The last in our four part series from AJ Smith.

In the previous posts I have shared how information workers can use Windows Search and Federated Search to easily find information, how easy they can connect to a printer with Location Aware Printing, how we simplified connecting to a projector, and how BitLocker and BitLocker to Go can make it easier to protect sensitive information. These features are all important to help increase productivity and security, but there are many more features that information workers can use to be even more productive. This brings out the question that I have been hearing more and more recently: What does Microsoft have available to help excite and teach information workers about all the new features in Windows 7? Here are the ones that I recommend reviewing to see if they can assist your organization:

1. Enterprise Learning Framework (ELF) - ELF is a web-based tool that helps organizations develop a training and communication plan for employees during a Windows 7 deployment. This tool helps you find content for three different audiences, Information Workers, Influential Information Workers, and Support. It also helps you find the right content for topics you are interested in, within particular deployment timeframes. ELF even gives you the ability to generate customized email messages or a Microsoft Office Word document that you can send to information workers with all content you find. (See our earlier blog post on ELF here.)
2. Work Smart Productivity Guides - The Work Smart productivity guides were created by Microsoft IT to get people internally at Microsoft up to speed on some of the new features of Windows 7. They made these guides available for IT Professionals to use in their organization, in order to help information workers get up to speed on Windows 7 and other productivity products live Microsoft Office and SharePoint. Consider leaving this on an information worker’s desk or sending it over email when you upgrade their PCs to Windows 7.
3. Productivity Hub - The Productivity Hub is a Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 site collection that serves as a learning community and is fully customizable and populated with content. It also uses SharePoint social networking features to engage end users. It is mostly focused on the Microsoft Office products, but there is a content pack for Windows 7. If you plan on deploying a new version of Microsoft Office along with Windows 7, this gives you a great start at building a learning community behind your firewall.
4. Microsoft E-Learning -  Microsoft Learning has some e-learning that is great for information workers. Clinic 10088: What is New in Windows 7 for Information Workers is a free two hour clinic to help information workers learn how to be more productive, be more secure, and get connected faster and easier with Windows 7. There are also two paid courses available. Course 10166 and 10167: Windows 7 Essentials I and II. The first course helps information workers get started with Windows 7, learn about the new user interface, work with libraries, and how to search for programs and files. The second course covers working with devices and printers, maintaining and protecting your computer and data, and networking and remote connectivity. If your organization has Software Assurance on Windows desktops, Windows 7 Essentials I and II are free as part of your E-Learning benefit.
5. Microsoft Press Books - Three books I recommend for information workers that that Microsoft Press publishes are Windows 7 Plain & Simple, Windows 7 Step by Step and Windows 7 Inside Out. Windows 7 Plain & Simple is a great book for people at a beginner level. It includes a lot of color screenshots and makes it very easy to learn Windows 7. The Windows 7 Step by Step guide is great for people who are between the beginner and intermediate level. What I really like about this book is that there are exercises that you can use to better learn the features and that it also comes with a digital copy of the book. For the information workers who are more advanced or considered “power users”, take a look at Windows 7 Inside Out. This book goes much deeper into many of the topic like search and personalizing the interface that this group would find valuable. You can also read Stephen Rose’s review of Windows 7 Plain & Simple and Windows 7 Inside Out for his perspective on them. All of these books and many others can be found at bookstores worldwide.
6. Windows 7 Shop - At the Windows 7 Shop you can get materials that can help promote your Windows 7 deployment. You can purchase various types of Windows 7 – branded merchandise, download or print Windows 7 posters and tips and tricks booklets. Items here are great for driving excitement and awareness in your organization.

Using these resources you should be able to get the information workers in your organization excited and prepared for your Windows 7 deployment and make sure they hit the ground running.