If you haven’t already heard of the consumerization of IT, get your head out the sand. The days of IT being the sole decision-maker about which software and hardware is used at an enterprise are nearly over. Employees are bringing their personal tastes, and their personal devices, into work and IT is caving.

Consumerization is not just affecting smart phone use in business; it’s also playing a role in XP-to-Windows-7 upgrades. In a report from late 2010, the Forrester research firm urged IT leaders to give users what they want.

One reason, and an important one, is that consumer satisfaction is high with Windows 7. Another, cited in an article written by CIO’s Shane O’Neill, is that user demand for the OS could kick-start deployments and shorten the time needed to support both XP and 7. That’s good for IT, and good for a company’s bottom line.

Windows XP is still king in business, according to Forrester, but not for long. Writes O’Neill: “The [Forrester] report acknowledges that Windows XP is still the dominant enterprise OS (75 percent of all companies surveyed are running it), but also finds that Windows 7 migrations are on the verge of busting out. Forty-six percent of firms report that they have already begun or will begin deploying Windows 7 within the next 12 months. Forty-two percent say they will deploy Windows 7 in more than 12 months.”

Once you have convinced IT to upgrade you, take a look at these Windows 7 resources.

Shortcuts

CIO magazine has a wealth of information about Windows 7, both for the IT worker and the end user. Here’s a sampling of some Windows 7 shortcuts from a recent article:

• Ctrl + Shift + N: Creates a new folder anywhere (almost) on your Windows 7 PC.
• Windows Key + Space Bar: Minimizes all open windows and shows the desktop.
• Windows Key + T: Enables you to toggle through open apps pinned in the Win 7 taskbar.
• Windows Key + Plus (+) or Minus (-) Key: Zooms in or out of any application.

For CIO’s full list, see “Windows 7: 10 keyboard shortcuts”

Gadgets

Windows Gadgets are mini-programs that provide quick information and one-click access to frequently used tools (like the calendar, clock, news bites and more).  As expected, with Windows 7, more gadgets are available. Here’s a sampling of TechRepublic’s top 10:

• Clipboard Manager: Enables you to save up to 999 clips. You can delete any clip or send it to the clipboard or to your favorites list with a right-click. Other pluses: You can create boilerplate text, mark clips with timestamps and save images.
• App Launcher: Works just like the Quick Launch bar but can be placed anywhere you want on the desktop.

See the rest of TechRepublic’s 10 gadgets here. Also, TechRepublic’s “10 Things” blog always has useful information, whether you are a tech novice or a code junkie. You can find it here.

Jenny Sweeney Windows 7, Windows 7 & Office 2007 Migration

Jensen Harris, director of program management for the Microsoft Windows User Experience Team, explains on his blog some of the logic that influenced the design of the ribbon interface:

Three-plus years later, why is the ribbon still an issue?

“[One] way we use the data is by looking for frequently used features that are hard to get to today. Any time we see this, it represents people overcoming the user interface to use a buried feature because it’s so important.

“A great example of this is ‘superscript’ in Word. In Word 2003, it must be added to the toolbar manually through customization. Yet, even as a non-default toolbar button, it gets more clicks than 30% of the buttons on the Formatting toolbar. The opportunity here is to discover the things that people love and that even more people would use if they knew they could.”

Harris makes oodles of sense. (So much so, it makes me want to uninstall my copy of OpenOffice.) Still, almost four years after it was unveiled, Microsoft’s ribbon continues to confound end users and IT departments.

And “confound” is not an exaggeration: According to a recent report sponsored by Dell KACE and conducted by Dimensional Research, of those IT leaders surveyed, 45 percent said their greatest concern in upgrading to 2010 is the ribbon.

So, three-plus years later, why is the ribbon still an issue? Read more…

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Myth: Office 2007 support needs fade within just a couple weeks of deployment.
Reality: Providing support and training to information workers before, during and after deployment is crucial to early and sustained adoption. The new interface is designed to make people aware of features they never found in the old versions. Information workers will continue to discover these new features for months after deployment and they will need ongoing help using them. It is unreasonable to expect the help desk to have found and mastered the features that were so well hidden in previous versions of Office. Above average migration call volume can be expected to last as long as six months, as call volume is linear throughout the migration. The peaks in volume will crest most noticeably during the initial installations. During months 1-3, call volume for how to questions on Office 2007 can spike to a 50 percent increase, drop to an average of 30 percent during months 4-6 and then continue to decline. 

