04
Mon, Nov
5 New Articles

Does Office 2003 Hit the "Suite Spot" for Customers?

Analysis of News Events
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

With Office 2003, Microsoft is offering companies new resources to boost collaboration levels and integrate business processes across their organizations. However, before you decide to use those resources, there are a few things you should know about the strengths and weaknesses of the enhanced application suite.

As I explained in my article last week, Office 2003 includes features that turn the suite into a hub for accessing enterprise applications and sharing information across workgroups. Those features include broad support for Extensible Markup Language (XML), deep integration with Microsoft's server software, and workflow products such as InfoPath 2003. Through these features, Microsoft is positioning Office 2003 to compete against applications that provide collaborative computing, content management, Web portals, and other functions.

As it pursues its competitors, Microsoft is recruiting allies to build momentum for Office 2003. To fuel that effort, the software giant has appointed 400 "business productivity advisors" to help software vendors and solution providers create products for the application suite. Dozens of developers have already done so, and Microsoft lists their products in its newly created Office System Solutions Directory Web site. Microsoft is also developing its own Office Solution Accelerators that enable Office to increase business productivity in areas such as employee recruiting or proposal development.

Office 2003 Pros and Cons

While it may seem risky for Microsoft to pit Office against established collaboration and content management solutions, the strategy makes considerable sense. For years, vendors of such solutions--companies such as Lotus, Novell, Interwoven, and Documentum--have offered rich workgroup functionality. However, they have been unable to displace Office as the application suite that generates most of the information they manage. With Office 2003, Microsoft is offering enough collaboration and content management capabilities to satisfy the requirements that drive many companies to buy other software for these functions. After all, if one application suite can satisfy most employees' personal and workgroup productivity needs, why spend more money on additional applications?

This is a question that many companies will start asking themselves once they evaluate Office 2003, and it is appropriate that they do so. With a little XML programming and a few add-on products, Office 2003 could handle virtually all workgroup computing tasks within many corporate departments. In doing so, it could reduce the number of applications sitting on departmental desktops, cut support costs, and create a more seamless platform for business process integration.

While Office 2003 has plenty of potential, it is not immune from the design flaws that saddle most substantive upgrades to application suites. Among the flaws, one of the most noticeable is the suite's uneven support for XML. While the Professional and Professional Enterprise Editions of Office 2003 enable users to bind XML schema to their Word and Excel files, the Small Business and Standard Editions of the package lack this capability. In addition, Microsoft has withheld XML support from Outlook. As a result, it remains difficult to integrate valuable data in messages, calendars, and contact management databases with enterprise applications.

Another flaw is the complexity of the communications and collaboration environment that Office 2003 creates. To support the complete environment, companies must deploy Exchange Server for mail, calendaring, and contact management; Live Communications Server for real-time collaboration; and SharePoint Server for advanced content management functions. On the client side, users must use Outlook for mail and calendaring services, Windows Messenger for instant messaging, and a browser for collaborating over documents on a SharePoint Web site. Unlike suites from vendors such as Groove Networks and Lotus, Office 2003 lacks an interface that unites all of these collaboration tasks in a seamless manner.

Despite these flaws, this analyst believes that Office 2003 is a positive step in the right direction. For years, companies have been struggling to achieve two objectives within their workgroups: integrate business processes and get users to share valuable information with each other. Until now, Microsoft has done little to Office to make those objectives easier to achieve. With Office 2003, however, Microsoft is applying its considerable talents to addressing this oversight. While the new suite may be rough around the edges, it is a promising start that will likely improve in future service packs and releases. As such, companies that rely on Office should consider this upgraded package alongside traditional collaboration software when considering how they can make their workgroups more productive.

Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology. You can reach him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LEE KROON
Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology.
BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: