Knowledge management tools are essential for successful training.  Such tools provide reinforcement to existing knowledge, clarity around new topics, and most importantly, turn chaos into organization. One of the leading Knowledge Management tools available on the market today is Bamboo’s Knowledge Management Solution Accelerator (KB Accelerator). Bamboo has recently released a new version of our popular KB Accelerator, bringing new enterprise features to the product, including:

• Improved Search
• Comprehensive Reporting Services
• Integration of workflows with Workflow Conductor

Now it’s time to take those KB articles further by integrating multimedia support! Introducing Bamboo SharePoint Video Library! Now create true training documents with visual and audio aids.

1. Go to Bamboo Storefront and add a trial download of SharePoint Video Library.
2. Install SharePoint Video Library by following the Online Documentation guide.
3. Next, create a new library of type: Bamboo Video Library. This library can be created anywhere in the same Web Application, but we suggest creating the library on the same site as the Knowledge Base Admin site.

You are now ready to integrate audio and video files into KB articles. Here are the steps:

1. Upload or add a new Media Link to a video or audio file to the new Bamboo Video Library.  Here are links to guides to help explain how to upload files to Bamboo Video Library: For SharePoint 2007 and SharePoint 2010.
2. After uploading a video/audio file or adding a new Media Link, open the display form and locate the content of the Embed Video box. An example of the content is shown below:
   <IFRAME SRC=”http://site/_layouts/Bamboo.VideoLibrary/Default.aspx?vid=12&vlib={0086BA5B-DA66-4D5E-BF16-8B3DA2762862}&autoplay=0″ WIDTH=”400px” HEIGHT=”300px” style=”background-color:transparent; margin: 0px;” frameborder=”0″ allowtransparency=”true”></IFRAME>Copy the URL contained in the SRC parameter (in my example, I would copy http://site/_layouts/Bamboo.VideoLibrary/Default.aspx?vid=12&vlib={0086BA5B-DA66-4D5E-BF16-8B3DA2762862}&autoplay=0) and set it aside to be used later.
3. Unfortunately, SharePoint does not support embedded objects (i.e., iFrames), so we have to do a little tweaking. With the following tweaks, instead of playing the video or audio file directly in the Knowledge Base Article, we will create a link to open a new window to display the player. It will look something like this:
   What is especially useful about this solution is that instead of downloading the file to a local temp drive, Bamboo Video Library is actually streaming the video from the server!
4. To provide the “Play” image, I went online and found an image that worked for me.  I would suggest creating a Picture Library to store the “Play” image on the same site as the KB Admin site. After uploading your image to the new picture library, retrieve the path to the image to be used later.
5. Create a new article.  In the location where you want the Play button to reside, click the Hyperlink icon. A new window will appear.
6. In the URL setting, enter the URL you copied from Step 2 above.  (TIP: Remove the first part of the URL if you have both external and internal people hitting your site).
7. In the Link Text enter the following:<img src=”[URL from Step 4]” style=”border: 0px solid;” />Where [URL from Step 4] will be the link of the Play image.  (TIP: Remove the first part of the URL if you have both external and internal people hitting your site).
8. Set Target to New Window.
9. Click OK.

You have now embedded a link to the Bamboo Video Library player for streaming audio and video aids.

Want to try it yourself?  Go to the product page for both SharePoint Knowledge Base Solution Accelerator and SharePoint Video Library, and select Add Trial to Cart at the top of your screen to receive the free 30-day trial product installation packages.