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Announcements

Technology Services and the SSD Life Project Team introduced the new SSD Life site powered by SharePoint Online on September 15, 2020.  As of April 30, 2021, the final transition will be complete. Staff will no longer be able to access any information on the previous SSD Life site (https://www.ssdlife.org) as of this date.

How could staff locate the new SSD Life prior to April 30, 2021?

• SSD Life's new URL, https://ssdmoorg.sharepoint.com/

• On every site that was moved from the previous SSD Life, there was be a link/URL to the new site.

• SSD Portal

• SSD Life may be found through the Office 365 launcher labeled as the SharePoint application. 

What will be different as of April 30, 2021?

• Staff will no longer be able to use the previous SSD Life site to link to or access information located either on the new site or on a different application.

• Any information stored or located on the previous SSD Life will no longer be accessible to SSD staff.

What can you do to prepare for this final transition?

• Staff should bookmark/save as favorites the new URLs for the sites and applications they frequent.

What tasks have Technology Services and the SSD Life Project Team done as part of this final transition?

• Technology Services collaborated with work groups to transition team collaboration sites from previous SSD Life sites. Collaboration sites were primarily transitioned to Microsoft Teams. 

• Technology Services met with owners of SSD Life sites to review options for data currently stored on sites within the previous SSD Life site.

• Work processes using custom solutions within the previous SSD Life site were evaluated and some were moved to different applications that better aligned with the goals of those business needs. Some processes were discontinued. If you have a questions about how to complete a process that was once located in the previous SSD Life site, please contact the department that the process supported. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between SSD Life and SharePoint?

A: SSD Life is the name of Special School District's intranet where staff can find district level knowledge. SharePoint is the Microsoft Office 365 software application that powers SSD Life. This update to SSD Life runs on the online version of SharePoint, SharePoint Online.

Q: Why is SSD making this transition to a new version of SharePoint?

A: In addition to the current version of SharePoint no longer being supported by Microsoft, the upgrade to SharePoint Online optimizes the modern technology available to us. Through the introduction of this new site, all staff will be able to integrate district level knowledge with their individual (OneDrive) and team (Teams) work that has been completed within Office 365.

Q: Who can I ask if I have a question about the new SSD Life site or this transition?

A: Please review all these frequently asked questions and the supporting documentation included on the Technology Services Knowledge Center. If you have a question or are experiencing an issue that was not addressed, visit the Service Desk Portal and enter a ticket using the 'Office 365' request type found under Applications/Software.

Q: What is considered to be 'district level knowledge'?

A: District level knowledge is:

• content intended for all SSD employees

• processes, procedures, guides and forms

• news and information from and about SSD departments

Q: What is not considered to be 'district level knowledge'?

A: Content with these characteristics are not considered district level knowledge:

• team collaborative content

• news and information intended for a select group of SSD employees

• content for the public, partners or agencies

Q: How can I find out more about the how the new SSD Life site was released to staff?

A: The transition from the previous SSD Life site was be completed in phases. Below are some key points about the phased roll-out:

• The first phase was the new SSD Life.

  • SSD Life contains district level knowledge only.

  • SSD Life contains

    • features like News, Who's That, Let's Talk, and News Submission, the SSD Twitter Feed, a District Calendar and a new section for accessing your individual and team content located within Office 365 applications

    • a Forms site

    • a navigational menu that aligns with the district's new organizational structure

    • a site for each department for their district level knowledge.

Q: What are the phases of the transition from the current SSD Life site (SharePoint 2013)?

A: Specifics can be found here.

Q: What is Microsoft Teams and how is it different from SharePoint?

A: Both Microsoft Teams and SharePoint are applications in Office 365. Teams is a hub for team collaboration. SharePoint is place for all staff to find district level content.

• SharePoint is the application powering SSD Life. The content, news and information stored on SSD Life is for all SSD employees.

• Teams is an application you may use for a more unique or limited audience. Teams gives only the people with the provided permissions the ability to chat, video call, and collaborate on shared documents and files.

Q: Can I access SSD Life using any browser?

A: Recommended browsers include Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. Technology Services does not recommend or support the application in Internet Explorer (IE).

Q: Is SSD Life IOS and Android compatible?

A: Yes. There is also a SharePoint application in the app store. For more information click here, https://aka.ms/getspmteamcommsite

Videos

SSD Life: Introducing a new Intranet	SSD Life: Navigation
SSD Life: Open Learning Work Session - August 25, 2020	SSD Life: Open Learning Work Session - July 28, 2020
SSD Life: Home and Department Sites

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