Office 2003 Deployment

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Eric,

I wouldn't be too bright if I tried to make a specific recommendation
without having a much more intimate understanding of your company and its
operations--both on the business side and on the IT side. There are many
issues to consider, such as percentage of laptops, how people use Office and
their computers, how the OS is deployed, how Office and Windows are updated,
how your IT staff operates, how many users, and a variety of other issues.
Also, Microsoft won't make a specific recommendation for you, but they try
to provide as much information as they can to help you make the right
decision in your environment.

Did you happen to see this article?

Microsoft Office Assistance: Distributing Office 2003 Product Updates:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402381033.aspx

It helps you understand better what the options for updating Office are,
based on your deployment method. It sounds like updating is one of your
biggest pains.

If you are expecting or allowing users to do their own updates, then you
probably want the LIS on the local workstation. If you plan to push the
updates yourself to keep the workstations at the same level, then you will
want more control over the installation and may want to use the uncompressed
administrative image, patching it as you go. However, if you have lots of
remote or laptop users, they will be unable to get the updates without an
LIS or a network connection.

If it helps, keep in mind that the Office Update functionality is planned to
be combined into the Windows Update utility at some point in the future. I
don't know when, or what the specific functionality will be, but it will be
a one-stop shop for updating. So, if you are deploying Windows Updates from
a corporate server, you may want to plan for deploying Office Updates from
there, also, and to have more control over them.

Hope that helps some--

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Eric,

I wouldn't be too bright if I tried to make a specific recommendation
without having a much more intimate understanding of your company and its
operations--both on the business side and on the IT side. There are many
issues to consider, such as percentage of laptops, how people use Office and
their computers, how the OS is deployed, how Office and Windows are updated,
how your IT staff operates, how many users, and a variety of other issues.
Also, Microsoft won't make a specific recommendation for you, but they try
to provide as much information as they can to help you make the right
decision in your environment.

Did you happen to see this article?

Microsoft Office Assistance: Distributing Office 2003 Product Updates:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402381033.aspx

It helps you understand better what the options for updating Office are,
based on your deployment method. It sounds like updating is one of your
biggest pains.

If you are expecting or allowing users to do their own updates, then you
probably want the LIS on the local workstation. If you plan to push the
updates yourself to keep the workstations at the same level, then you will
want more control over the installation and may want to use the uncompressed
administrative image, patching it as you go. However, if you have lots of
remote or laptop users, they will be unable to get the updates without an
LIS or a network connection.

If it helps, keep in mind that the Office Update functionality is planned to
be combined into the Windows Update utility at some point in the future. I
don't know when, or what the specific functionality will be, but it will be
a one-stop shop for updating. So, if you are deploying Windows Updates from
a corporate server, you may want to plan for deploying Office Updates from
there, also, and to have more control over them.

Hope that helps some--

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Eric,

I wouldn't be too bright if I tried to make a specific recommendation
without having a much more intimate understanding of your company and its
operations--both on the business side and on the IT side. There are many
issues to consider, such as percentage of laptops, how people use Office and
their computers, how the OS is deployed, how Office and Windows are updated,
how your IT staff operates, how many users, and a variety of other issues.
Also, Microsoft won't make a specific recommendation for you, but they try
to provide as much information as they can to help you make the right
decision in your environment.

Did you happen to see this article?

Microsoft Office Assistance: Distributing Office 2003 Product Updates:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402381033.aspx

It helps you understand better what the options for updating Office are,
based on your deployment method. It sounds like updating is one of your
biggest pains.

If you are expecting or allowing users to do their own updates, then you
probably want the LIS on the local workstation. If you plan to push the
updates yourself to keep the workstations at the same level, then you will
want more control over the installation and may want to use the uncompressed
administrative image, patching it as you go. However, if you have lots of
remote or laptop users, they will be unable to get the updates without an
LIS or a network connection.

If it helps, keep in mind that the Office Update functionality is planned to
be combined into the Windows Update utility at some point in the future. I
don't know when, or what the specific functionality will be, but it will be
a one-stop shop for updating. So, if you are deploying Windows Updates from
a corporate server, you may want to plan for deploying Office Updates from
there, also, and to have more control over them.

Hope that helps some--

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Eric,

I wouldn't be too bright if I tried to make a specific recommendation
without having a much more intimate understanding of your company and its
operations--both on the business side and on the IT side. There are many
issues to consider, such as percentage of laptops, how people use Office and
their computers, how the OS is deployed, how Office and Windows are updated,
how your IT staff operates, how many users, and a variety of other issues.
Also, Microsoft won't make a specific recommendation for you, but they try
to provide as much information as they can to help you make the right
decision in your environment.

Did you happen to see this article?

Microsoft Office Assistance: Distributing Office 2003 Product Updates:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402381033.aspx

It helps you understand better what the options for updating Office are,
based on your deployment method. It sounds like updating is one of your
biggest pains.

If you are expecting or allowing users to do their own updates, then you
probably want the LIS on the local workstation. If you plan to push the
updates yourself to keep the workstations at the same level, then you will
want more control over the installation and may want to use the uncompressed
administrative image, patching it as you go. However, if you have lots of
remote or laptop users, they will be unable to get the updates without an
LIS or a network connection.

If it helps, keep in mind that the Office Update functionality is planned to
be combined into the Windows Update utility at some point in the future. I
don't know when, or what the specific functionality will be, but it will be
a one-stop shop for updating. So, if you are deploying Windows Updates from
a corporate server, you may want to plan for deploying Office Updates from
there, also, and to have more control over them.

Hope that helps some--

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Eric,

I wouldn't be too bright if I tried to make a specific recommendation
without having a much more intimate understanding of your company and its
operations--both on the business side and on the IT side. There are many
issues to consider, such as percentage of laptops, how people use Office and
their computers, how the OS is deployed, how Office and Windows are updated,
how your IT staff operates, how many users, and a variety of other issues.
Also, Microsoft won't make a specific recommendation for you, but they try
to provide as much information as they can to help you make the right
decision in your environment.

Did you happen to see this article?

Microsoft Office Assistance: Distributing Office 2003 Product Updates:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402381033.aspx

It helps you understand better what the options for updating Office are,
based on your deployment method. It sounds like updating is one of your
biggest pains.

If you are expecting or allowing users to do their own updates, then you
probably want the LIS on the local workstation. If you plan to push the
updates yourself to keep the workstations at the same level, then you will
want more control over the installation and may want to use the uncompressed
administrative image, patching it as you go. However, if you have lots of
remote or laptop users, they will be unable to get the updates without an
LIS or a network connection.

If it helps, keep in mind that the Office Update functionality is planned to
be combined into the Windows Update utility at some point in the future. I
don't know when, or what the specific functionality will be, but it will be
a one-stop shop for updating. So, if you are deploying Windows Updates from
a corporate server, you may want to plan for deploying Office Updates from
there, also, and to have more control over them.

Hope that helps some--

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Eric,

I wouldn't be too bright if I tried to make a specific recommendation
without having a much more intimate understanding of your company and its
operations--both on the business side and on the IT side. There are many
issues to consider, such as percentage of laptops, how people use Office and
their computers, how the OS is deployed, how Office and Windows are updated,
how your IT staff operates, how many users, and a variety of other issues.
Also, Microsoft won't make a specific recommendation for you, but they try
to provide as much information as they can to help you make the right
decision in your environment.

Did you happen to see this article?

Microsoft Office Assistance: Distributing Office 2003 Product Updates:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402381033.aspx

It helps you understand better what the options for updating Office are,
based on your deployment method. It sounds like updating is one of your
biggest pains.

If you are expecting or allowing users to do their own updates, then you
probably want the LIS on the local workstation. If you plan to push the
updates yourself to keep the workstations at the same level, then you will
want more control over the installation and may want to use the uncompressed
administrative image, patching it as you go. However, if you have lots of
remote or laptop users, they will be unable to get the updates without an
LIS or a network connection.

If it helps, keep in mind that the Office Update functionality is planned to
be combined into the Windows Update utility at some point in the future. I
don't know when, or what the specific functionality will be, but it will be
a one-stop shop for updating. So, if you are deploying Windows Updates from
a corporate server, you may want to plan for deploying Office Updates from
there, also, and to have more control over them.

Hope that helps some--

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Eric,

I wouldn't be too bright if I tried to make a specific recommendation
without having a much more intimate understanding of your company and its
operations--both on the business side and on the IT side. There are many
issues to consider, such as percentage of laptops, how people use Office and
their computers, how the OS is deployed, how Office and Windows are updated,
how your IT staff operates, how many users, and a variety of other issues.
Also, Microsoft won't make a specific recommendation for you, but they try
to provide as much information as they can to help you make the right
decision in your environment.

Did you happen to see this article?

Microsoft Office Assistance: Distributing Office 2003 Product Updates:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402381033.aspx

It helps you understand better what the options for updating Office are,
based on your deployment method. It sounds like updating is one of your
biggest pains.

If you are expecting or allowing users to do their own updates, then you
probably want the LIS on the local workstation. If you plan to push the
updates yourself to keep the workstations at the same level, then you will
want more control over the installation and may want to use the uncompressed
administrative image, patching it as you go. However, if you have lots of
remote or laptop users, they will be unable to get the updates without an
LIS or a network connection.

If it helps, keep in mind that the Office Update functionality is planned to
be combined into the Windows Update utility at some point in the future. I
don't know when, or what the specific functionality will be, but it will be
a one-stop shop for updating. So, if you are deploying Windows Updates from
a corporate server, you may want to plan for deploying Office Updates from
there, also, and to have more control over them.

Hope that helps some--

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Eric,

I wouldn't be too bright if I tried to make a specific recommendation
without having a much more intimate understanding of your company and its
operations--both on the business side and on the IT side. There are many
issues to consider, such as percentage of laptops, how people use Office and
their computers, how the OS is deployed, how Office and Windows are updated,
how your IT staff operates, how many users, and a variety of other issues.
Also, Microsoft won't make a specific recommendation for you, but they try
to provide as much information as they can to help you make the right
decision in your environment.

Did you happen to see this article?

Microsoft Office Assistance: Distributing Office 2003 Product Updates:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402381033.aspx

It helps you understand better what the options for updating Office are,
based on your deployment method. It sounds like updating is one of your
biggest pains.

If you are expecting or allowing users to do their own updates, then you
probably want the LIS on the local workstation. If you plan to push the
updates yourself to keep the workstations at the same level, then you will
want more control over the installation and may want to use the uncompressed
administrative image, patching it as you go. However, if you have lots of
remote or laptop users, they will be unable to get the updates without an
LIS or a network connection.

If it helps, keep in mind that the Office Update functionality is planned to
be combined into the Windows Update utility at some point in the future. I
don't know when, or what the specific functionality will be, but it will be
a one-stop shop for updating. So, if you are deploying Windows Updates from
a corporate server, you may want to plan for deploying Office Updates from
there, also, and to have more control over them.

Hope that helps some--

 

[Sabo, Eric]

Susan,
Yes, I think we want to go with the LIS method but in the past it seemed
when we setup out adminstration sharepoint it never seemed to work on the
patching. But what we want to accomplish is to have every single instance
of Office 2003 the same. Do you think we should use Active Directory or SMS
2003 to push this installation out to our client? We try to keep our
environment as simple as possible. But we really want to avoid what we
currently have now, that is patching is a problem for us and we also have
different configuration out there.

 

[Sabo, Eric]

Susan,
Yes, I think we want to go with the LIS method but in the past it seemed
when we setup out adminstration sharepoint it never seemed to work on the
patching. But what we want to accomplish is to have every single instance
of Office 2003 the same. Do you think we should use Active Directory or SMS
2003 to push this installation out to our client? We try to keep our
environment as simple as possible. But we really want to avoid what we
currently have now, that is patching is a problem for us and we also have
different configuration out there.

 

[Sabo, Eric]

Susan,
Yes, I think we want to go with the LIS method but in the past it seemed
when we setup out adminstration sharepoint it never seemed to work on the
patching. But what we want to accomplish is to have every single instance
of Office 2003 the same. Do you think we should use Active Directory or SMS
2003 to push this installation out to our client? We try to keep our
environment as simple as possible. But we really want to avoid what we
currently have now, that is patching is a problem for us and we also have
different configuration out there.

 

[Sabo, Eric]

Susan,
Yes, I think we want to go with the LIS method but in the past it seemed
when we setup out adminstration sharepoint it never seemed to work on the
patching. But what we want to accomplish is to have every single instance
of Office 2003 the same. Do you think we should use Active Directory or SMS
2003 to push this installation out to our client? We try to keep our
environment as simple as possible. But we really want to avoid what we
currently have now, that is patching is a problem for us and we also have
different configuration out there.

 

[Sabo, Eric]

Susan,
Yes, I think we want to go with the LIS method but in the past it seemed
when we setup out adminstration sharepoint it never seemed to work on the
patching. But what we want to accomplish is to have every single instance
of Office 2003 the same. Do you think we should use Active Directory or SMS
2003 to push this installation out to our client? We try to keep our
environment as simple as possible. But we really want to avoid what we
currently have now, that is patching is a problem for us and we also have
different configuration out there.

 

[Sabo, Eric]

Susan,
Yes, I think we want to go with the LIS method but in the past it seemed
when we setup out adminstration sharepoint it never seemed to work on the
patching. But what we want to accomplish is to have every single instance
of Office 2003 the same. Do you think we should use Active Directory or SMS
2003 to push this installation out to our client? We try to keep our
environment as simple as possible. But we really want to avoid what we
currently have now, that is patching is a problem for us and we also have
different configuration out there.

 

[Sabo, Eric]

Susan,
Yes, I think we want to go with the LIS method but in the past it seemed
when we setup out adminstration sharepoint it never seemed to work on the
patching. But what we want to accomplish is to have every single instance
of Office 2003 the same. Do you think we should use Active Directory or SMS
2003 to push this installation out to our client? We try to keep our
environment as simple as possible. But we really want to avoid what we
currently have now, that is patching is a problem for us and we also have
different configuration out there.

 

[Sabo, Eric]

Susan,
Yes, I think we want to go with the LIS method but in the past it seemed
when we setup out adminstration sharepoint it never seemed to work on the
patching. But what we want to accomplish is to have every single instance
of Office 2003 the same. Do you think we should use Active Directory or SMS
2003 to push this installation out to our client? We try to keep our
environment as simple as possible. But we really want to avoid what we
currently have now, that is patching is a problem for us and we also have
different configuration out there.

 

[Sabo, Eric]

Susan,
Yes, I think we want to go with the LIS method but in the past it seemed
when we setup out adminstration sharepoint it never seemed to work on the
patching. But what we want to accomplish is to have every single instance
of Office 2003 the same. Do you think we should use Active Directory or SMS
2003 to push this installation out to our client? We try to keep our
environment as simple as possible. But we really want to avoid what we
currently have now, that is patching is a problem for us and we also have
different configuration out there.

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Again, as far as the push goes, I don't know whether GPO or SMS is better in
your situation. You have to evaluate the pros and cons in your own
environment. One thing to note:

"Note Group Policy bypasses Office Setup.exe and Setup.ini, so although
you can use Group Policy to deploy Office from a compressed CD image, you
cannot take advantage of new Setup functionality to create a local
installation source on users' computers."

I don't know if you can then subsequently create an LIS for use; you may
need to test that. See "Enabling the local installation source" in
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402361033.aspx for more
information.

Another thing that may help:

"A new enhanced version of the Office 2003 Setup program (entsetup.exe) is
available as a download. Setup.exe version 11.0.6176.0 helps ensure that
every desktop in the organization gets and keeps a complete local
installation source. The new Setup also allows administrators to deploy the
local installation source first, and then launch the installation of Office
2003."

See Microsoft Office Assistance: New Setup.exe Fine Tunes Local Caching:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402451033.aspx

for more details.

The only other recommendation reference I can find from Microsoft is this:

For large or complex organizations, Microsoft Systems Management Server
offers more sophisticated functionality, including inventory, scheduling,
and reporting features. However, using Group Policy to deploy Office 2003
can be a good choice in the following settings:
- Small- or medium-sized organizations that have already deployed and
configured the Active Directory® directory service.
- Organizations or departments that comprise a single geographic area.
- Organizations with consistent hardware and software configurations on both
clients and servers.
If you are managing large numbers of clients in a complex or rapidly
changing environment, consider using Microsoft Systems Management Server to
install and maintain Office 2003.

That's from here:

Microsoft Office Assistance: Using Group Policy to Deploy Office:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402011033.aspx

Do you already use AD and SMS? That might be another factor, if you have to
implement one or the other for Office deployments.

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Again, as far as the push goes, I don't know whether GPO or SMS is better in
your situation. You have to evaluate the pros and cons in your own
environment. One thing to note:

"Note Group Policy bypasses Office Setup.exe and Setup.ini, so although
you can use Group Policy to deploy Office from a compressed CD image, you
cannot take advantage of new Setup functionality to create a local
installation source on users' computers."

I don't know if you can then subsequently create an LIS for use; you may
need to test that. See "Enabling the local installation source" in
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402361033.aspx for more
information.

Another thing that may help:

"A new enhanced version of the Office 2003 Setup program (entsetup.exe) is
available as a download. Setup.exe version 11.0.6176.0 helps ensure that
every desktop in the organization gets and keeps a complete local
installation source. The new Setup also allows administrators to deploy the
local installation source first, and then launch the installation of Office
2003."

See Microsoft Office Assistance: New Setup.exe Fine Tunes Local Caching:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402451033.aspx

for more details.

The only other recommendation reference I can find from Microsoft is this:

For large or complex organizations, Microsoft Systems Management Server
offers more sophisticated functionality, including inventory, scheduling,
and reporting features. However, using Group Policy to deploy Office 2003
can be a good choice in the following settings:
- Small- or medium-sized organizations that have already deployed and
configured the Active Directory® directory service.
- Organizations or departments that comprise a single geographic area.
- Organizations with consistent hardware and software configurations on both
clients and servers.
If you are managing large numbers of clients in a complex or rapidly
changing environment, consider using Microsoft Systems Management Server to
install and maintain Office 2003.

That's from here:

Microsoft Office Assistance: Using Group Policy to Deploy Office:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402011033.aspx

Do you already use AD and SMS? That might be another factor, if you have to
implement one or the other for Office deployments.

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Again, as far as the push goes, I don't know whether GPO or SMS is better in
your situation. You have to evaluate the pros and cons in your own
environment. One thing to note:

"Note Group Policy bypasses Office Setup.exe and Setup.ini, so although
you can use Group Policy to deploy Office from a compressed CD image, you
cannot take advantage of new Setup functionality to create a local
installation source on users' computers."

I don't know if you can then subsequently create an LIS for use; you may
need to test that. See "Enabling the local installation source" in
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402361033.aspx for more
information.

Another thing that may help:

"A new enhanced version of the Office 2003 Setup program (entsetup.exe) is
available as a download. Setup.exe version 11.0.6176.0 helps ensure that
every desktop in the organization gets and keeps a complete local
installation source. The new Setup also allows administrators to deploy the
local installation source first, and then launch the installation of Office
2003."

See Microsoft Office Assistance: New Setup.exe Fine Tunes Local Caching:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402451033.aspx

for more details.

The only other recommendation reference I can find from Microsoft is this:

For large or complex organizations, Microsoft Systems Management Server
offers more sophisticated functionality, including inventory, scheduling,
and reporting features. However, using Group Policy to deploy Office 2003
can be a good choice in the following settings:
- Small- or medium-sized organizations that have already deployed and
configured the Active Directory® directory service.
- Organizations or departments that comprise a single geographic area.
- Organizations with consistent hardware and software configurations on both
clients and servers.
If you are managing large numbers of clients in a complex or rapidly
changing environment, consider using Microsoft Systems Management Server to
install and maintain Office 2003.

That's from here:

Microsoft Office Assistance: Using Group Policy to Deploy Office:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402011033.aspx

Do you already use AD and SMS? That might be another factor, if you have to
implement one or the other for Office deployments.