14 free enterprise training tools from Microsoft

After rollout
A Windows 7 introductory video (four to five minutes) — can be included with the standard image and it has a customisable shell so that companies can insert their own information. Ask your sales rep about it.

Tips and Tricks Webcasts and podcasts — includes instructional videos on specific tasks, such as "How to create a 15-minute presentation (with graphics) in one hour."

Enterprise Learning Framework (ELF) — A TechNet resource that maps out an enterprise training programme for individual Microsoft products. Ranges from one-month prior to rollout to after-deployment support and guides you to the videos and other resources Microsoft has available for training on a products specific features.

OneNote Training Notebook — puts training materials about every Office product into the user's OneNote Notebook. (Make sure your users are trained on OneNote before using this.)

SharePoint Productivity Hub — A Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007 site collection that offers training materials for end users. It includes a social component. Users can blog about their favorite new tricks and you can set up a designated "coach" where someone can answer training questions. You can control the site completely. It can also be linked with your internal training systems.

Get Started Tabs* — add-on links to demos and training. I've linked to the Excel one, but there are Get Started Tabs for other Office products.

Office 2007 Presentations for Trainers — all packaged and ready to go.

Up to Speed Training Courses (20 to 30 minutes)

Help with the Ribbon menu
Why the Ribbon? A six-minute training video on the Office's new UA. (Microsoft actually does have an answer that question, too, by the way. You'll have to watch the video yourself to find out.)

Search Commands — An Office Lab tool that lets users quickly find commands used in Microsoft Office 2007. I need to point out there's a whole third-party market of tools that do away with the Ribbon menus and return the classic menu. Good for that stubborn user. Just search on Replace Office Ribbon Menu in your favourite search engine.

Interactive Guide — Maps the commands in Office products from 2003 to 2007.

Items covered by Software Assurance
Microsoft also offers a few options that are available for a fee, but may also be covered as a Software Assurance benefit. These include Training Vouchers and eLearning Courses as well as a few ways to let employees buy and be trained on products for use in their home offices.

Other items for a price
Quick Start Guides — similar to the Quick Start guides included with boxed software but these are ordered from a company called Brainstorm.

And, if you are really called forth to root for the team, maybe you'll want some Office logo T-shirts or pens from the Office Shop. (Then again, maybe not.).