The Microsoft Office Fluent User Interface: IT Decision Maker Perceptions

The Microsoft Office Fluent User
Interface: IT Decision-Maker
Perception Of Productivity, Training,
And Support Requirements A Commissioned Study Conducted By Forrester Consulting On Behalf Of Microsoft Corporation
August 2007 The Fluent User Interface: IT Decision-Maker Perception Of Productivity, Training, And Support Requirements
Table Of Contents
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................3
Study Methodology.................................................................................................................................3
Study Findings........................................................................................................................................4
Conclusions ..........................................................................................................................................15
Methodology Overview ....................................................................................................................16
Respondent Overview .....................................................................................................................16
Demographics And Other Respondent Detail ................................................................................16
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- 2 - The Fluent User Interface: IT Decision-Maker Perception Of Productivity, Training, And Support Requirements
Introduction In November 2006, Microsoft made its new version of the Microsoft Office system, including the popular suite of applications that includes Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint, available to the public. This release represents the most significant change to the company's Office productivity package since Microsoft Office 1997. Changes include the new Microsoft Office Fluent user interface, improved integration of desktop tools, and the introduction of a host of Microsoft SharePoint-based collaboration and enterprise content management server capabilities.
While the Fluent user interface promises significant benefits to the end user, the changes that have been made to the UI may raise questions among IT managers evaluating or planning Office migrations. IT managers not familiar with the new user interface may ask questions such as:
. What kind of benefits can I expect end users within my organization to receive?
. What impact will the Fluent user interface have on the productivity of end users?
. What IT help desk and training support capabilities do I need to have to support the Fluent user interface?
Microsoft commissioned this study to provide answers to these questions, and to help IT organizations considering Office 2007 adoptions anticipate the impact that the Fluent user interface may have on their end users.
The primary findings from the study include:
1. IT decision-makers report that users react positively to the benefits of the Fluent user interface.
2. Many organizations experience a short-term decline in end user productivity, but believe the benefits outweigh the challenges.
3. Most IT decision-makers did not see a substantial increase in IT desktop resource demand.
4. The majority of IT decision-makers use in-house training and self-service to support their deployments.
Study Methodology In this study, Forrester Consulting conducted an online survey of 749 IT decision-makers from companies piloting or deploying Microsoft Office 2007. These decision-makers qualified for the survey based on their role in defining IT strategy, choosing IT vendors, and authorizing IT purchases. All respondents identified themselves as having requisite knowledge to comme... [download for more]