Microsoft’s Next-Generation Office Suit Goes to Testers

Microsoft Ships Office 12 Beta

by Anton Shilov

[ 11/17/2005 | 05:16 AM ]

Microsoft Corp. recently began to supply selected beta testers its new generation Microsoft Office software suite which is scheduled to be released in the second half of 2006, sometime inline with the Windows Vista operating system.

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“The next version of Office is the most significant release in more than 10 years. Now, after many years of research and development, we’re eager to put the software to the test and solicit technical feedback from select customers and partners,” Chris Capossela, a Microsoft vice president, is reported to have said.

Beta 1 offers new versions of the standard Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook applications. They come along with updates to several less-well-known members of the Office family, including its Access database, OneNote note-taking program, Publisher layout software and the Groove Virtual Office collaboration suite, CNET News.com reports.

So far with Office 12, Microsoft has showed off a revamp of the user interface and talked about other broad areas of improvement. But the company has not released a full set of new features or said how it will price and package up the new software, the web-site notes.

• CNET News.com: Microsoft Rolls Out First Office 12 Beta.