14 DAY TRIAL // As was the case with Windows 7, Microsoft is focusing on application compatibility as a critical aspect of the overall quality of the next iteration of the Office System. The advent of Build 14.0.4536.1000 public Beta brought with it the Office 2010 compatibility program and tools, resources designed so that IT administrators and developers test drive existing solutions designed to integrate with Office 2007 and older releases of the productivity suite. The software giant is essentially looking to make sure that applications and add-ins that currently integrate with existing installations of Office will continue to do so without any problems with Office 2010. The Office Environment Assessment Tool (OEAT) and the Office 2010 Code Compatibility Inspector are the resources offered to early adopters for compatibility testing.
The company is welcoming feedback from testers that report hangs, crashed or performance degradation for apps and add-ins interfacing with Office 2010. Gray Knowlton, who leads the product management team for Office Developers, reveals that Microsoft has been combing through a consistent amount of input from early adopters, in regard to the Office Environment Assessment Tool and the Office 2010 Code Compatibility Inspector. However, the Office 2010 Group Program Manager underlines that additional testing and feedback is required, and not without a sense of urgency, as Microsoft is in the final stages of the Office 2010 development process.
“Thus far we have received much feedback from the community and are making improvements to the tools as a result of that feedback. As it goes with many pre-release programs, particularly ones which have no real precedent, the questions and feedback we are receiving is generating more questions and the need for even more feedback. As we near the launch of Office 2010, we want to double-down on our beta program for the tools and content. We're going to put some skin in the game to increase the rate of feedback we're getting on the materials,” Knowlton stated.
This is why Microsoft has given green light to the Office 2010 Application Compatibility Sweepstakes. Knowlton indicates that the purpose of the Office 2010 Application Compatibility Tools Bug Hunt is so that testers get more deeply involved when it comes down to finding problems in OEAT and the Office 2010 Code Compatibility Inspector. Microsoft is offering an Xbox 360 Elite and 8GB Zune as prizes for bug hunters.
“To win the prizes, all you need to do is to download beta of the Office Environment Assessment Tool (OEAT) and beta of the Office 2010 Code Compatibility Inspector, run them and report any bugs you discover to [email protected] before April 9th. If we are able to reproduce your bug or you can help us identify a defect in the tools, that becomes your sweepstakes entry. From the submitted and approved bugs, we will randomly select winners after April 9th,” Knowlton added.
Office Environment Assessment Tool is available for download here. Office 2010 Code Compatibility Inspector is available for download here.
Office 2010 Beta 14.0.4536.1000 is available for download here.