Change is never easy and yet it is rarely a choice. Change is one of the defining factors of globalization. Competition is not limited by national boundaries anymore and someone somewhere is always trying to become more efficient and skilled than you to get ahead of the game. The organizations that are either hesitant or slow to upgrade their skills will soon find themselves even struggling for survival. New versions are being released faster because of the rapid advancements in technology that are resulting in greater software capabilities. Software vendors release newer versions because they believe new versions will improve operational efficiency.

New versions do requiring learning new skills and getting used to doing things in new ways but in doing so, they are also a valuable exercise in becoming more flexible. Employees become better adapted to changing business practices as they become quicker at switching to every subsequent version. Change will eventually become natural to them and instead of panicking at every change occurring in the competitive environment, they will adapt to it with minimal efforts. By staying current with the latest versions, they will also improve their marketability in the job market. The organizations benefit but the employees also benefit at the same time. They will also feel more confident if they know that their skills are at least as good as the most skilled professionals in the industry which will also improve their job security. Employees could also be demonstrated the relationship between the software skills and compensation levels. Employees may also be informed that newer versions are often vastly different from the older versions in speed, features, and other performance aspects and newer versions often address most of the serious complaints with the previous versions.

Like any other business skill, change management takes time to become adept in. By starting now, the employees will give themselves more time to improve at adjusting to rapid changes in technology including the releases of newer software versions. The key to winning the competition is not playing catching-up but taking an active approach to learning the latest technologies including new software as well as version releases.