43% have no plans to move to Excel 2007
The ICAEW (IT Faculty) have just published a survey of companies’ intentions to move to Office 2007… and it shows (wait for it) a cool 43% of businesses have absolutely no plans whatsoever to upgrade.
From a software developers’ point of view I have to say this result is disappointing, although not a surprise… Corporates in partcular tend to hang back on major new Microsoft releases because of all they entail in terms of installation and learning curve for users. However it is not just the Microsoft functionality that they are missing by doing this, but all the rich new functionality that ISVs are building onto this major new Microsoft platform.
For example I know that the guys at Rugged Logic (which develops software intimately integrated with Excel, to make your forecasting spreadsheets.. well, err.. “rugged”) have already released a brand new version that supercharges the whole working environment for those using Excel 2007.
Whilst the software still works with earlier Excel versions of course, the system jumps in a higher gear when it detects 2007 is present, and delivers all its navigation and tools in an Office 2007 “ribbon”. Users report that they move around complex forecasting workbooks at least twice as fast using Rugged Logic in ribbon mode.
