Should SMBs Upgrade To Office 2010?
In A Glimpse At The Best And Worst Of Office 2010, Forrester Analyst Sheri McLeish writes that "with increasing competition and commoditization of productivity tools, Microsoft must convince... buyers that Office 2010 provides compelling value to justify the upgrade effort and costs." And just as important, considering best practices such as workforce segmentation, is it still necessary -- or desirable -- to buy a copy of Microsoft Office for every knowledge knowledge worker in your company?
But late last year, in Best Practices: Microsoft Office Enterprise Strategy, McLeish noted that user satisfaction with Office is generally high and that 78% of companies have no plans to implement Office alternatives.
Still, she notes that Forrester is already seeing firms planning to upgrade some workers to Office 2010, while moving other workers to Google Apps or Zoho. And at least one medical equipment manufacturer now "provides Google Apps to new recruits out of college because they aren't as vested in Office, whereas older employees would revolt against such a change."
The big factor pushing these changes is that even SMBs big enough to get volume pricing from Microsoft are likely to find that Office remains by far the high-priced choice. And at the same time, Office alternatives are becoming increasingly compatible with the premium brand.
Don't Miss: Slideshow: 12+ New Microsoft Office 2010 Features
So what's the right approach to maximizing productivity at minimum cost? McLeish suggests that companies:
"Categorize iWorkers by what they need" and then "Move beyond a one-size-fits-all mentality." Survey workers about their Office use and what they really need and want, then "segment the workforce by level of collaboration, time spent working remotely, and attitudes toward the technologies." Finally use these variations to "drive cost savings and efficiencies that lean, fit-to-purpose software can offer." Just beware of "skewed or poor data," "creating too many segments," and "ignoring other dependencies." To avoid those problems, leverage your company's market research experts, keep to 6 segments or less, and add qualitative interviews to go deeper than the survey data.
"Leverage iWorker data to solve overprovisioning" and then "Get ready for the cloud." That means getting the best deal from Microsoft, and also making sure that each worker gets what they really need -- and whether that can come from Microsoft or other vendors online productivity offerings. "Eliminating MS license costs is an attractive possibility. But the decision to jump ship to a Web-based or Open Office alternative is reckless without knowing that it will meet the needs of your workforce and business processes." Creating several different scenarios can help support your purchasing decisions. Just be sure to allow enough prep time for purchasing negotiations and don't underestimate your company's negotiating position. Microsoft is fighting hard to keep its competitors at bay, and that gives even smaller companies some leverage.
"Optimize Office tools for effeciency and integration" and then "Know where mobile apps fit in your workforce." Most workers don't come close to maximizing the power of the Office apps. Both formal and informal learning can help, and automating repetitive manual tasks can significantly boost productivity -- if you can invest the development resources. There's a similar opportunity in using productivity apps on mobile devices, Forrester says, as mobile productivity expands in 2011. But the first step is to figure out who at your company needs to do what in a mobile environment.
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So what about Office 2010? Should SMBs upgrade?
On the plus side, McLeish writes, Office 2010 completes Microsoft's shift to the Fluent UI introduced in Office 2007. Companies already using Office 2007 should have an easy transition.
And McLeish points out that Microsoft has finally offered access to Office apps via Sharepoint, the Web, and mobile devices as well as the desktop. While the Web versions of Office 2010 apps still seem rough to most observers, it's still a significant transition. And increased Sharepoint integration should make it easier for SMBs to develop enhancements.
McLeish also complements the new Backstage view for controls and properties.
But there are also speed bumps, including the fact that the suite comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. "For example, ActiveX controls and add-in (COM) dynamic link libraries (DLLs) that were written for 32-bit Office will not work in a 64-bit process. This means that Office 2010 64-bit solutions that try to load 32-bit ActiveX controls or DLLs will not work."
McLeish advises organizations with Office licenses that allow free upgrades to take advantage of that capability as soon as possible, especially for power users. But she warns companies to "deal with files proactively, not as afterthoughts." And she wonders whether Outlook 2010's integration with social networking capabilities will boost productivity or simply add distractions.
Even for SMBs, the Office 2010 upgrade isn't that easy. But here are my suggestions:
If you have workers on Office 2007 clamoring for specific new features, then move them Office 2010.
If your company is still on older versions of Office, and you're happy there, then don't worry about upgrading until you need to do so.
If you're a startup, or are undergoing significant growth, consider saving money by using a free or low-cost Office alternative where-ever possible.
Just be wary of having multiple versions of multiple productivity suites in the same office. Compatibility issues and training and support complications could erase any short-term licensing savings.
Don't Miss: Slideshow: 12+ New Microsoft Office 2010 Features
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