Q&A: Interoperability on the Desktop
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Q&A: Interoperability on the Desktop
Oct. 21, 2003 Q: I need an office productivity suite that also can read and write Microsoft Office documents. What choices do I have? A: Sun just shipped StarOffice 7, an acclaimed office productivity solution, that directly reads, edits and writes Microsoft Office documents (i.e., Word, PowerPoint, Excel), and also runs on Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Solaris operating systems. The new version is available from Sun now at www.sun.com/staroffice or from popular retailers starting November 1 for an amazing list price of $79.95. Of course, since we know that many people today have multiple systems -- from laptops, work machines, home machines, etc. -- our friendly license program allows users to install it on up to five different systems -- at zero additional cost. More savings again. In StarOffice 7 software, we also include valuable features such as saving directly into Adobe PDF -- so whether you are creating a presentation, spreadsheet, drawing or a text document, you can save your work by simply clicking on the PDF icon on your screen. StarOffice 7 also includes a database, a drawing application, HTML editor. Additionally, you get Web training and customer support -- all for a very aggressive price. Q: But lots of my business partners use Microsoft. How will I be able to read documents they send to me? A: Not a problem. StarOffice 7 software allows you to read, edit and save in Microsoft Office formats, PDF or Flash for easy document sharing. When you receive an email with an attached office document, you can directly open it in StarOffice software. In fact, when you install StarOffice software, you can set it to open by default for Microsoft Office documents stored on your system, your server or sent via email. Q: Everyone at my company is used to Microsoft products. I don't want to lose productivity due to ramp-up and training time, let alone the transition costs. A: StarOffice was designed to ease the learning curve moving from other office productivity solutions. The user interface for StarOffice should be especially familiar to users of Microsoft Office. Plus, an on-line help function includes task-oriented "how to" advice, making it easy to perform common tasks. An experienced Microsoft Office user should be able to master the basic functionality of StarOffice software very quickly, helping to minimize retraining and transition costs. Q: How hard is it to make the transition to StarOffice software from Microsoft Office? A: It is designed to be a very smooth transition. From easily opening your existing documents to a familiar user interface, customers have repeatedly told us that the transition time is very short and manageable. Q: OK, but is anyone actually using this stuff? A: You certainly would not be the first customer to switch and benefit from the cost savings, lower total cost of acquisition (TCA) and simplified licensing. There's been over 40,000,000 copies of StarOffice, StarSuite and OpenOffice.org distributed to date. Governments and cities, large public hospitals, and small and large scale enterprises have already made the switch. The City of Munich Germany, Burlington Coat Factory, Beaumont Hospital and Ernie Ball Corp. recently transitioned away from a Microsoft platform. And research indicates that almost 40% of existing Microsoft customers are currently evaluating alternative office productivity software. Q: How much am I really going to save? A: StarOffice software costs about one-fifth of the up-front price of Microsoft Office 2003. StarOffice 7 starts as low as $25 per desktop for enterprise users, compared to Microsoft 2003 that costs $400-$500 for new users or $150-$250 to upgrade. Q: What about support? A: Instead of support being an expensive add-on as with Microsoft Software Assurance, StarOffice 7 is included in the basic support package that comes as part of the Java Desktop System's base price. Standalone StarOffice-only support is also available and is priced to be a cost-effective complement to the StarOffice license pricing. Q: Am I going to be locked in with Sun standards? Do I need to buy Sun Servers to run StarOffice software? A: No. It works great in multi-platform enterprises and includes features that open up customer choices. Unlike Microsoft Office 2003, StarOffice runs on a variety of desktops, including Windows, Solaris, the Java Desktop System, and Linux distributions. StarOffice software's native file formats are based on open standard XML that have been submitted to an open standards group, Oasis. This means that the documents and content you create will be owned by you and not locked in to a single office suite. By utilizing StarOffice software, you have that freedom and choice. Q: I keep hearing about the Java Desktop System. What is it and how does it work with StarOffice? A: StarOffice is a key component of and is included in the Java Desktop System, a comprehensive, secure, highly affordable enterprise desktop solution that is simple to use and works with existing systems. The U.S. list price for the Java Desktop System is $100 annually per desktop user or $50 per employee for Java Enterprise System customers. For a limited time, you can get the Java Desktop System for $50 if you qualify as part of Sun's trade-up program for users looking to move off their existing desktop. The Java Desktop System will be available in the fourth quarter. For more information, visit: http://wwws.sun.com/software/javadesktopsystem/. Q: How do I get StarOffice software? A: It is available NOW as a digital download at www.sun.com/staroffice and will be available in retail and e-tail outlets on November 1, 2003. |
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