Migrating from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice.org or StarOffice 9

Sun has published a white paper that provides a general framework for migration to OpenOffice.org or StarOffice. Here are the six main steps:

1. Implement a pilot phase.
2. Make an inventory of tools and Microsoft Office-dependent solutions.
3. Identify documents and macros that are still in use.
4. Organize the migration team.
5. Convert workflow-critical documents, templates and macros.
6. Provide training and support.

The white paper describes three migration scenarios:

1. Migrate the entire company at once. This is best for companies with less than a thousand employees.
2. Migrate the company workgroup by workgroup. Start with the workgroups that don't need to exchange many documents with other groups.
3. Mixed Office environments. OpenOffice.org, StarOffice and Microsoft Office documents are shared two different ways:
   • Passive document sharing. Documents are distributed in a common read-only format such as PDF.
   • Editable document sharing. Documents are shared and edited in a common format, typically the Microsoft proprietary file format.