Improving Your Productivity (Sometimes) With Upgrades

Upgrades are released on a regular basis from software developers. It is their way to maintain an established customer base by delivering enhancements to the way users work, fortify the code to protect against vulnerabilities in the software's security, and to make sure that the funds for development don't go dry by selling: More Better, More Faster.

Not All Upgrades Are Worth Pursuing

Two particular upgrades come to mind when I consider the "misfires." The first was about four years ago, a large corporation had just released its second service pack to the public for its major operating system. Unfortunately, when it was delivered over the Internet the first time, there were some flaws in the deliverable that caused many of the computers to "Blue Screen." The developer, of course, had a clause in the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) that assured it would not be responsible for contingent liability, but it still had to contend with a public relations nightmare. Many of the corporations that used the software tried to recover some of their losses from the developer under the scope of negligence, not being a lawyer, I could not give you any pertinent details to their case outcomes.

The other upgrade, regarding the same company, involved its release of the "next" operating system. That, too, was not tremendously successful, but for different reasons. This upgrade had been overengineered by those removed from the process. Imagine a world in which all laws and legislation were carried out by lawyers (Oops! Bad example, that is the case!). Okay, let's say a pencil were to be designed by an engineer, not an artist or writer. The pencil may be able to help the user write, but it may require an elaborate setup to enable the writer to actually use the pencil. Without belaboring the issue, my point is that those that use, try to improve. Those that only design, fail to see the practical benefits of certain enhancements and only design for design's sake.

Well, that is what happened with this operating system. It had security features that no one could work with; an interface that took a long time for users to adopt; and, all-in-all, could be considered a marketing flop. When the same company released its latest incarnation, they capitalized on the fact that the new operating system "was designed by ME (the end user)" and the company took its instructions from the public, not the software engineers.

Many of you (over thirty) will clearly recall when a high profile beverage company decided to release a "NEW" recipe of its world famous drink in the mid-1980s. It had a well known celebrity promoting the drink. He cited its new exciting flavor and how the drink was "better than ever before." The marketing built up to the release of the drinks debut over an extended period. Consumers saw the dwindling presence of the "Old" product. Only a few months after the release, it became clear that the original flavor was the one that had the following and the "New" product was promptly limited in the stores.

Some Happier Stories...

Microsoft may be known for being a marketing machine--producing new applications or upgrades on a consistent basis. This practice has managed (for the most part) to keep both the end users and the stockholders happy. The latest version of their commercially available operating system, Windows 7, has proven to be stable and friendly to users. As with any changes in user interface (UI), one can expect to contend with a learning curve as adjustments and adaptation occur. If a user changed from Windows XP to Windows 7, there is a modest amount of adjustment that they will go through; however, for those abandoning Vista for Windows 7, the change is modest and the acceptance is high. The same can be said recently for the changes from Microsoft Office 2007 to Office 2010. Although the products hold close functional similarities, the newer enhancements to the 2010 product make it easier for the transition from Office 2003 and older.

We have been using the Microsoft operating systems and application suites for decades. Even though change was painful and acceptance slow, we have grown to appreciate a number of the improvements built into the newer versions. If you have the opportunity (summer is often a slow time for many businesses), this may be a good opportunity for you to upgrade your business' application software and operating systems. While you're at it, you might even consider upgrading your server, they've been greatly improved, too!

If you need more information on how to upgrade or the benefits of upgrading feel free to contact us at (201) 797-5050 or visit our website, http://www.tech4now.com/, for more links to give you better insights.