 Myth:  Migrating to Office 2007 is like every other software upgrade or switchover.
Reality: The application looks radically different and is a complete overhaul of the user interface. There are no menus and no toolbars. Many information workers won’t even be able to open files without training and assistance. In past upgrades, an information worker’s knowledge of how to get to the features in the previous version was 95 percent effective in the new version. For Office 2007, it is zero percent effective.    

 Myth: Information workers will benefit from Windows 7 without training and support
Reality: A learning curve is guaranteed when information workers, or even an internal help desk staff, are faced with tools, applications or operating systems that look differently. A lack of proper training and support will prolong the adoption period. Maximizing the productivity increase — and resultant ROI — from the new tools in Windows 7 requires training in the theory and support in the practice of using the new tool. Read more myths and realities of an Office 2007 and Windows 7 migration and eight service levels needed to prove migration ROI http://www.pchelps.com/html/o2007mythsrealitiesroi.asp

Jenny Sweeney How To, Office 2007, Office 2007 Migration Assurance Program, ROI, Uncategorized, Windows 7, Windows 7 & Office 2007 Migration migrations, Office 2007 Migration Assurance Program, Windows 7

Although most tech publications are reporting on Microsoft Office 2010, the reality is that a significant number of U.S. companies have yet to finish the Office 2007 upgrades they purchased before the recession hit.

Windows 7 is upon us. New operating system, new Office suite. Let the games begin.

According to a leading industry source, about 50 percent of enterprise-sized IT infrastructures are running mixed Microsoft Office end-user environments. That’s a whole lot of wasted investment.

Then there are companies who waited for that whole Vista debacle to blow over. They kept XP and Office 2003, with the aim of upgrading when Windows 7 was released.

Windows 7 is upon us. New operating system, new Office suite. Let the games begin.

We have compiled a list of the most common Office 2007 user questions and issues, and it was recently published by IT World. You can read it here. Take notes, and happy migrating.

PC Helps also recently published a white paper on the subject, titled “The Myths and Realities of an Office 2007 and Windows 7 Migration.” Download it for free http://www.pchelps.com/html/o2007mythsrealitiesroi.asp

MORE INFO IN: Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

Jenny Sweeney Office 2007, Office 2007 Migration Assurance Program, Windows 7 ITworld.com, Microsoft, Office 2007, ROI, Windows 7, Windows XP

According to a survey by Technologizer.com, early adopters of Windows 7 are a happy lot. That’s a 180 from the Vista mess, and it’s good news for Microsoft, not to mention corporate IT departments.

Eighty-four percent said their switchovers “went off without meaningful hiccups.”

For the survey, which was conducted at the end of last year, more than 550 early adopters were asked about their upgrade processes. Of them, 84 percent said their switchovers “went off without meaningful hiccups.” (Of the users surveyed, 46 percent upgraded from Vista and 32 percent from XP.)

This is significant, writes Technologizer founder Harry McCracken, considering the fact that when XP was rolled out, a PC World study found that more than half of those who upgraded reported installation difficulties.

And then there’s the issue of the actual product and its usability. Windows 7 fares OK there as well. According to the survey, 79 percent of those who upgraded from Vista reported that they are “extremely satisfied” with 7; 61 percent of XP users feel the same.

It’s not all good news, however. Users are having problems with two main issues in Windows 7: missing drivers and application incompatibility – both of which were expected. Read more…

Jenny Sweeney Office 2007, Windows 7 drivers, Harry McCracken, PC World, technologizer, upgrade, Vista, Windows XP

Tech publications are abuzz about Windows 7. One article in particular, written by CIO.com’s Shane O’Neill, offers smart ways to use your migration as an opportunity to increase IT department efficiency.

Look for case studies of companies that have already migrated successfully. Use them as a guide.

Good stuff, all around. If there was one loud-and-clear point in the piece, it was that planning is vital to a successful (and not exorbitantly expensive) migration — no matter the operating system or software suite.

