Alert Reminder Boost is a custom SharePoint workflow comprising of two separate workflows, the Alert Boost workflow and the Reminder Boost workflow. The solution is designed as an enhancement to the default SharePoint Alert Me for sending e-mail notifications. It provides a lot of additional functionality that out-of-the-box Alert Me does not offer, such as sending notifications based on column values and conditions, specifying CC, BCC, Send and Reply-To e-mail addresses, highlighting changes and deletions of field values, and customizable e-mail content.

Alert Conditions

Alert Reminder Boost provides powerful and highly flexible conditions to determine at what time and under what circumstances e-mails should be sent, ensuring that users will only receive notifications that matter to them and only when they are required. Functions, operators and columns of the list are available as expressions to build these conditions.

Customizable E-Mail Contents

SharePoint Alert Reminder Boost e-mail content can be customized almost like any e-mail in Outlook, giving you the option to modify fonts, include attachments, pictures or flash in the e-mail body.

When creating the content of the e-mail body, columns can be used as placeholders. This will ensure personalized and tailored e-mail contents when viewed by recipients, as item-specific information is displayed rather than just generic contents.

The subject of the e-mails can also be user-defined with your own text and column placeholders to match your specific needs.

Except for containing item information, which is an out-of-box function of SharePoint Alert Me, Alert Reminder Boost marks the modified details in the e-mail body. Strikethrough represents deleted contents, while highlight means newly-added or modified contents.

Recipients

In addition to sending notification e-mails to certain existing SharePoint users/groups (default SharePoint feature), Alert Reminder Boost can also send e-mails to user/group columns, including "Created By", "Modified By", and user/groups columns like "Manager". Furthermore, e-mail recipients can be specified through e-mail addresses, columns containing e-mail addresses, and AD users/groups. These settings are available for To, CC, and BCC fields.

For instance, to inform a customer about the resolution of an issue, simply set up Alert Boost workflow on the customer issue list and configure the "Customer E-Mail" column as the source for pulling the email addresses of the recipients.

SharePoint alerts( SharePoint alert emails ) can be easily subscribed for in using SharePoint Alert Reminder Boost. The following sample will show you how to use this workflow.

1. Create a SharePoint Group named "Task Owner" and add some users.

2. Enter workflow setting page, and you can find SharePoint Alert Boost Workflow in workflow template list. Type workflow name and select a task list, history list for it. In order to start this workflow automatically, you must be sure that both "Start this workflow when a new item is created" and "Start this workflow when an item is changed" are selected.

3. In the main setting page of SharePoint Alert workflow, click "Add Alert Part" to add a new part.

4. Configure Alert Part

• Type a name for this alert part .
• Select "All Changes", which means that the user will receive related SharePoint alerts (alert emails) whenever a task item is added, modified, or deleted.
• Type alert condition expression in Alert Condition textbox when you need to customize sending condition.

In Subject of Email, enter [Title]-[Status], and select "Mark workflow name at subject" and "Mark Alert type at subject".

In Alert Content, select Include item information in Alert email. The alert email will contain all the field value of the item.

Type "Task Owner" into "Send to" textbox, and select "Assigned to". The alert email will send to users in Task Owner group and in field value of the item which triggers the workflow.

5. Click"OK" back to Alert main page, then click "OK" button to save the SharePoint Alert Boost workflow configuration.

6. Go back to the task list, which has been set with SharePoint Alert Boost workflow. When you add a task item, the “Task Owner” group will receive alert email for the new item.

7. Change status value from "Not Stated" to "Completed" and "%Complete" value from "0" to "100". Then you will get the edit item specifics in the SharePoint alerts (SharePoint alert emails).

8. Delete the task item; and you will receive an alert email for deleting item.

SharePoint Reminder Boost workflow can notify person when his task exceeds time limit. The following situations demonstrate how to apply it.

• Send alert email when the day is overhead the due time, and the status of this task is "Not Completed".
• The alert email will be sent twice a day, one is at 9:00, and the other is at 12:00. But if the day is not a workday, the workflow could stop sending alert emails.
• The alert email will be sent to person in charge of the task and BCC to persons in Task Owner group.

The configuration of SharePoint Reminder Boost workflow is similar to SharePoint Alert Boost workflow and the only difference lies in alert part setting page.

• Type a name for the alert part.
• In "Set Reminder", we set "Start time" on 9:00:00, "End time" on 23:00:00, and "Interval time"0.1 which equals to 6 minutes. In Alert Condition, we type the expression "[Status] != "In Progress" && Weekday([Today]) != 6 && Weekday([Today]) != 7 && [Today] > [Due Date]", which means that the workflow will only remind overdue task on workday.

Type [Title]-[Status] in Subject of email and mark the all check box.

Type "Pay Attention: This task [Title] has exceeded the time limit, please finished it as soon as possible" with red font color in order to tell the people the task is overdue.

Select "Assigned to" and type "Task Owner" in BCC.

Create an item for this task list. You will receive alert emails when the condition expression matches.

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Languages Supported: English, Chinese, Japanese

System Requirements

For SharePoint 2010:

Operating System:	Microsoft Windows Server 2008 x86/x64 Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
Server:	SharePoint Release: - Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010 or Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 - Microsoft .NETs Framework 3.5
Browser:	Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or greater is recommended for Advanced Administration features Mozilla Firefox supported

For SharePoint 2007:

Operating System:	Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x86/x64 Microsoft Windows Server 2008 x86/x64 Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
Server:	SharePoint Release: - Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services v3 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 - Microsoft .NETs Framework 2.0 or 3.0 Note: This product is not compatible with SPS 2003 and WSS v2
Browser:	Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or greater is recommended for Advanced Administration features

Release Notes

1.12.802.0 Aug 2nd, 2010	New Feature: - Announced compatibility with SharePoint 2010.
1.11.709.0 Jul 13th, 2010	New Feature: - Server License is available.
1.10.127.2 Jan 28th, 2010	Licensing module upgraded.
1.9.1023.0 Oct 26th, 2009	New Feature: - Add an option that enables users to "Start workflow for all the items". Bugs Fixed: - The workflow would still be triggered when [Multiple lines of text]=="", even though the alert condition was set to be [multiple line text]!=""; - IsChanged function could not work properly when choosing "Calculated" column; - If users choose to "Exit workflow after this email sent", the contents modified would not be highlighted in the email; - When "Exit workflow after this email sent" being selected, two emails would be sent to users with different workflow status ("In progress" and "Completed" respectively).
1.9.820.0 Aug 21st, 2009	Licensing module upgraded.
1.9.731.0 Aug 6th, 2009	Bugs Fixed: - Users enable to select the contents in Lookup Column or Choice Column as email address; - Allowing automatically removing duplicated email addresses in email titles (case-insensitive); - Able to highlight the Name Column in email body if it is changed; - Resolved the error: the style of contents in Multiple Line Text Column in email is not the same as it is in SharePoint environment; - Enabling to display columns containing email addresses only when users sending, CC or BCC emails.
1.8.522.0 May 22rd, 2009	Licensing module upgraded.
1.7.320.0 Mar 24th, 2009	New Feature: - Allow users to add a link to a document in an email, if the workflow associates with a document library. Bugs Fixed: - If the list has no mobile view, the mobile view’s url will not be displayed in an email; - If the list isn't a document library, the Name column will not display in neither alert part nor email.
1.6.120.0 Jan 20th, 2009	New Features: - Allow customization on whether columns being displayed in an alert email or not, as well as the display order; - Include mobile link in alert email so that users can directly click the link to view/edit the item with mobile services. Bugs Fixed: - Emails cannot be sent when the subjects contain newline character; - Some bugs with recurrence event reminder.
1.5.1205.0 Dec 5th, 2008	New Features: - Availability of farm license; - Support reminding recurrence events.
1.3.1.3789 Oct 15th, 2008	Bug Fixed: - Column information in the alert email is not the same as it being in display form.
1.3.0.3709 Oct 10th, 2008	New Feature: - Send alert or reminder emails to AD users or groups who are not in the current site. Bug Fixed: - Performance enhancement by reducing the workflow histories that can be saved.
1.2.6.0 Sep 28th, 2008	New Features: - Add function "IsChanged" to condition expression to examine if the content of specified column has been changed or not when workflow is activated on that item; - Warn and refuse submitting when SharePoint outgoing email server or custom SMTP server is not appointed.
1.2.5.0 Sep 16th, 2008	Bug Fixed: - Resolved the error which happened when inserting image into a new item, but saving it unsuccessfully for certain reason, such as the title is empty.
1.2.4.0 Sep 11st, 2008	Bug Fixed: - Date and time field does not display correctly in the email content.
1.2.0.0 Aug 18th, 2008	New Features: - Allow users to "Exit workflow after email being sent"; - Add "alert condition help link" and "function help tip"; - Enable all workflow to associate when activating workflow feature.
1.1.1.0 Jul 16th, 2008	Bug Fixed: - Send item attachments as attachments in Alert email depending on if users choose to do this.
1.1.0.0 Jun 27th, 2008	Initial Release

Purchase FAQ

Questions about Licensing:

• What is the difference between a Server License and a Site Collection License/Farm License, and which type of license should I choose?
  • A Server License is applied to a Web Front End (WFE) server. Each WFE will require a Server License (For SharePoint 2007: all servers running the SP Web Application service will need to be licensed; for SharePoint 2010: all servers running the "Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Web Application" service will need to be licensed). SPB Server Licenses do not limit the number of end-users.
  • A Site Collection License/Farm License is applied to a specific site collection or farm and limits the number of end-users that can use the product. Please determine the total amount of end-users with access to that site collection before you purchase a Site Collection License/Farm License. (For more information about how an "end-user" is defined, please see question 2 below.) SPB Farm Licenses can be used in multiple site collections within one SharePoint farm.
  • Server Licenses are better if you would like to use the product without site collection or end-user restrictions.
  • A Site Collection License/Farm License is better if you only want to use the product in one site collection or in multiple site collections within one farm and the number of end-users is unlikely to grow rapidly or change frequently. (Please note that if the total amount of end-users grows, you will need to purchase a license upgrade. The cost of a license upgrade is equal to the price difference between the old and new licenses. For example, if you purchased a 200 end-user license for $500 and you want to upgrade to a 300 end-user license with a list price of $600, you only need to pay the difference in prices, which in this case is $100.)
  • If you are still unsure as to which license type is best for you, please email sales@sharepointboost.com for assistance.
• What are "end-users" and how do they affect my Site Collection License/Farm License? How do I find how many end-users I have on my Site Collection/Farm?
  • End-users do NOT affect Server Licenses. An end-user count is only needed for a Site Collection License or Farm License.

  • An end-user is defined as any user who has access to, or has accessed any site in your Site Collection/Farm at any point in time, either directly (e.g. signing in) or indirectly (e.g. assigning him a task). Once a user has accessed a site in the site collection or the farm where the product is used, he is counted, regardless of whether or not this user is active on the specific site where the product is used. For example, while you may only have 50 users who would need to use the product on Site A in the site collection, there are 360 users accessing Site B (including the 50 accessing Site A), making a total of 360 users with access to the site collection. Since Site A and Site B are in the same site collection, you would need to purchase a license for at least 360 users. SPB licenses increase in increments of 100 users, so if there are 360 people who have access to the site collection, you will need to purchase a 400 end-user license.

