

4. But is everything really connected as is expected?
Not every cloud based service
can be connected with every
other service,

5. But fortunately most popular Apps can be integrated
And so can
Salesforce and Microsoft SharePoint

6. Salesforce
with
SharePoint
How to integrate

7. Integrate Salesforce with SharePoint
Microsoft has not released
any API to facilitate direct
Salesforce SharePoint
interactions so we need to
involve a third-party adapter
or service.

8. Integrate Salesforce with SharePoint
There are a number of ways you
can integrate SharePoint with
Salesforce.
However most of these ways can
be categorized into three
approaches.

9. Integrate Salesforce with SharePoint
The different ways are:
1. Integrating using a third party system installed
adapter.
2. Integrating using a Custom Coded Adapter.
3. Integrating using a third party integration
service.

10. Integrate Salesforce with SharePoint
The first way involves building a
third-party adapter that had to be
physically installed on a
computer system and therefore
severely limits the cloud
based capabilities.

11. The third way involves using a
paid integration product usually in a SaaS format.
It is easy to use but it is not as flexible as a custom
adapter and may prove to be a security risk.
Integrate Salesforce with SharePoint

12. Integrate Salesforce with SharePoint
So the best cloud integration
method left is to use a custom
coded integration solution
that is hosted on Microsoft
Azure service to integrate your
Salesforce and SharePoint.

13. This method involves main steps
Integrate Salesforce with SharePoint

14. Step 1: Salesforce sends authentication request to
the Adapter.
Step 2: The Adapter passes on the request to the
SharePoint.
Step 3: SharePoint authenticates the information and
passes on a security token for further use.
Integrate Salesforce with SharePoint

15. Step 4: The adapter receives the token and passes on the
token to Salesforce.
Step 5: Using the token as an authentication key,
Salesforce then send request to view specific or all
accessible files and folders.
Integrate Salesforce with SharePoint

16. Step 6: The Adapter passes on the request along with the
token and receives an output which it again passes on to
the Salesforce installation.
Step 7: Either the token expires and the process is repeated
again, or using the same token more requests are sent
and received.
Integrate Salesforce with SharePoint

18. The main point for cloud based
integration is to host a running service
on Microsoft’s cloud app platform
Azure, and leveraging it to interact with
SharePoint.
How Salesforce Performs Step 1

19. Since the service is hosted on a cloud
platform, we usually access it via web-
based URL. Like
How Salesforce Performs Step 1
http://testingalgoworks.azurewebs
ites.net/Api/Values/GetAuthToken

20. How Salesforce
Performs Step 1
So our methods from Salesforce
side to request authentication
token look something like this:

21. How Salesforce
Performs Step 2,3,4
Once Salesforce has sent the
request for authentication token,
here’s how Azure platform
service authenticates login.

22. How Salesforce
Performs Step 5
Once Salesforce has
authentication token, it uses that to
request files and folders from the
adapter. Once again it uses the
Azure service URL to hit the
service.
Here’s a method to request files
and a method to request folders

23. How Azure Services Handle Requests
The code for how Azure service handle requests is a little
long. So i request you to checkout our blog on the
same.
Our Blog: How to integrate SharePoint
with Salesforce?
There you will also find the code to actually display
Sharepoint files in Visual force page.

24. Salesforce and Microsoft, in
an obvious strategy of mutual
benefit went into an extended
partnership.
Using Salesforce Files Connect

25. On December 17 Salesforce
launched its new integration
features in the form of
Salesforce Files Connect.
Using Salesforce Files Connect

26. It was released after much
research and is touted as
a go-to method to
integrate Microsoft 365
products as well as
Microsoft OneDrive.
Using Salesforce Files Connect

27. But since it’s a new service
it’s still not tested for the
most optimum performance
and security standards
by third party users.
Using Salesforce Files Connect

28. However based on our 10+
years of experience we can
predict that in the near future Files
Connect would be the
dominant way to integrate
both SaaS platforms.
Using Salesforce Files Connect

29. sales@algoworks.com Toll Free : +1-877-284-1028
Author
Co-Founder & Director
Open-Source | Salesforce | ECM
Pratyush is Co-Founder and Director at
Algoworks. He is responsible for managing,
growing open source technologies and
Salesforce CRM team .
He provides consulting and advisory to clients
looking for services relating to CRM(Customer
Relationship Management) and ECM(Enterprise
Content Management).
Pratyush Kumar
Write to me @ pratyush@algoworks.com

30. Official Blog Link -
http://www.algoworks.com/blog/salesforce-sharepoint-
integration
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