IT experts at a Shropshire firm are warning software changes could cause havoc in the workplace.
Matt Childerhouse is the IT manager at Dyke Yaxley Chartered Accountants, in Shrewsbury, and his team delivers IT support and advice to companies all over the Shropshire region and beyond.
His warning comes following difficulties created by the latest version of Microsoft Office Suite 2013.
“The new version is very similar to the previous version, but it has one major exception in that it does not connect to Exchange 2003.
“This could be a big problem for many companies as Exchange 2003 is still widely used by small and medium-sized businesses, especially those using Small Business Server 2003.
“The difficulty will come if a firm requires a new computer as the new workstation will almost certainly be loaded with Office 2013, with Outlook 2013 unable to connect to the company’s existing Exchange 2003 email system.”
Matt said Dyke Yaxley’s IT team had contacted all their clients to raise awareness of the issue, and staff were working with any companies affected.
“There is a way round the problem as we can still provide Microsoft Office through an open licence, but it means the customer will have to downgrade from the 2013 version to the previous 2010 version.
“Problems will only occur if any new workstations are required, but this software change may also be a good time for companies to review their current IT arrangements in order to keep up-to-date with new systems.
“IT changes constantly at a lightning pace, and if companies don’t regularly review and update their equipment, they could get left behind and their performance may suffer as a result.”
Matt said any companies who were concerned the software change would disrupt their business should contact the Dyke Yaxley team for expert advice.
Dyke Yaxley’s Matt Childerhouse
