Microsoft recently released its new version of Office.  You'll be able to buy it for personal PCs from the UM showcase in January and it will be available for department owned PCs in the summer of 2007.

Unfortunately, Office 2007 introduces new file formats for Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  This means that without additional software, in Office 2003, you won't be able to open Office 2007 documents.

We recommend that you ask your co-authors and colleagues, if they are using Office 2007, to save their documents in the current "2003" file format.  This is especially important if you are using a Mac;  Microsoft will not release a Mac version of Office 2007 file converters for at least 6 months.

If you receive documents in the new format, and cannot ask the author to convert them for you, please contact us at econ-support@umich.edu for help.

We also recommend that, as with any new version of software, you hold off upgrading right away.  New versions of software as complex as Office 2007 invariably have unforeseen side effects.

For Windows, you can download the 2007 compatibility pack for Office 2003 at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=941B3470-3AE9-4AEE-8F43-C6BB74CD1466  This download will allow you to open and save the new document format in your current version of Office.

Econ IT will not roll out the new version of Office until the summer.  We will, however, install the file converters on all Lab PCs as well as upon request on Faculty and Staff PCs.