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Not every project requires a complex tool for the planning and implementation. Simpler tools for managing tasks are well-established especially for smaller projects. They usually offer task lists and simpler calendar functionality.

Moments like these are unusual; even rare. But once in a while we still find a real gem in the family of project management tools. We found one such gem in the project management application “Planner.”

Microsoft Project users have a reason to look forward. In 2010 a new version of the leading software will hit the market. We have tested a beta version for you and present the crucial innovations in the following article.

With RationalPlan, Romanian company Stand By Soft, Ltd enters another desktop planning tool into the race. This project management software is offered in three variants: RationalPlan Single Project, RationalPlan Multi Project and the freeware RationalPlan Viewer. The prices are, depending on version and number of licenses, between $20 and $90 per user.

Like Microsoft Project, OpenProj may also be considered a desktop planning tool. The free OpenProj has a similar user interface and supports a comparable planning procedure. As a Java application, the user interface may not always conform to Windows, but the tool runs additionally on Mac OS and Unix/Linux systems. The application is a part of the European OpenOffice version and is available in more than ten languages.

GanttProject is free project management software for Windows, Mac OS and Unix / Linux systems. Compared to Microsoft Project, GanttProject has a much smaller range of features, which can be an advantage. The software is currently available in more than thirty languages, which are selectable at the time of installation.

Open Workbench was originally released by Niku in 2004 as an open-source project-management package. When Niku was bought by Computer Associates (2005), the open-source activities, as well as the Clarity PPM solution, were taken over by CA. Open Workbench is available in English, French, and German for the Windows operating system only. This package can be used as a stand-alone desktop planning tool or as an integrated element of Clarity, the company-wide PPM solution from Computer Associates.