It's official: The office suite is a staple in just about every business environment. It has become the most popular way to make sure users are getting all of the most basic and vital software applications in a highly integrated and easy-to-use package. Rather than force consumers to purchase several separate packages, the major software vendors have learned that grouping basic programs not only ensures compatibility between applications, but also promotes loyalty in their user base.
In the last few years, three suites have risen to claim this market: Lotus SmartSuite, Microsoft Office, and WordPerfect Office. Microsoft Office--not surprisingly--dominates the market, mainly because it's often bundled with systems. But the other two suites have other advantages that go beyond the features of their individual applications. One of Lotus SmartSuite's strong selling points, for example, is its connection to Lotus Notes, the popular corporate e-mail/database system. WordPerfect, meanwhile, is continually building on its base of loyal users who have been using the word processor since DOS days.
Despite the substantial lead of Microsoft Office, there is heavy competition among the three packages, and all are in a constant state of upgrade. For this roundup, we looked at late betas of Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition 9.5 and WordPerfect Office 2000, and the final version of Microsoft Office 2000.
At the heart of each office suite lies the same core bundle: a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a contact-management application. After that, it's every suite for itself, and what you get depends on which suite--and which edition of that suite--you choose. Both Microsoft Office and WordPerfect Office offer different editions that correspond to your needs.
Microsoft Office has three incarnations: Small Business, Professional, and Premium. Likewise, Corel offers the Standard Edition, the Voice-Powered Edition, and the Professional Edition. For this roundup, we've concentrated mainly on the standard editions of these products.
Lotus, meanwhile, has decided to stick with a single offering. In addition to the core applications, Lotus SmartSuite bundles a presentation manager, a PIM, an intranet-document publisher, voice technology, and the ScreenCam utility.
Not surprisingly, these suites concentrate heavily on use of and integration with the Internet or business intranets. They all have links to various Web sites that offer upgrades, utilities, and technical support. Lotus and Corel (Professional edition) feature intranet-document conversion and uploading; Microsoft and Corel offer robust Web-authoring applications.
Make no mistake--these are serious business tools, capable of producing sophisticated and complex documents and spreadsheets. All have incorporated utilities that make it easier to distribute and use the applications within a network. As a result, if you are looking to purchase a suite for individual, SOHO, or enterprise use, you may ultimately need to base your decision on the suite's user interface, its utilities, and its level of integration with your existing programs.
