Microsoft released two major product upgrades in January. Microsoft Vista is a brand new operating system that replaces our familiar Windows XP operating system. Microsoft Office 2007 is the latest major upgrade to our popular Office 2003 suite of programs.
UAA’s Information Technology Group, or ITG, has reviewed both products for several months to evaluate compatibility, interoperability, implementation issues and overall value. Their recent recommendations have been approved by the Office of the CIO.
While Windows Vista release has been delayed, the popular Microsoft Office upgrade has been approved for general release. The following roadmap will be adopted at UAA for the general release of both these products:
| April 15, 2007 | General release of Microsoft Office 2007. Software media available through normal channels. |
| April – May, 2007 | Office 2007 briefing seminars scheduled for faculty and staff. Schedule to appear at UAA’s Technology website (http://technology.uaa.alaska.edu) and in the Green & Gold Daily. Volunteer instructors from the Computer Information Systems department, eMedia and the ITG will conduct these seminars. |
| Continued testing of Office 2007 in selected campus computer labs. |
| August, 2007 | Computer labs participating in UAA’s computer lab initiative will upgrade to Office 2007. |
| A 2nd round of Office 2007 briefing seminars will be conducted for those faculty and staff who are interested. |
| March, 2008 | ITG will continue to monitor Vista stability and release of service packs. At this time, it is anticipated that Vista will be ready for release in March, 2008. |
| March – May, 2008 | General release of Windows Vista operating system. Software media will be available through normal channels. |
| Windows Vista briefing seminars will be conducted. Details to be available immediately prior to general release. |
The decision to delay general release of the Windows Vista operating system is based on a number of factors. The ITG found that the new software when installed on equipment typically in use at UAA created serious problems at times. Vista also relies on a new software registration system for enterprise use which is not working entirely as expected and is being updated by Microsoft frequently. Finally, the ITG believed that there was no material improvement in functionality by moving to Vista and that costs associated with upgrades could be significant. This sentiment is widely acknowledged throughout the industry. Nationally, corporate enterprises have delayed release of Vista and many have no immediate plans to re-consider adoption.
UAA’s decision to delay general release of Windows Vista will have some implications for UAA’s user community. One example is that those who purchase new computers will likely have them shipped with Vista installed. Users who find themselves in this situation have two options. They can either have Vista removed and Windows XP installed or they can continue to use Vista. It is important to note that the IT Call Center and Desktop Support groups will not officially support Windows Vista until it undergoes general release in Spring, 2008.
Users should carefully decide whether upgrade from Office 2003 to Office 2007 is required. Office 2007 has a new and improved look-and-feel and also some new features that some might find useful. It also adopts a new file format that is incompatible with Office 2003 and earlier versions of Microsoft Office. While automatic file conversion plug-ins are available, there will inevitably be some confusion by users in sharing Word documents between the two versions of Microsoft Office.
For questions about use and availability of Microsoft Office 2007 please contact the IT Call Center at 786-4646 or 877-633-3888.
