Project Server 2003: Did you know?

[Gary L. Chefetz]

For those of you still using Project Server 2003, did you know that
mainstream support for this product ends in less than three months? There
are many good reasons to upgrade from 2003 to 2007 including many feature
enhancements like multi-level undo and performance enhancements like a
latency-tolerant server communications that are just to numerous to list,
but more importantly there will be no migration path directly from 2003 to
version next which is likely to release in 2010. (my best guess). If you
plan on sticking with this technology story, the path to getting there is
through the 2007 version. Isn't it time you seriously considered this?

--
----------
Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
Project Server Training: http://www.projectservertraining.com
Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com
Project Server Help Blog: http://www.projectserverhelp.com

 

[Jack Dahlgren MVP]

There are good reasons to stick with Project Server 2003 though...
In certain situations, I'd recommend it over Project Server 2007.
That said, I agree, it is worth considering.

-Jack

 

[Christophe Fiessinger [MSFT]]

And to better help you with migration from Project Server 2003 to Project
Server 2007 we are working on a best practice white paper (should be
released in the April timeframe).

 

[Jackson T. Cole]

There are some who say there is no migration path from '03 to '07, either!
:>) :>)

Can we also assume support for WSS V2.0 will also diminish in April? As
long as WSS V2.0 and V3.0 can co-exist on the same server, I would be fine
with letting my solely WSS users move to V3.0 while PS users stick with V2.0
for their project workspaces.

I work at a government site(federal), and our IT support center is really
dragging its feet on all the 2007 product family upgrades, including Office.
First excuse was "security" verification, now I can only guess there's a
financial excuse being prepared for public desemination!

Sigh ....

JTC

 

[Langhorne]

Gary, thanks. To answer your question -- no, I didn't know that. We eagerly
started down the PS07 path and simply couldn't continue because of the damage
Microsoft did to timesheet and task management. Without some basic fixes
that still haven't arrived, we backed off.

A while ago I heard that there would be another significant upgrade to PS07
prior to PS10. Do you (or anyone) know if that's still in the works? Do you
know what it will include? It would be a great relief to know that Microsoft
has finally addressed the problems.

Thanks for the heads-up about this!

- Langhorne

 

[Jack Dahlgren MVP]

Langhorne,

There was already one SP and SP2 has been acknowledged.
By the way, Project 2007 is 12 not 9.

-Jack Dahlgren

 

[Langhorne]

Right, thanks -- SP2 must be what I had heard about; I wonder when and what.

Not sure what you mean by "12 not 9"?...

 

[Gary L. Chefetz]

Langhorne:

Can you be specific with the Timesheet/My Tasks issues that you are
concerned about? I believe that most of these have been resolved and while
additional bug fixes will be provided for P12, I don't believe that
additional design changes are being considered. The most significant
mid-life design changes were delivered with the Infrastructure Update.

--
----------
Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
Project Server Training: http://www.projectservertraining.com
Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com
Project Server Help Blog: http://www.projectserverhelp.com

 

[Langhorne]

The problems are design-related (requirements actually), not bugs per se.
Same as before: the awkward, error-prone and unnecessary separation of tasks
and timesheets, the impaired functionality of timesheets themselves (no
weekly row totals, no ability to collapse projects and just show the
project-level summary per week), etc. The I.U. didn't help, and I suspect
you're right that SP2 won't either.

Oh well.

- L.

 

[Gary L. Chefetz]

It sounds like the Tied-Mode solution on Codeplex would help you, though.
Have you looked at this? It causes the system to run with a single submit
from the timesheet. This has made life better in may organizations. Find the
soltions on http://www.codeplex.com


--
----------
Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
Project Server Training: http://www.projectservertraining.com
Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com
Project Server Help Blog: http://www.projectserverhelp.com

 

[Jack Dahlgren MVP]

You wrote "prior to PS10" The next version is actually 14. Proj07 was
version12.
They are skipping 13.

-Jack

 

[tsamo]

So, it looks like today is the last day for Mainstream support.
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=2526
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=2525
http://blogs.technet.com/office_sus...e-2003-to-leave-mainstream-support-phase.aspx

 

[tsamo]

Upon closer look, I noticed that the dates are only in the Main product's
row. Is it safe to assume that April 14th, 2009 and April 8th, 2014 apply to
SP3?