Ithaca College

Information Technology Services (ITS) is pleased to announce that Microsoft Office 2010 for Windows will be available as a free upgrade for IC faculty and staff members to install on their college-owned computers running Windows starting Monday, April 2, 2012.

Office 2010 includes interface changes across all applications, such as the addition of the File tab. Individual applications also have been enhanced with new features, such as PowerPivots in Excel and the macro builder in Access.

To install the upgrade to Microsoft Office 2010 for Windows, please follow the steps in the Office 2010 Installation Guide. Before you install the upgrade, please note the following important points (also covered in the installation guide):

• make sure your computer has been migrated to Active Directory before you install the upgrade
• remove the Get Started tabs before installing Office 2010 (steps are in the guide)
• use your IC Netpass username and password to access the installer

ITS has verified Office 2010 compatibility with the mainstream software used on campus, but for other specialty applications that interact with Microsoft Office in some way, users should check with the manufacturer of the application to confirm its compatibility with the new version. If you have any concerns about how this upgrade might impact other systems you use (e.g., Parnassus, Oracle Discoverer) please contact the ITS Helpdesk.

Faculty members should be aware that Office 2010 will be installed in labs and eClassrooms during Summer 2012. Faculty should therefore plan to upgrade before the fall semester to allow time to become comfortable with the new interface and features.

Office 2010 is substantially different from the current version. Here are some resources to help you understand what to expect with the new version:

• Register for a What's New in Office 2010 for Windows training session offered by the TLC for an overview of the differences between Office 2007 and 2010
• Review the major new features in the What's New in Microsoft Office 2010 quick guide (pdf)
• Visit the Microsoft Office support site for online documentation, tutorials, forums, and more
• Register for introductory training sessions on Excel 2010, Word 2010, and PowerPoint 2010 using the TLC workshops list or the weekly training schedule

Users who are not ready to upgrade yet will have until December 2012 to do so. After that date, Office 2007 will no longer be supported or installed by ITS, except for cases where the user is unable to upgrade due to a technical issue.

Please visit our Microsoft Office 2010 Support page for more information.

If you have any questions about the upgrade to Microsoft Office 2010, please contact the ITS Helpdesk by calling 607-274-1000 or sending e-mail to helpdesk@ithaca.edu.

--The ITS Microsoft Office Project Team