Writing a new book is always a big experience and an adventure. And, in this case, it is not an adventure that will be finished when the book is ready: It will be a continuous endeavor for many years. Following the main idea and guidelines of Güitaca Publishers, this is a book that will reinvent itself again and again, following the Microsoft Office 365 constant evolution.
After working with Microsoft SharePoint Server since its introduction, it was somehow difficult to switch to SharePoint Online at first. I came from SharePoint implementations where everything was customized, where everything the customer wanted was possible to be done. And, suddenly, I had to work wearing a very tight corset that hindered my freedom as an architect and developer; furthermore, the product was no more "mine", but owned by Microsoft. When the online version started evolving in a freer direction, I found back the joy that SharePoint Server always gave me. And, in the latest years, exploring and implementing not only all the new products in the Office suite but also the countless possibilities of interaction with Microsoft Azure, my professional life has not only been enriched, but has also become more exhilarating (and complicated).
This book would not have been possible without the support of the complete team of Güitaca Publishers. The incessant encouragement of Vicky (the editor in chief) has been heartwarming, in a way only she can do it. And the backing of Alcira (in charge of the linguistics team), helping me through the labyrinths of a language that is not mine, has been invaluable. I also need to thank Vadim Gremyachev (colleague MVP and developer, https://blog.vgrem.com), and John Gillard (from ABCpdf, http://www.websupergoo.com) for their generosity helping me with software to support my work.
I hope you will enjoy this book and find it helpful following your path through Office 365.
With kindest regards,
Gustavo Velez