Table of Contents
By Rob Helm [bio]
Purchase a copy of this report
The following an excerpt of a Research Report published by Directions on Microsoft, an independent research firm focused exclusively on Microsoft strategy & technology. More samples of our content, as well as a list of upcoming articles and reports are also available.
- Free! Executive Summary
- This report provides CIOs and solution architects with a comprehensive introduction to evaluating the Office 2007 suite and planning its deployment
- Free! Introduction
- Summary of the major changes made in Office 2007, including user interface, file format, code compatibility, and deployment technology
- User Interface Speeds Formatting
- The Office suite's redesigned user interface could appeal to the average user, but it could also require retraining for experts and updates to business procedures
- File Formats Improve Application Access, Require Planning
- The next versions of several Office applications will use new XML file formats, simplifying access to Office data from other applications but possibly posing challenges to migration
- Custom Code Moves to Office 2007
- Office 2007 changes could affect macros and other application code written for earlier versions of the Office suite
- Office Suite Improves Deployment, Maintenance
- The Office installation utility, Setup, has undergone major changes that will streamline Office 2007 deployment and maintenance
- Excel 2007 Speeds Graphics, Calculation
- Faster calculation and quicker formatting are coming with Excel 2007, the next version of Microsoft's spreadsheet application
- Word 2007 Tackles Academics, Forms
- Word 2007 won't change anyone's mind about the Office 2007 suite, but it could benefit scientists, bloggers, and developers
- Outlook 2007 Adds Internet Hooks
- Outlook 2007 has some interesting new features, particularly support for RSS and iCalendar data sources, that are independent of the type of mail server used
- Access 2007 Targets First-Timers, SharePoint Users
- Access will make a new appeal to first-time users while reinventing itself yet again for developers, this time for SharePoint development
- InfoPath 2007 Focuses on Developers
- Improved ties to SharePoint and better integration with Visual Studio could give InfoPath 2007 new relevance for corporate developers, but it remains one of many options for creating forms-based applications
- OneNote Goes Mainstream
- The inclusion of OneNote 2007 in several Office 2007 editions poises Microsoft's note-taking application for widespread usage; a series of incremental improvements from OneNote 2003 adds up to a significant upgrade
- Groove to Get Push from Office 2007
- Groove collaboration software will get a boost in late 2006 when Groove components ship in the Office suite for the first time
- Pricing, Licensing, and System Requirements
- The Office suite's next version has shipped to volume license customers; pricing of the new suite is comparable to that of past versions
- Resources
- A list of resources with more information on Office 2007-related topics
 |