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• System Status

Microsoft Office 2007 for Windows & Office 2008 for Mac

Upgrading Office will provide:

1. Simplified support
2. More security
3. Better integration with Microsoft SharePoint and Project

As of April of 2009, MS Office 2003 for Windows and Office 2004 for Mac are in extended support and will be unsupported as of April 2014.  Extended support covers security patches only, no bug fixes or functional changes.  It is important to note that older versions of Office are already unsupported, and no security patches are being released.  Visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle website for detailed information on their support lifecycle.

Microsoft has announced Office 2010 (beta).  This next iteration’s interface will be similar to the Office 2007 interface.  Upgrading to Office 2007 now, along with the appropriate training will make it easier to switch to Office 2010 in the future. 

What are the major considerations?

There are several implications of not upgrading or operating in a mixed version environment.  Some departments have attempted to introduce new functionality by mixing Office 2007 and Office 2003 applications on a single computer.   ITS does not recommend this practice.

Compatibility issues:

• Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents created in Office 2007 and saved in native format are not backward compatible with older Office versions. You must change application preferences to always save into a backward compatible format.
• Databases developed in earlier versions of Access may not run properly in Access 2007. Access databases may need to be modified and/or converted before they will run correctly in Access 2007. Databases created with Access 2007 cannot be opened in earlier versions of Access. If you share a database or a database application with other users, all users must use Access 2007. Please contact the department responsible for maintaining your Access database application before upgrading to Office 2007 or Shawn Brooks at shawn.brooks@yale.edu for assistance.
• Running the YaleConnect service in a mixed environment also causes known issues. We continue to document and publish solutions to these problems. Please visit the YaleConnect calendar issues & resolutions web page for updates and additions as they become available.

Training & guides

The user interface for Office 2007 is significantly different from previous versions of Office. User education and training is considered the most effective way to address the new interface. For information about Office training, contact the Learning Center at 432-5660, visit their website or email learning@yale.edu.

• Subscribers of the Microsoft Campus Agreement have access to Microsoft’s online training.
• Quick Reference Guides website.
• Interactive: Word 2003 to Word 2007 command reference guide
• Interactive: Excel 2003 to Excel 2007 command reference guide
• Interactive: PowerPoint 2003 to PowerPoint 2007 command reference guide
• Help for Word 2007
• Help for Excel 2007
• Guides to the Ribbon: Use Office 2003 menus to learn the Office 2007 user interface

Software availability

Microsoft Office licenses purchased after November 2006 and installed as Office 2003 are eligible to become Office 2007 without having to pay for a new license.

Microsoft Office 2007 software can be acquired by purchasing an individual (Microsoft Select) license at university volume discount prices or through a departmental subscription (Microsoft Campus Agreement):

Microsoft Select

• The Microsoft Select option is a perpetual license for a specific version of the Microsoft suite. Microsoft Office 2007 (includes Outlook) may be purchased for $54.00 through the ITS Software Library. Purchases through the Software Library provide an installer for download at the time of transaction. All Select software purchased through the Software Library since November 2006, can be upgraded, free of charge, to Office 2007 via the ITS Software Library. You may also purchase software by using SciQuest. SciQuest cost includes a $54.00 license fee plus an additional $20.00 fee for the media set, shipped to the buyer.

Microsoft Campus Agreement

• The Microsoft Campus Agreement for the Microsoft Campus Desktop (CAL, Windows Upgrade, Office license) is an annual software agreement priced at $45.00 per employee. Subscribers can also buy server licenses under this agreement. The Campus Agreement is available only to departments and professional schools that wish to subscribe as a whole. For detailed purchasing options or to check and see if your department is covered by the Agreement, please consult the ITS guide to purchasing computer software. Organizations interested in becoming a subscriber, should contact ann.brainard-dougan@yale.edu for assistance.

Support and service

Your Yale affiliation helps determine the right person to help you with technology. If you are a student, please see our student support listing. Faculty of the Arts and Sciences should consult with their FAS IT representative. Both the ITS Client Support Help Desk and Desktop Support Services are available to offer assistance to Office 2007 users. Contact the Help Desk by calling 203-432-9000.

How can I learn more?

If you have questions about this process or would like ITS to help you assess potential impacts of upgrading to a newer version of Office, please feel free to contact shawn.brooks@yale.edu.  We look forward to working with you on this essential upgrade.

Additional resources

• Office 2007 for Windows (important differences between Office 2007 and earlier versions)

• What is PDF (Portable Document Format) and why should I use it? (PDF format)

• Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 compatibility with previous versions (PDF format)

• Microsoft’s Office Compatibility Pack:
  Installing Microsoft’s Office Compatibility Pack on systems running Office 2003 enables users to open, edit, and save Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files using the Office 2007 format. The Office Compatibility Pack and installation instructions are available from the ITS Software Library. The Compatibility Pack documentation advises that prior to installation all critical and high-priority updates be installed on the system.  This is required for Office XP and Office 2003 users. The Compatibility Pack can also be used in conjunction with the Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2003, Excel Viewer 2003, and PowerPoint Viewer 2003 to view files saved in these new formats.