Top Barriers To Replacing Microsoft Office

Content and collaboration (C&C) pros show lots of interest in Microsoft Office competitors as a way to cut license costs. They run trials of Google Apps and Open Office derivatives by IBM Lotus and Novell, while employees use the free versions at home and at work. Yet while many firms try Office alternatives, more back out of actually deploying them. To find out why, Forrester asked 150 IT decision-makers with influence over productivity tool kits about their experiences with alternative productivity suites. They ranked concerns like Microsoft Office interoperability and user acceptance at the top, but other factors also threaten the main value propositions of alternatives: simplicity and cost savings. Buyers serious about alternatives must carefully consider end user needs before making a strategic commitment to replace Microsoft Office. It requires strong buy-in from both executives and from employees to be successful.