Last week, we recapped what the tech publications were writing about in 2010. This week, we take a look at ourselves.

Below is a collection of our favorite posts from the past year. Some offer handy tips for getting things done (including iPhone, Excel charting and spelling tips), some offer advice to IT departments on preparing for upgrades and migrations (Windows 7, Office 2007 & 2010), and others look at the future of IT support (“Preparing for the Multiplatform Workplace,” October 2010). And then there’s the unclassifiable evergreen post that reminds you not to pen your e-mails in all caps, unless of course you intend to shout at recipients.

Enjoy the re-read, and happy new year. If you got an iPad in your stocking, we know your 2011 will be happy.

1. What’s in a Name (1-12-2010)
2. Stop Shouting and Other E-Mail Etiquette Tips (2-8-2010)
3. The Workplace Today: On Fake Happiness & Forced Morale-Boosting (3-30-2010)
4. Windows 7: What IT and End-Users Need to Know (4-22-2010)
5. 4 Spelling Tips Every Manager Should Know (5-27-2010)
6. 7 Productivity Boosting iPhone Tips (6-15-2010)
7. 3 Excel Tips that Promise Charting Greatness (8-4-2010)
8. Preparing for the Multiplatform Workplace (10-8-2010)
9. iPad & iPhone in the Enterprise: What’s Your Plan (11-15-2010)
10. Teaching People Tech (12-17-2010)

Jenny Sweeney Lists, Year in Review Etiquette, Excel, iPad, iPhone, Office 2010, Windows 7

Upgrading to Microsoft Windows 7, Office 2007 or Office 2010 requires a calculated and strategic deployment plan, no matter your company size or rollout method. 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 a blend of self-paced training and on-demand live support throughout all phases of deployment. Downtime is costly.

As for Office 2007 and Office 2010, its radically different interface and incorporation of the ribbon throughout all applications including Outlook in Office 2010, 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 of the more frequent types of tasks end-users struggle with initially:

• Inability to customize the Ribbon and Office bar
• Finding infrequently used features
• Confusion resulting from the new version’s contextual menus and mini-toolbars
• Macros being disabled
• New file formats and “compatibility” mode
• Understanding the new multiple template types

Best Practice –With Office 2007 and Office 2010, the hard part will be getting end-users back to the point where they can complete the tasks they have done for years without issue. The bulk of that work needs to be done prior to deployment or within the first few weeks after installation. Provide pre-migration training, plus on-demand, expert support during and after launch. Without such measures, your in-house IT staff will likely be bombarded with calls, which will take them away from more critical migration issues.

Call Volume

The magnitude of support needs when a new software or OS hits a desktop environment almost guarantees that internal IT staff will be overwhelmed. Besides the increased call volume, once the callers connect to IT, it is unlikely they will get the assistance they need; most help desk generalists do not have the knowledge, experience or training to solve the range of upgrade questions. An inundated help desk means longer hold times, more call backs, a higher call abandonment rate, increased downtime and decreased service levels.

Here’s a snapshot of migration call volume:

• It will remain linear throughout the migration, with peaks cresting most noticeably during the initial installations.
• During months 1-3, our clients have experienced a 50 percent spike in “how-to” support calls. You can expect the same.
• The number of calls will begin to decrease at about month 4, and will continue to lessen through month 6, when the volume drops to 30 percent.
• After six months, levels will return closer to those experienced pre-deployment.

Best Practice – Evaluate the skill levels of FTEs and/or current outsourcers surrounding the newer and previous versions. Often the costs associated with training existing or extra staff to reach the expertise level needed in such a short amount of time is challenging.  Consider a best-of-breed migration partner that employs Microsoft-certified consultants across all versions,  is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and charges only according usage can be the more efficient and cost effective choice.