And it happens to be this company’s mantra. We know from experience that, whether it is a small firm switching over a few hundred users from Lotus Notes to Outlook or a Fortune 500 company upgrading to Office 2007 en masse, a successful migration depends largely on preparation.

In addition to the four points mentioned on CIO.com, I’d like to add a few more migration tips for CIOs:

1. Seek out proven migration successes: Look for case studies of companies that have already migrated successfully. Use them as a guide. Read up on Windows 7 trouble spots (that is, where users will likely experience productivity loss. Read more…

Jenny Sweeney Windows 7 CIO.com, migration, productivity loss

Migrating to Windows 7 and Office 2007 is a massive undertaking, no matter your company size. Preparation is vital to a successful transition. Using the information and data points we’ve culled from many successful migrations with our mid- to enterprise-size clients, we have organized this collection of best practices and common occurrences:

Most Common Support Calls

Many corporate workers have been using Windows XP for some time now, so a learning curve with Windows 7 is inevitable. Below are some factors that will affect your employees’ productivity with the new operating system:

• Elimination of the Quick Launch toolbar and the Vista sidebar (if applicable)
• A new taskbar with icons only
• Changes to auxiliary apps like Windows Movie Maker and Windows Mail
• New features like Federated Search, Windows Mobility Center, Aero Peek, Jump Lists

Best Practice – Provide consolidated training on these features before deployment or make sure Windows 7 experts are standing by and are readily available the day of deployment. Downtime is costly.

As for Office 2007, its radically different interface will result in an even steeper learning curve. The design is such a departure that your employees will hit snags just trying to figure out how to perform basic tasks like saving and formatting. Here are some issues that may cause problems: Read more…

Jenny Sweeney Office 2007, Windows 7 migration, Office 2007, Windows 7

With the imminent release of Microsoft’s newest operating system, Windows 7, the tech world is full of chatter about the new OS, the old OS, and that other OS. Windows 7, they say, is more polished and faster. XP, however, is getting its share of good ink; some publications have made the case for why businesses will stick with it.

Two words:
“Loads faster!”

Regardless of which OS you opt for, there is at least one guarantee — that is, that you will face a migration eventually. The more information you have, the better. Here’s our take on 7, from a user’s standpoint, and from IHD’s:

For the Windows 7 User:

What changes will potentially throw off users?

1. With the elimination of the Quick Launch toolbar, users will have to pin items to the Start Menu or the taskbar. Read more…

Jenny Sweeney Windows 7 migration, Office 2007, Windows Vista, Windows XP

You didn’t think you’d ever read the following: Reports are in and Windows 7 is proving easier to handle than its detested predecessor, Vista.

Coming up with a plan to manage the resulting IT hodgepodge will prove maddening for any CIO.

According to a recent article by Ina Fried in CNetnews.com, Microsoft is experiencing fewer support calls since it launched Windows 7 – about half of what it expected. It’s attributable in part to the new version’s higher quality, but also, writes Fried, to Microsoft’s efforts to increase the effectiveness of self-service with an experts’ forum called Microsoft Answers and its @MicrosoftHelps Twitter feed.

As if that wasn’t good enough news for Microsoft, here’s another report to add to the Windows 7 love fest: According to market research firm ChangeWave, Windows 7 satisfaction has stimulated corporate IT spending. Read more…

Jenny Sweeney This Week in Tech News, Windows 7 CNET, computerworld, Gregg Kaizer, Ina Fried, Microsoft, Patrick Gray, Vista, Windows 7

Migrations are scary things. So much can go wrong. And if it does, it can mean markedly decreased productivity or frighteningly low employee morale — both of which can also impact a company financially.

Knowing what to expect and whether to bring in the help of a migration partner can help you eliminate the fear. Our Migration Assurance Plan can help. And we put a whole lot of experience in this package. Our company has migrated thousands of customers to Office 2007. We know the value of quantitative and qualitative solution-based call reports, and the importance of ongoing call analysis and updates to identify training needs.

Here’s what it contains:

• Windows 7 action plan
• Migration assurance plan
• Readiness checklist
• Staffing matrix
• Details about eTraining courses

See for yourself. Go ahead, don’t be scared. To download your own free kit, follow this link: Windows 7 & Office 2007 Readiness Kit.

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Jenny Sweeney Office 2007 Migration Assurance Program, Windows 7