So what’s all the commotion about Office 2007?

Let’s start by pointing out what it isn’t so that you can better understand what it is. It’s not a completely new product, but it does have a lot of new methods and ways to do things that you’ve never seen or heard of before. It does have some really nice user options – they were there before, but now there are new ways to access them. It’s not the end all of word processing or spreadsheet creation. The user is still the intelligence factor for this software.

Microsoft says, “The result of these efforts is a user interface that makes it easier for people to get more out of Microsoft Office applications so they can deliver better results faster.” So we no longer have toolbars and menus, but ribbons that are organized by the types of tasks we want to accomplish. The interface has changed and they’ve tried to make the tools more easily accessible. But when your staff or organization first sees this new interface they might like the old one better; mainly because they are used to it and had finally found the tools they needed.

Microsoft has tried to allow for a more dashboard look and feel so that the tools from the various software programs that make up the Office Suite are more integrated. For example, if you’re in Word and want to use charts, the tool from Excel, there is a complete object, not just embedded as it was before, making it easier to edit and create within the application you’re working in and not have to manually activate the two applications and toggle between them to do a simple task. Sound good? It is, but you’ll have to learn how to do the tasks to make these documents look and act like Microsoft promised.

Office 2007's killer feature is strong XML support in Word, Excel, and the new forms application. That’s great, but without some inside help it will be like trying to drive a new car that has the gears in a different location. Yes, you’ll be able to launch the program, but all these great attributes aren’t as intuitive as in earlier versions. You’ll need guidance, examples and an expert to direct you through the maze of options and setup. Overall, the promise is that once you familiarize yourself and team, you will enhance your productivity.

How can your organization prepare? First, and foremost, don’t make a mass upgrade! Pick power users first. Realize that there are issues of hardware and old versions verses new versions when it comes to sharing files. Make sure you have learning resources for users to easily access. LearnKey’s Learning Office 2007 training course has just been released and is a great overview product, showing you the basic ‘ins’ and ‘outs’. Overall, the impact of this product will be based on what your users make of it. The capacity is there, like it has been in the past, and now it is at everyone’s fingertips. Office 2007 is a powerful tool, and with a little guidance and some internal champion efforts, it’s just as simple as that other software tool that you’re only using 10% of. Start today to progress your users and yourself to a new dimension in software usage.

LearnKey has released the Learning Office 2007 and the Learning Windows Vista to start the training path. Full training courses for the individual Office application will begin releasing in May and June with a more focused usage of Excel, Word, and Outlook 2007; but now is a good time to introduce yourself and your staff to the new Office interface and the overview of its usage and feature set. Our expert, Erin Olsen, will walk you through the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of the new GUI and tool set.

Contact us through April 15, 2007, to take advantage of our special 2 for 1 offer on Learning Office 2007 and Learning Windows Vista. Contact a sales representative to discuss your training program options at 1.800.865.0165.