  • Before purchasing a Site Collection License or Farm License, please think carefully about how many people will need to access your site (meaning any part of it) and delete from SharePoint or disable users in Active Directory. To find the number of end-users you have in a Site Collection or Farm, please check the license management page (this will appear after you install the trial version of our software on your SharePoint servers), or download and run the free End User Viewer Tool available here: http://www.sharepointboost.com/end-user-viewer-tool.html. The End User Viewer Tool can also be used to delete inactive user accounts.
• If the current end-user number exceeds the end-user number allowed by my Site Collection License/Farm License, what will happen?
  • Please note that end-users do NOT affect Server Licenses.
  • If the current end-user amount exceeds the amount of end-users allowed by your Site Collection License/Farm License, the original functions and settings of the software will NOT be influenced until you change them (e.g. additions, deletions, modifications, etc.) At that time, you need to upgrade your license by contacting sales@sharepointboost.com. Note that upgrades will incur additional fees equal to the price difference between the old and new licenses. For example, if you purchased a 200 end-user license for $500 and you want to upgrade to a 300 end-user license with a list price of $600, you only need to pay the difference in prices (in this case $100). 
• What will happen if I buy a new server or add another server? How will this affect my license?
  • Adding an additional server/replacing an old server with a new one will NOT affect your Site Collection or Farm License unless the Site Collection ID/Farm ID changes. If your ID has changed, please contact sales@sharepointboost.com for assistance.
  • However, if you are using Server Licenses for an SPB product and you subsequently add an additional WFE to your environment, you will need to purchase another Server License (all servers running the SP Web Application service will need to be licensed). Also, if you elect to replace an old server with a new server, and the Server Code subsequently changes, you will need to contact sales@sharepointboost.com for an updated license key.
• What is Premium Annual Support? If I buy it, what do I get?
  • For detailed information regarding SharePointBoost's Premium Annual Support plan, please visit our support page.
  • Premium Annual Support must be renewed each year. Support fees are based on the product and not on the type of license purchased.
• How can I find my Server Code or Site Collection ID/Farm ID?
  • To find your Server Code or Site Collection ID/Farm ID, please check the license management page (this will appear after you install the trial version of our software on your SharePoint servers – for help finding this information, please email support@sharepointboost.com, or download and install the free License Management Center here: http://www.sharepointboost.com/licensecenter.html.
• Does SharePointBoost offer a discount for development or test environment licenses?
  • SharePointBoost provides a 50% discount off the product list price for development and test environment licenses only with the purchase of a production environment license. Please note that this discount is only available if the license type (namely server license, site collection license, or farm license) is the same in all environments. For example, if you purchase a server license for your production environment, then the development license at the discounted rate would also have to be a server license.
• Do I have to pay for updates as new versions of the product are released?
  • All bug fixes, maintenance and minor releases are free with each purchase of an SPB product. Major releases (usually with significant functionality added) require the payment of an upgrade fee. However, if you purchase our Premium Annual Support plan, then all major and minor releases are free for one year.
• What is the difference between a minor and major release?
  • A minor release contains bugs fixes and minor feature changes (e.g. 1.0 to 1.1). Major releases include significant feature additions and enhancements (e.g. 1.x to 2.0).

Questions about Purchasing Process:

• Does SharePointBoost accept Purchase Orders?
  • SharePointBoost does accept purchase orders. Note that SPB will only send the license key once payment has been cleared by our bank. In the interim, SPB will issue you a PO License, which is a temporary license, while we await confirmation that payment has been received.

  • If you would like to place an order with a PO, please contact sales@sharepointboost.com.

• Which payment methods does SharePointBoost allow?
  • PayPal:
  • The preferred method of payment is PayPal. You can either purchase SharePointBoost products via PayPal account or via credit card. If you would like to purchase a Site Collection license where the total number of end-users is greater than 500, we will generate a PayPal purchase link and send it to you in an email (paying via purchase link does not require that you have a PayPal account).
  • Secure Purchase Link:
  • If purchasing our products through PayPal is not possible for you, then you may contact sales@sharepointboost.com to get a secure purchase link generated and then emailed to you. Here you may pay with a credit card online, by phone, or by fax.
  • Bank Transfer:
  • If purchasing our products through PayPal or via a secure purchase link is not possible for you, then you may contact us to get bank information for a wire transfer. Note that you are responsible for any bank transfer fees.
  • If you do not specify one currency from USD, HKD, JPY, or EUR, we will take USD as the default payment currency.
  • SHAREPOINTBOOST DOES NOT ACCEPT CORPORATE OR PERSONAL CHECKS. PLEASE USE PAYPAL, SECURE PURCHASE LINK OR BANK TRANSFER TO PURCHASE OUR PRODUCTS.
• What is SharePointBoost's refund policy?
  • A request for a refund will only be granted if it is received BEFORE the license code has been sent. Once SharePointBoost has sent you a license code, the sale is considered final. We recommend that you take advantage of the 30-day trial period to download and test the product. This should allow you to fully test and make sure the product meets your needs before making a final purchase decision.
• Does SharePointBoost offer a discount for non-profit organizations, government agencies, or educational institutions?
  • If you can provide proof that your organization is a registered non-profit, you will be eligible for a discount. Contact your government to request a certificate verifying your not-for-profit status, and then send this certificate to sales@sharepointboost.com to request the discount.
    

SharePoint Alert Reminder Boost 2.0

• Send notifications as SMS messages;
• Send daily and weekly notification summaries;
• Send notifications for document Check In, Check Out, and Discarded Check Out;
• Supports all content types;
• Improved interface for defining alert conditions;
• Detailed alert reminder recurrence and schedule settings;
• Customizable alternative access mappings for item URL;
• Send notifications to users in external list columns;
• Exclude users from receiving notifications.
• Improved interface for alert e-mail content customization;
• Inform users prior to sending notificiations.