Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook will get makeovers this fall when the software giant releases its latest lineup of office suites, which will include an enterprise edition and several new server options.
What has been dubbed Office 12 will be known as Office 2007 when the finished product ships.
According to Mike Bulmer, a product manager for Microsoft Office Systems at Microsoft Canada, Office 2007 has radically changed from previous versions.
Users will notice a new interface, Bulmer said, which includes a tab structure running across applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint. “Everything you need to format a document is now in one tab, one ribbon. It makes it much easier for end-users to get better results faster,” he said.
For volume license users, the software maker will offer two new editions of the suite. Although pricing has not been released for these high-end versions, Bulmer points out that with the new features and functionalities, resellers should expect different price points.
With Microsoft Office Professional Plus, the standard applications will be augmented with Access and Publisher – products that come with the Professional edition – along with the Office Communicator instant messaging program, InfoPath form-creation software, and server-based content management and forms management capabilities.
The second new installment in the Office lineup is Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007. In addition to all the applications in Professional Plus, it will include OneNote and Groove, the collaboration program Microsoft acquired last year.
On the server end of the spectrum, Microsoft has opted to combine several server offerings and capabilities into the Office SharePoint Portal Server 2007, allowing it to handle Office tasks like forms management, spreadsheet hosting and content rights management.
Customization
For system builders and ISVs, Bulmer said the architecture of the new Office programs provides greater opportunity for customization. “An ISV can make an application that integrates with Office on the front end and create a customized tab allowing users to incorporate it into their daily operations without having to leave the application,” he said.
Warren Shiau, a lead IT analyst at The Strategic Counsel, said the way Microsoft developed its new products will enable the channel to be more cost-effective when customizing applications.
“The architecture on which the products are built lend themselves to having to do much less infrastructure by the channel,” said Shiau. “Whatever application development they do is going to be at a higher rate of return.”