Microsoft Project has been around for over 20 years, aiding a wide range of professionals to organise their working lives with clarity and accuracy. It offers undeniably effective project management software that allows users to track and monitor a number of ongoing projects and ensures that they always have the appropriate data available to them to make informed decisions.

So why, with all these specialised features at their disposal, do so many professionals opt for Excel when planning those all important projects? Is it simply a reluctance to learn a new program or does Microsoft Excel really fulfil all the functions that a great many users require? Is Microsoft Project simply obsolete in today's technology saturated world?

Well, the latest version of Microsoft Project is set to blow those theories out of the water. In combining Excel's usability with Project's scope Microsoft have created a powerhouse product that finally gives users the best of both worlds.

The introduction of the Fluent User Interface, also known as the Ribbon, is a major benefit to Microsoft Project bringing the uncluttered accessibility and smooth aesthetics of other Office products to this venerable program. Functions and operations are more logically grouped and the whole process becomes swifter and more hassle free. However, where Project scores over Excel is in its new Timeline View and Team Planner features, which provide a Project Manager with excellent tools for keeping track of a project's development and how their resources are best deployed.

In these days of intense online collaboration and instant virtual networking the ability to communicate and make joint decisions on a web-based platform is crucial to the success of a project. Microsoft Project 2010 is built on SharePoint server which facilitates exactly these requirements, allowing colleagues to share ideas in conference as well as work together on reports and proposals.

Collaboration is also the name of the game when it comes to portfolio management with Microsoft's Portfolio Server being integrated into Project to provide the user with vital data regarding portfolios that align with the requirements of the business. This unification makes portfolio management within Project much more straightforward and relevant to specific business needs.

And it is not just Excel, Portfolio and SharePoint that Microsoft Project is now fully compatible with, as enhanced interoperability across the whole Office suite allows for supported messaging via Outlook. Third party connection is also considerably improved due to a stronger, more powerful platform.

With these enhancements, along with many other advances, there is now no reason for professionals and project managers to fall back on Excel when creating and collating systematic reports and portfolios. By integrating the best features of Excel with those of Project Microsoft have significantly boosted both the accessibility and reputation of one of their flagship products. If you are one of the many who are reluctant to switch over to Microsoft Project then the wisest course of action would be to enrol on a course that will give you a thorough grounding in all the new benefits of Project.