Why Use Office Software?

We open and close so many emails, documents and spreadsheets in our daily lives that we often don’t even pay much attention to the programs we’re using. Even if they often go underappreciated, word processors, spreadsheet programs, presentation software and email clients are central components of our working and private lives. Office software is more than a set of handy tools for getting work done, office software helps us organize our crowded lives, express ourselves, communicate and realize ideas.

From effective training of new recruits to balancing a budget, office software is critical in the modern business environment. Creating and sharing content is easier and faster than ever with word processing tools. Office suites include software for creating and delivering professional presentations to groups. Calculating interest on loans, monitoring payroll and organizing numerical data is largely automated with the help of spreadsheet software. The utility of a secure and effective email client is as necessary for a small business with ten clients as it is for multinational firms.

From a business point of view, advanced office software offers a wealth of features that streamline the quotidian as well as the unexpected. Publishing platforms, program management tools, security software and data transfer utilities are useful tools you’ll find in professional level office suites.

What to Look for in Office Software

Included programs:
A good office software suite well suited to operate as the nerve center of a modern office will include a word processor, spreadsheet program, slideshow program and email client. Our top office products also include tools for creating websites, converting file format types and securely transferring data.

Word processor and spreadsheet features:
Word processors and spreadsheet utilities are at the heart of the workplace. We ranked products according to the overall efficacy, usability and stability of their basic productivity tools. Further, we favored products that can read and convert a wide range of file formats. Our ratings also take account of advanced functions, templates and tutorials included with word processors and spreadsheet software.

Business and professional features:
Our top office software suites all feature tools that are useful in small and large business environments, the workplace and in a professional capacity. Whether sharing academic information, calculating profit and loss or brainstorming marketing ideas, effective office software will offer solutions to a wide array of challenges.

Key productivity features:
Superior office software should include a host of extra features useful for the miscellaneous tasks that present themselves in the course of the workday. We favorably ranked office software that includes format converters, password protected files, calendars, schedules, address books, spam filters and other useful enhancements.

Support:
Using a new program of any type is daunting. Good office software suites include thorough documentation, help files, FAQs and an active online community. We also expect to see regular updates to address bugs and security issues.

Before you decide to purchase an office software suite, be sure to assess your needs and find the product ideal for you. On this page, you’ll find in-depth reviews and side-by-side comparisons of office software suites to help you make an informed purchase.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™