The question surrounding the impending release of Microsoft’s Office 2007 is whether it is worth the price of upgrading. The “old” version makes documents, spreadsheets and presentations just fine, and the documents are compatible. Office 2007’s most compelling feature is the “Ribbon,” an new interface that replaces the menu system that has become unwieldy from years of plugging in features that few people used.

The new interface alone is worth the upgrade, but only after you get over the learning curve. Other benefits include some cool integration between Outlook and Exchange, and an overall streamlining of what had become badly bloated software. (If you want a second opinion, check out this review.) Learning the new interface means investment in training on the front end, which will get returned in greater productivity on the back end.

Also be aware that customizing toolbars in Office 2007 will require a higher level of technical expertise than in previous versions. Customizing the ribbon interface will require knowledge of XML and/or COM add-ins. This means that getting a developer involved may be necessary, but certainly will help speed the process along. If you have a highly tailored Office installation, development time and costs should weigh in the upgrade decision, but not if your setup is largely out-of-the-box.