What you should know about Apple's new macOS Sierra

On September 20, 2016, Apple will release a new version of macOS: Sierra. ITS has been testing this new version of macOS to ensure its compatibility with WCM Standard applications. Before upgrading your desktop or laptop operating system, please read our findings below:

Should I upgrade to the new macOS Sierra 10.12?

Yes, feel free to upgrade to the latest version, but please note the exceptions below:

• Schrödinger applications: The latest Schrödinger release, 2016-3, is NOT compatible with macOS Sierra. Schrödinger releases updates quarterly and we expect the next release in Q4 2016 to be compatible. Do not update to macOS Sierra if you depend on using Schrödinger applications.
• Office 2011: Office 2011 (Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.) does NOT work well with the latest macOS.  Office 2016 should be used instead. Please see below for how to install Office 2016 on your Mac.  If you are required to continue use of Office 2011 do not upgrade to macOS Sierra.

Other Applications: If you use any applications we have not tested on your work computer, please confirm with the software vendor that it is compatible with Sierra.  The website Roaring Apps is also a good source to determine whether software applications are compatible with various operating systems. 

If you do decide to update to macOS Sierra, please note the following:

• Do not store your documents on iCloud. When you first restart after installing the update, macOS Sierra will ask you if you want to keep your Documents in iCloud. ITS believes that this might present a risk for inadvertent sharing of PHI that could be contained in your Documents. Please answer NO to this option. Keep in mind that the free space allocation in iCloud is 5GB, and you must pay for additional storage.

• Do not turn on the Handoff feature. One new feature introduced by macOS Sierra is Handoff, which syncs the Clipboard between all of your iCloud devices. ITS believes that this presents a risk for inadvertent sharing of PHI and other confidential data. Please do not turn on the Handoff feature.

How to install/get Office 2016 for your Mac
On September 20, 2016, ITS will make Office 2016 available to all Mac users.

Note: Office 2016 is only available for macOS Yosemite (10.10), El Capitan (10.11), and Sierra (10.12). You can install Office 2016 on an ITS-tagged machine using Self Service. Here is a guide on How to use Self-Service. If you upgrade to Office 2016 you may need to upgrade Endnote as well.

ITS is working to make Office 2016 for Windows users and non-tagged devices available in the coming weeks and additional announcements will be sent as we get closer.

Applications testing, compatibility and more:

ITS has created a dedicated page to provide you with more information on the new OS, applications we’ve tested and their compatibility.  Please visit the ITS Website for the most up-to-date information.