Choose an option for deploying Office 2010
Applies to: Office 2010
Topic Last Modified: 2011-07-13
You can use five areas of functionality to deploy Microsoft Office 2010: network share, Group Policy startup scripts, managed deployment, application virtualization, and presentation virtualization. You can use any of these options or a combination of them, such as the managed deployment option to deploy and manage virtual Office 2010 applications. We do not support Office 2010 deployment by means of Group Policy Software Installation (GPSI). A workable alternative to GPSI is to assign computer startup scripts. This article describes each of the deployment options.
For a visual representation of the deployment options, see Deployment Options for Microsoft Office 2010 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=168621), which includes diagrams, descriptions, advantages, limitations, recommendations, and tools.
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Deployment options
Determine which of the following deployment options works best for your organization.
Network share
A simple way to deploy Office 2010 is to create a network installation point and copy the contents of the Microsoft Office CD onto the network share. Make sure that the network share is accessible by the targeted resources: users/computers.
Group Policy startup scripts
Administrators can use Group Policy to assign computer startup scripts to deploy Office 2010. A script can be written in any language that is supported by the client computer. Windows Script Host-supported languages, such as Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Editing (VBScript) and JScript, and command files are the most common.
Managed deployment
Administrators can use change and configuration management software, such as Microsoft System Center Essentials and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager, to deploy Office 2010 applications. The choice of System Center Essentials or Configuration Manager depends in part on the size of your organization.
Applicationvirtualization
Administrators can use Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) as part of a deployment option to allow users to run Office 2010 applications on their desktops. Microsoft Application Virtualization streams applications on demand to the desktop, from which the application is run. However, the application is not installed on the desktop.
Note
Office Professional Plus for Office 365 does not support the use of Application Virtualization or Remote Desktop Services (formerly known as Terminal Services) for deployment.
Presentationvirtualization
Administrators can use Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services as a deployment option to allow users to operate the Office 2010 applications from their workstations. Terminal Services is run on a shared server and presents the application user interface on a remote system, such as a local workstation. Microsoft Application Virtualization for Terminal Services allows for the optimization of the Office 2010 application through the sequencing process of application virtualization and then uses Terminal Services to deliver the application as a presentation virtualization.