The document outlines a 7-step process for migrating an organization from proprietary office software like Microsoft Office to open source OpenOffice. The steps include standardizing document formats and applications, assessing user needs, deploying OpenOffice, and providing training. It acknowledges challenges like document conversion issues, differences in capabilities, integration with enterprise apps, and managing organizational change. However, it argues migration is possible with comprehensive change management, good planning, continuous communication, support, and managing it as an "organization change" requiring buy-in from both leadership and users. Several Thai companies that successfully migrated large user bases to OpenOffice are cited as examples.

1. Osdev Migration Progress
© 2011 Open Source Development Co., Ltd. http://www.osdev.co.th
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License

2. Outline
Open Source Software
OpenOffice Migration
Migration Process
Success Stories
Challenges in OpenOffice Migration
Success Factors

3. Open Source Software (OSS)
Features & Benefits
Allow everyone to use, copy & redistribute
Huge IT cost saving
No risk of copyright infringement
Source code always available
Transparency - No backdoor
Reliable & Secure - Less vulnerability
Store & exchange data using open standards
Easy to exit - No vendor lock-in
No corporate Alzheimer
You plan your IT investment
not “the vendors”

4. Success Stories
Corporate Users OpenOffice:MS Office
EGAT 10,000 70%
S&P 2,000 95%
NHA 2,000 60%
SCB 18,000 80%
BTS 800 70%
Benchachinda 2,000 60%
18,000 x 80%
= 14,400 users
Save 14,400 x 11,000 Baht
= 158.4 Mil.Baht

5. The Two Extremes
Not just an
“office software” OpenOffice OpenOffice
change migration
is an is not
“organization usable
Migration to change”
OpenOffice
is very easy
Impossible
to overcome
resistance

6. OpenOffice Migration
What it looks like?
migrate
Before After

7. 7 Steps Migration

8. Osdev Migration Process
Software & Provide
Provide
Software & User
User Training
Document Format
Document Format Training
Standardization Assessment
Assessment
Standardization
standardization
standardization application
application user issue
policy
policy compatibility
compatibility user issue Cutover
Cutover
database
database (remove old apps)
(CEO signed)
(CEO signed) database
database (remove old apps)
Application
Application Deploy &
Deploy & Provide
Provide
Assessment
Assessment Announce the List
Announce the List Tech Support
Tech Support
of Green User
of Green User

9. Challenges in OpenOffice Migration
Challenges in migration come from 4 sources
Document conversion
OpenOffice capabilities
Enterprise applications
Change management
1-3 are much easier to manage than 4

10. Challenge #1 Document Conversion
Word, Excel, PowerPoint documents
Conversion may cause small formatting error
Can be fixed manually
VBA macro conversion doesn't work yet
Access database applications not convertible

11. Challenge #2 OpenOffice Capabilities
Small differences in look & feel
Known set of missing features
Need more RAM to open large files
No Outlook replacement yet

12. Challenge #3 Enterprise Applications
Packaged Software
SAP, MS Exchange, MS SharePoint
Custom Software
Internal development
External development

13. Challenge #4 The changes
People hate changes, esp. if consider unnecessary
Inconvenience during changes
Belief that resistant can stop the changes
Gasohol effect
the latest change to be blamed for all problems afterward

14. Success Factors…
Apply comprehensive change management
Recognize that this is as an organization change
Enforce as organization policy signed by CEO (no u-turn)
Good planning
Set a workable goal, prefer quick wins
Migrate the right people, the right time
Continuous Communication
Tell why, how and when to everyone
Tell the truth, all limitations and problems
Provide enough support
Train all users, provide quick tech support
Desktop management system

15. Conclusion
OpenOffice migration leads to substantial cost saving
It is possible if you
recognize that it is an “organization change”
follow the change management best practices
It requires going from both
Top-Down (CEO buy-in)
and Bottom-Up (Everyone buy-in)
It is possible, we did it several times
TISCO FG, Bechachinda group, BTS