Jenny Sweeney Uncategorized deployment, Microsoft, Microsoft Office, Office 2007, Office 2010, upgrades, Windows 7

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

Weather the storm by enlisting the help of Microsoft migration experts like PC Helps. PC Helps has successfully assisted in the Windows 7, Office 2007 and Office 2010 migration efforts for thousands of corporate end-users. The PC Helps Migration Assurance Plan is designed to minimize the learning curve and reduce downtime which allows end-users and internal IT staff to quickly regain the confidence and knowledge necessary to remain productive.
Learn more >> www.pchelps.com/emailweb/sd/O2K10_deplmnt/O2K10_lp.html

Jenny Sweeney Uncategorized Help Desk, Microsoft, migrations, Office 2007, Office 2010, ROI, Windows 7

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

In the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball world they have March Madness. Since its 1939 inception, the tournament has built a legacy that includes dynasty teams and dramatic Cinderella stories.

History, though, has taught us that for all of the great underdog stories that exist, the top-seeded teams that have a firm strategic game plan and a strong foundation of raw talent and skill win more championships.

In the IT, help desk and end-user services world we face a similar big event, a Windows 7 and Office 2007 migration. Based on execution, IT leaders can come out a champion, creating their own Cinderella story by proving ROI, increasing productivity and demonstrating end-user confidence and early adoption, instead of assumed chaos. Conversely, IT leaders can end up the loser, crippling productivity, frustrating end-users and damaging help desk service levels if they show up with an inadequate team and insufficient game plan.

Champion your migration – click here for a top-seeded team and strategic game plan.

MORE INFO IN: Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

Jenny Sweeney Windows 7 & Office 2007 Migration basketball, March Madness, migration, Office 2007, Windows 7

I wrote a post last week titled “Six Reasons to Finish Your Office 2007 Upgrade” and received a comment that deserves repeating.

Depending on their game plan, IT leaders can come out champions, creating their own Cinderella stories by proving ROI.

The reader said she upgraded to 2007 but asked to switch back to 2003 because her company didn’t provide any training.

She began her comment with a question: “So, how do you propose to deal with user frustration?”

Here’s how I replied:

“I know how immensely frustrating Office 2007 can be without training and support. If it was installed on your work PC, and your company provided no training or assistance, then I suspect your CIO is either clueless or just cheap. Upgrading employees without any sort of assistance is shortsighted.

“For home PC users, that’s another story. The redesign is jarring, to say the least. As one commenter put it: It’s as if Office was an automobile, and the manufacturer put the steering wheel in the trunk and the gas and brake pedals on the ceiling.

“Here’s the thing: Microsoft’s intent was to make the user interface more intuitive. Whether they accomplished that goal is up for debate. However, a look at the Office 2010 beta version reveals that the Ribbon is here to stay, so sticking with 2003 will only lengthen the learning curve.”

In a recent ad campaign, my company framed it in basketball terms: Read more…

Jenny Sweeney Finish What You Started, Office 2007 Migration Assurance Program basketball, CIO, Help Desk, March Madness, NCAA Men's Basketball, Office 2007, Windows 7

Perhaps this scenario describes your desktop software situation: Half of your end users use Office 2007, and the rest are still running Office 2003. All you’ve heard from the former are “Where’s the file menu?” and “How do I save a document?” From the latter, you’ve likely listened to endless grumbling about their frustration with Office 2003-incompatible files created by colleagues.

Final post in a four-part Office 2007 migration series.

It needs to be said: Finish what you started.

In June 2009, PC Helps partnered with CIO.com to communicate the myths and realities of an Office 2007 migration and eight service levels needed to prove migration ROI. Since the recent release of Windows 7, We have updated the Office 2007 myths and realities white paper to include actual call statistics and adoption considerations for Windows 7 as well.

IT leaders cannot afford to approach an Office 2007 or Windows 7 migration blindly. The user interface is radically different and guarantees that your employees will flounder just trying to perform basic tasks. Separate the facts from the myths, and learn how to get the most return on your investment. Download the free, updated white paper now.

Read the series: Finish What You Started.

MORE INFO IN: Office 2007 Migration Case Study | Office 2007 Migration Assurance Program | Migration Readiness Checklist | Migration Competitive Analysis | Contact PC Helps

Jenny Sweeney Finish What You Started, Office 2007 Migration Assurance Program CIO, migration, Office 2007, white paper, Windows 7

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