The Preamble
My name is Kristina and I am a project manager.  I've been afflicted with this profession for many years now and it's escalated to the point where I actually manage a group of fanatical people who like to refer to themselves as PM's.

Over the course of my professional career, I have had the distinct pleasure to use several different project management-type tools.  Good.  Bad.  Ugly.  Hideous.  While they all serve some of the same, basic purposes, one of their goals in life is to confuse the common (wo)man and to make others feel like they know more than they should.  I'm here to give you the entire scoop on the different client versions (i.e. software that is loaded on to your desktop or laptop) for Microsoft Office Project 2003.

The Basics
Have you ever made a trip over to Best Buy to purchase business-related software, think you know what you're going for, and then once you arrive, you find yourself standing in front of the shelves, perplexed by the fifteen different flavors of Project?

Unless you stalk the Microsoft site or if it happens to be your job to know about the many different flavors (and versions) of project management software, you're probably wondering which one you should buy.

Don't worry.  I was in your shoes.  Heck, depending on the business-related software, I am in your shoes.  Here's some advice/helpful information you can use when you're looking to make that all important purchase.

I See That There Are Four Different Boxes That Sit On The Shelf.  Um, which one???

Let's make sure we're talking about the same four.

* Microsoft Office Project Standard 2003 Upgrade (Approximate Retail - $349)

* Microsoft Office Project Standard 2003 (Approximate Retail - $599)

* Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003 Upgrade (Approximate Retail - $599)

* Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003 (Approximate Retail - $999)

What's the Difference Between Standard and Professional?

There are two main differences.  First - the price.  There's a (on average) $400 difference between the two.  Second - the functionality is mainly the same however the collaboration opportunities only occur with Professional.  For example, if you have Microsoft Server, Professional allows you to sync up your resource needs with current allocation levels across all projects.  A great way to closely manage availability!

In English - unless you have a very tightly managed and governed organization - chances are that that Standard will work perfectly for you.

I have Project 98 and not 2003.  Should I upgrade?

If you plan on continuing to use Microsoft for the management of your projects then my answer would be yes.  Earlier versions of project are not available via retail and some are currently out of support by the vendor. While you can always pick and poke around in the community areas for answers, it isn't nearly as nice as having a new patch available :).

Can I get away with purchasing the "Upgrade" instead of the full version?

As long as you have a proper license for versions 98, 2000, or 2002, yes you can.  In fact, I really hope that you only have to purchase the "upgrade" software as it normally runs 30-50% cheaper than the full software.

I don't have any version but wish to purchase something to manage my projects.  What would you suggest?

What I'm about to say goes against what my other PM brethren would tell you.  If you're looking for a tool to keep track of high level activities, tasks, and milestones/dates - use Microsoft Excel.  Yes, I just said that.  There's no need to spend money on another tool if you're not going to take advantage of some of the bells and whistles of Project.

If you need something that allows you to determine critical path and to manage multiple interdependencies, the Standard version of project will work well.  If you go to Microsoft's website, you can download a trial version for 60 days.

I wouldn't recommend Professional to any organization who hasn't gone through a needs assessment followed by a software selection process.  Why?  Microsoft isn't necessary the answer to your question.  It's silly to invest bazillions of dollars into software without understanding why you need it, how it will be supported, and if those in charge really plan on governing their portfolio of projects.

The End
Hopefully, this short ditty gave you enough high-level information to avoid that blank look the next time you go to purchase Microsoft Project at any retailer.  Happy to answer any questions you may have in the mean time...