Advanced Deployment Options
BriefCatch Next Enterprise Onboarding Guide
If you encounter challenges during deployment or installation, this section provides technical guidance, alternative methods, and potential workarounds to help ensure a smooth rollout of BriefCatch Next across your environment. Whether you're dealing with infrastructure constraints, compatibility issues, or policy limitations, we’ve outlined several paths forward based on common enterprise scenarios.
Contents
- Admin Consent & Advanced Permissions
- Required Permissions
- Deployment Without Exchange Online
- Support
Admin Consent & Advanced Permissions
In nearly all cases, deploying BriefCatch Next does not require any additional action to grant permissions. Consent is typically handled during the initial app installation. However, for some organizations with stricter Microsoft Entra (Azure AD) policies, an administrator may need to manually grant consent to enable full functionality, including Microsoft Single Sign-On (SSO).
If you or your users are unable to log in or load the app, we recommend verifying whether admin consent has been granted for the BriefCatch application.
To check or grant consent:
- In Microsoft Entra / Azure Active Directory, go to Enterprise Applications.
- Select BriefCatch from the list.
- In the left-hand menu, click Security > Permissions.
- Click “Grant admin consent for briefcatch.com” to approve the required permissions for all users.
For full details, refer to Microsoft's guide: Grant tenant-wide admin consent in Enterprise apps pane
Required Permissions
The following Microsoft permissions are required for BriefCatch Next to operate:
- User.Read
- profile
- openid
These permissions allow users to sign in securely via Microsoft SSO and ensure a consistent experience for all users. These permissions are usually granted automatically upon deployment, but some configurations may require manually granting admin consent (as outlined above).
Deployment Without Exchange Online
Microsoft requires Exchange Online for centralized deployment of Office Add-ins via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. This is the preferred method for most organizations, as it allows for easy deployment and management directly from the cloud.
However, if your organization uses an on-premises Exchange Server and does not have Exchange Online, it is still possible to deploy the BriefCatch Next add-in using alternative methods.
Option 1: Trusted Catalog Deployment via Network Share
For environments without Exchange Online, the recommended deployment method is using a Trusted Catalog, sometimes referred to as WEF deployment. This approach leverages a shared network folder and Active Directory security groups to distribute the BriefCatch add-in to target users or machines.
This is often referred to as sideloading, although sideloading can also refer to individual testing scenarios.
Note: This method is supported only on Windows devices. Mac users require Exchange Online for centralized deployment.
Requirements
To use this deployment method, your organization must be able to:
- Host a shared network folder accessible by all target Windows endpoints
- Configure Group Policy or registry keys to trust the catalog location
- Use Active Directory security groups to scope which users or devices receive the add-in
- Deploy the BriefCatch manifest XML file, which we can provide upon request
Updates and Versioning
BriefCatch will continue to receive updates when deployed via a Trusted Catalog. However, if an update includes changes to the manifest file (e.g., new permissions, capabilities, or endpoints), your team will need to redeploy the updated manifest.
Resources and Further Reading
For more information, please refer to the following Microsoft's guides:
- Deploy and publish Office Add-ins
- Sideload Office Add-ins for testing from a network share
- Publish task pane and content add-ins to a SharePoint app catalog
If you need help getting started or would like a copy of the BriefCatch manifest file, contact our support team.
Option 2: User Self-Installation via Microsoft AppSource
This will require that your users have access to the store and are able to install add-ins manually.
- Navigate to Home - Add-ins - More Add-ins.
- Check the “Manage your apps” link in the bottom left to see if BriefCatch Next appears here. If so, click on the icon, then on Open.
- If BriefCatch Next is not in this list, in the “Search apps and more” box, search for BriefCatch. Click on the BriefCatch Next result, then click on Add or Open.
For more information, please see: Deployment & Installation: Self Installation.
Support
If you encounter any issues or require guidance during deployment, our support team will work with you to ensure a smooth installation. Contact us for assistance.