ITS Begins Supporting Office 2007

ITS-ATES has begun deploying Office 2007 to staff, student and faculty computers in response to fall curriculum demands.  Microsoft has made some radical changes to these programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Access) that may cause some confusion and even frustration as we make the transition from Office 2003 to Office 2007.  Microsoft believes, however, that these changes will result in more efficient access to commands, increased security for your files, less file corruption, and more features.

Not only has the look of Microsoft's productivity suite changed dramatically, but Office 2007 brings new file formats with which we must contend.  Instead of the familiar menu and toolbar structure of Office 2003 and earlier, Office 2007 sports a new so-called control center called the Ribbon, which is a wide band that arranges related activities by tab and groups.  You'll recognize most of the commands, but the first time through you may be hard-pressed to find Open or even Print (click the Office button in the upper left).  Furthermore, saving a file now requires a bit of thought to ensure that it can be opened by someone with an earlier version of Office. 

ITS-ATES has taken some steps to make the transition to Office 2007 as painless as possible.  We are installing an Office add-in that replicates the look of Office 2003's menu and toolbar structure.  We're configuring the "save" options to default to the 2003 file formats so that the file can be accessed by someone with an older version of Office.  Our Using Office 2007 help document explains the basic differences between the two versions of Office and provides some links to Microsoft's self-help online tutorials and other reference material that might prove useful.  As always, contact Tech Support (1-800-696-4357) if you have questions or need assistance.