It's like public television. People will tell you they want it, but when pledge time comes, only a small percentage of viewers phone in. To look at it another way, it's an old saw that people often tell survey-takers what they think they should feel or what they think the question-asker wants to hear instead of the truth.
The same goes, in my experience, with office productivity suites. IT pros in study after study say they want open systems, cloud-based apps and so on. But by and large, they stick with the same old disk-based solutions and pay through the nose for them. At least that’s the case so far.
You're an IT professional; you certainly know what you want. So to clarify things, how about a list of “features” that we — or rather our end users — can live without in an office productivity suite?
Hard to use: You don't want an office suite that crams your support queue with user questions or introduces needless user-interface changes with every new release.
Costly to purchase and upgrade: Why should you pay a toll every couple of years for a user upgrade (per user) you don't want or need? That’s especially true when free, open-source alternatives are available, and even more so when users only use a tiny percentage of the features they have. You want upgrades when you need them, not when you're told to pay for them and get them — or else.
Doesn't have collaboration tools built in: Wikis and wiki-like systems are increasingly a must-have in enterprises. Why let users grow their own?
More of the same missing features: The things consistently missing in office suites? The ability to build a decent Web page, manage files and deliver consistent, simultaneous cross-platform support. No staggered platform releases, please.
Incompatible with other formats: Not having total compatibility with other office formats is just brain-dead. It's also a waste of precious IT time, since you’re the ones who have to explain the problem and try to fix it.
Tied to the desktop: You may not want your productivity apps hosted in the cloud today, but you can see the day coming when this will be a useful — and necessary — feature. Why accept a product that isn’t already prepared to serve up this kind of flexibility?
Doesn't work with mobile devices: By “work,” I mean reading, saving, and even preserving the formatting of data from smartphones and tablets.
Doesn't suck: I know — this is a pretty vague requirement. But I bet you know exactly what I’m talking about: A product that isn't slow, doesn't have huge security issues, and doesn't work in strange ways that make everyone question the interface and require training. The office suite you choose should not “suck” in any of these respects.
Finding an office suite that delivers all of these must-not-have features is next to impossible, but it's a good target to aim for. The good news is that the office productivity market is thriving; competition is back, and if you keep an eye out, you can and will find the suite that hits the sweet spot in your enterprise. Obviously, not all upgrades are worthless — and your next office productivity suite upgrade might be one of the most important decisions you ever make for your enterprise end users.
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