Problem getting Word/Excel files to open since loading Office 2003

We are running Windows 2003 SBS. All our remote computers, which are running
Windows XP Pro and Office 2003, interface with the server to update and
create new Word, Excel, etc. files (i.e we have User folders set up on the
server that all Word, Excel, etc. files are backed up to). It seems that
since we updated to Office 2003 SP3 it has taken an inordinate amount of time
to have any existing files downloaded to the remote computers in order to
edit the files. Additionally pictures that users wish to attach to word files
take so much time that most people give up on editing. All other
(non-microsoft) applications that our remote users interface with seem to be
running normally. We seem to have adequate capacity in our VPN and links, the
RAM and swap files, and processor occupancy. This doesn't seem to be anything
showing as a reason for this slowness. Has anyone run into anything remotely
similar after downloading Office SP3? Is there any potential solution? Thanks.