Double Click
Office Integration
Microsoft’s new Office 2007 suite provides functionality and flash.
FROM: JAN-FEB 2007 ISSUE | BY GABRIEL VITUS
While the release of Office 2007 has long been anticipated, the new software is likely to take many by surprise. Radical changes are everywhere in the latest edition of this ubiquitous suite of programs — from the way they look to the way they work together. It’s clear that Microsoft has shifted its focus from delivering individual tools to enabling an integrated work environment that is more intuitive and functional.
As I had the privilege of participating in Microsoft’s testing program for Office 2007, I can confidently say that this time it truly is bigger and better.
The intention was to integrate Office components with shared information repositories — back-end systems such as Microsoft SQL and Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly called Great Plains), and Office SharePoint Server, the new portal and collaboration system.
For corporate users, integration with the Microsoft SQL databases will make data extraction easy, especially when using the previously dreaded pivot tables. Diehard Excel users along with those who were intimidated by pivot tables will appreciate their new easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface, which is dynamically refreshed as long as the database connection is available.
New Look
For the main Office suite components — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook — the look and feel has changed dramatically. Drop-down menus previously grouped under the familiar headings File, Edit, View, Tools, and Help are replaced with a ribbon-style menu, which, in essence, is a navigation bar consisting of a task-based collection of icons. Microsoft claims intensive market research went behind the decision to change the navigation bar, and that the change is a more accurate reflection of users’ habits in creating and managing documents, presentations, or worksheets.
The main navigation categories are now called Home, Insert, Page Layout, References, Mailings, Review, and View. Each of these categories displays a set of sub-categories in text and icon format. By hovering your mouse over the formatting menu options, you can now preview the changes in order to determine whether or not you want to apply the formatting in question.
New Format
Probably the most dramatic change is the file format. From the familiar .doc, .xls, and .ppt files, the new .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx are not only file extension name changes but also fundamental format changes. Microsoft decided to adopt the XML (Extensible Markup Language) standard across the whole family of products because files in XML can be exchanged between applications, published on the Web, and stored in databases.
The XML Office 2007 files are also smaller than the previous file formats, providing considerable economies of space. Office 2007 can read files created in previous versions (2000 and XP), and offers the option to save them in their original format (Save) or convert them to Office 2007 (Save As). Another useful feature is the option of saving a document in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. No longer do you need to import and save the file using another product.
New Direction
A new strategic direction for Office 2007 involves tighter integration with Microsoft Exchange Server, Live Communications Server, Microsoft SQL Server, and Office SharePoint Server. Added functionality such as integrated messaging systems (voice, mail, and messaging), business intelligence, and enterprise content management for content publishing through SharePoint is available when using Office 2007 in an enterprise environment.
In addition to the traditional Office components, other applications including OneNote, Business Contact Manager, InfoPath, and Groove are available in various combinations depending upon the edition of Office you decide to purchase.
OneNote is not new to Microsoft, but now comes packaged with some of the Office suites. An application formatted as a digital notebook, OneNote offers the ability to classify information under various self-managed tabs, and if you use a Tablet PC, it also allows drawings and handwritten notes. It is a great tool to replace the old paper notebook, however if you don’t use a laptop, it might be difficult to carry it with you into the boardroom.
The Business Contact Manager is like a simplified Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application. It offers the perfect way to manage personal or business contacts in Outlook.
InfoPath allows the management of electronic forms, which are used to create intuitive user interfaces to collect data. The InfoPath form can be used on a webpage or inside an e-mail, and has the ability to solicit input and store the data collected in databases or Excel files.
Groove allows the sharing of documents for collaboration. Working in teams, users can create a shared workspace in which files can be made available on an invitation-only basis, can be accessed offline, and can be synchronized when an Internet connection is available.
Why Upgrade?
Compared to previous versions, the new Office 2007 is a much improved product with a lot of enhanced and added functionality. The corporate user will experience a tool that allows for huge business process improvements at the workplace through integration with other Microsoft products.
Office 2007 offers eight different editions to suit every need — from the casual home user to the highly sophisticated and integrated corporate user. Only six are available through retail or OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) channels: Basic, Home and Student, Standard, Small Business, Professional, and Ultimate. The Professional Plus and Enterprise suites are only available to corporate volume license holders.
For the latest updates, details about suite packaging and individual components,
a video tour, and, for the very first time, a good demo test drive of the new functionalities in Microsoft Office 2007, visit www.microsoft.com/office/preview/
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Gabriel Vitus is director of information technology at CGA-Canada.
"Double Click" is co-ordinated by
John Yu, M.Sc., CDP, FCGA. Yu has been in the IT industry since 1970 in a broad range of roles in technology and in management. He is
vice-president, Information Technology, at
CGA-Canada.