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Flexible Solutions for the New World of Work
The ability of organizations to meet the new challenges of the global, information‐based economy depends on the ability of employees and teams to work more efficiently and effectively with information. At the organizational level, challenges include streamlining business operations and managing increasing volumes of content, as well as finding ways to collaborate more effectively within organizations, across corporate boundaries, and across time zones and geographies.
At the individual level, information workers more frequently find themselves faced with overwhelming amounts of information. Time spent searching for and managing information and the difficulty of sharing information effectively with others inside and outside the organization conspire to reduce the individual’s ability to have a positive impact on organizational performance.
Solving these challenges requires tools and technology to manage the vast amounts of business data, facilitate the efficient flow of information through the organization, and simplify the ways people work together to produce results. The products and technologies that comprise the 2007 Microsoft® Office system provide organizations with a broad set of capabilities and tools to achieve these goals. By deploying the 2007 release, organizations can increase information worker productivity, enhance content management, and facilitate collaboration on document‐based business processes.
Although the challenges of the new world of work are fundamentally the same, every business has specific needs, unique to its people and processes. To allow organizations and individuals the flexibility to address their specific challenges, Microsoft has a variety of Office suites to select from. Each suite includes a set of applications and features tailored to meet the needs of a particular type of organization or set of users. Microsoft Office customers now have more flexibility than ever before to purchase the specific solutions that best meet their needs.
This paper describes the commonalities and differences among the suites of the 2007 Microsoft Office system: Microsoft® Office Standard 2007, Microsoft® Office Professional Plus 2007, and Microsoft® Office Enterprise 2007and Microsoft® Office Ultimate 2007. Each suite provides the core Microsoft Office applications as well as features that support integrated content management, information rights and policy, and integrated electronic forms; however, they differ in the selection of included applications and the ways in which advanced features are implemented. This paper is intended to help organizations and individuals understand the applications and capabilities offered, and identify the suite that best fits their needs.
Powerful Tools for Individual and Organizational Productivity
The 2007 Microsoft Office system is designed to address the evolving needs of customers as well as emerging workplace trends. High‐level goals—ranging from an easier‐to‐use interface to increased security—are accomplished through broadly implemented changes and targeted differentiation. Carefully selecting not only the applications, but also the advanced features available in each suite helps us address the concerns that are top‐of‐mind for organizations of all sizes. The following sections detail a few of the specific organizational challenges addressed by the 2007 release.
Increasing Personal Impact
As workplace dynamics change—particularly efforts to run organizations as leanly as possible—there is substantial pressure on the individual to work efficiently and effectively. Improving personal impact is the key to improving operational performance across the larger organization.
The 2007 release delivers a compelling set of new capabilities in each of the individual programs. Its Microsoft Office Fluent™ user interface makes it much easier for users to access the full power of these programs so they can deliver better results faster.
Simplifying How People Work Together
Improving the way teams work together and manage information is key to improving business value and meeting organizational objectives. To work as efficiently and effectively as possible, organizations must provide teams with tools and processes that support the way they work—including technology that supports mobility and work across organizations and locations.
The 2007 release delivers a broad set of capabilities ranging from streamlined calendar sharing, enhanced document reviewing tools, and, together with Windows® SharePoint® Services technologies, self‐service provisioning of team worksites that reduce the busywork associated with collaboration.
Support for Business Processes and Increased Security for Sensitive Business Information
Streamlining business operations and managing content more effectively is necessary not only to drive operational efficiency, but to meet the increasing demands for visibility in corporate operations. Increased pressure on organizations to comply with regulatory requirements has also renewed emphasis on document‐based processes.
The 2007 release addresses these needs by integrating workflow, tracking, and approval capabilities into familiar Microsoft Office system programs, making it easier to create and approve content. Advanced electronic forms technologies help organizations lower costs by streamlining everyday business processes.
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