New software programs carry risks with rewards

Maybe because it's the world's largest software company, Microsoft has been slow to bring new products to market -- at least until this month.

Now, because of either pent-up demand or perverse planning, the behemoth is releasing new versions of its three most popular products: Windows, Office and Internet Explorer.

All of them were due for a refresh. Windows XP came out in 2001. Its replacement, Windows Vista, comes in four basic new versions -- two for home and two for business. The desktop operating system offers a sleek new look and improved ways to share and secure data. Vista will be available to large customers by Dec. 1 and on store shelves for retail purchase and shipping on new computers by Feb. 1, 2007.

MS Office 2007, due in the first quarter, replaces Office 2003 and comes in eight flavors. It features a new file format, greater capacity, more powerful wizards, and a tab-like interface that improves navigation.

Internet Explorer 7.0 began as a free upgrade to Internet Explorer 6.0 (also released in 2001), and features tabbing, Real Simple Syndicate feeds, improved security and more sophisticated search tools. It was released this month and is available for download from www.microsoft.com.

Whenever any software issues a major new release, it is human nature to want the "latest and greatest."

But you should resist the impulse -- at least until you do some homework. All new programs, from Microsoft or any other company, carry risks along with rewards. Without some planning and preparation, any new benefits can be quickly overshadowed by compatibility and user hassles.

The first thing to check is hardware compatibility. Most new programs have significantly higher memory and processor requirements. Basic versions of Windows Vista, for example, require a graphics card that supports Directx 9 and 512 megabytes of system memory. The Premium Vista edition ups the ante to one gigabyte of system memory, 128 megabytes of video memory, and 15 gigabytes of available disk space and DVD-ROM drive to install it.

Those are minimum requirements. You can safely double memory, processor and video requirements to get realistic horsepower for good performance. My bet is that most small businesses likely will have to buy new computers to run Vista.

Computers aren't the only hardware to check. That $10,000 copier/printer/fax you bought last year might not be worth 10 cents if you upgrade to Vista but can't find a driver to print to it. Printers, scanners, PDAs, cameras and other peripherals all should be checked for compatibility.

The second thing to consider is software compatibility. It's a safe bet that Microsoft Office 2007 will run on Windows Vista, since both are made by the same company. But what about that special application -- every business has one -- that runs your company? In my experience, many specialty software vendors are slow to test and modify their programs when Microsoft issues major new releases of Office and Windows.

Make a list of all software. Check with each vendor before upgrading to determine compatibility.

Another critical issue is file compatibility. Office 2007 has some neat new features, but if you e-mail your new files to clients and vendors, they may not be able to open them without Office 2007 or a special viewer.

Even seemingly innocuous upgrades, such as Internet Explorer 7.0, pose challenges. I downloaded and installed Internet Explorer 7.0 on test machine earlier this month. I still can't get the file transfer function to work with key sites.

The third thing to consider is training. All these programs sport a new "look and feel." Menus are moved. Some functions have been re-engineered. Tasks that are second nature to users may take time to figure out. It's foolish to expect users to adapt quickly.

Before you take the plunge on any new release, I recommend the following:

• Set up a test system and test thoroughly. Often you won't discover problems with a cursory review.
• Train everyone in the basic operations and a few key users in advanced features before implementation.
• Time the upgrade. Don't convert during a critical periods.
• Check versions. Many new software programs now have multiple versions. Make sure you understand the differences and get what you need before you buy.

Whatever you do, don't rush. With major releases, often the best path for small businesses is to hang back a few months and let large businesses and technical support teams find and fix bugs. Then you can enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor.