The Next Wave Of Office Productivity

Microsoft Office remains a mainstay in workplaces. Despite media buzz about online alternatives like Google Apps Premier Edition or pragmatic arguments about free Open Office suites, most enterprises have long-terms plans to continue their Microsoft Office relationship. Barriers to switching persist, from compatibility to user acceptance. Even Office's competitors acknowledge that they don't seek to fully displace Microsoft on the desktop. So what is their strategy? Like Microsoft, alternative productivity tools vendors see mobile, cloud, and collaboration as today's frontier. And each expects their maturing offerings to appeal to enough segments to be competitive. Meanwhile, enterprise concerns center on business needs such as cost containment, interoperability, and functionality. The next wave of productivity will see today's innovations dissolve into expected features, creating integrated touchpoints for content-related activities tailored to fit a business purpose or workforce segment.