Office 2010: Is it worth the upgrade?

It seems like all software companies, but especially Microsoft, is continually coming out with new versions of their products. Sometimes we wonder if it really is worth upgrading to the latest and greatest thing they have to offer. So if you are asking if it is worth it, the answer is Yes. There are three primary reasons for migrating to Microsoft Office 2010:

     - Support

     - Compatibility

     - New features

Support

Whether we like it or not, Microsoft can not support all of its previous versions of Office and other software offerings. At some point they have to pull the plug. It is important that you stay up to date on your software because if it goes out of support, and you have problems, then you will have to pay an arm and a leg to get them resolved. So if your business is still using Office 97, well, it's time to put it down and upgrade.

Compatibility: The Catch 22 

Backwards compatibility - If you have older programs and applications that will only support Office 2003 or older, you are stuck with using it until you upgrade the program or application that requires it. This is why it is important to make  sure that your business applications are compatible with newer versions of Office before you upgrade. But this also points out the need to keep all of your programs, applications, and software up to date, so you don't run into backward compatibility issues in the first place.  

Forward compatibility - If you don't upgrade to Office 2010, you will not be able to use the new and coming programs and applications that are coming out every day. It is important to stay updated because in order for your company to stay on the competitive edge, you are going to have to use cutting edge technology and applications like Office 2010. 

So, the take away is this: If you have programs or applications that require an older version of Office, you need to upgrade that program or application if possible. Also, in order to be compatible with the new and coming programs and apps, you need to go ahead and move to Office 2010. 

New Features

There are a lot of new features in Office 2010 that make it the best Office version yet.  Some of these new features include:  

A better and customizable Ribbon 

Conversation grouping in Outlook (shown right)

Video, picture, and graphic editing in Word and PowerPoint

Excel spark lines - a cool new way to better represent meaning

And much much more! 

All of these compelling reasons come together to make the move to Office 2010 something you want to do, not just something you feel that you need to do. 

Need help moving your company to Office 2010?

Feel free to contact us to see how masterIT can help you.

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