Free Office 2010 Language Interface Packs Start Rolling Out

As is the case with the Windows operating system, Microsoft is working extensively to make sure customers around the world benefit from using Office 2010 in their native language.

In this sense, just as for Windows 7, the Redmond company offers a number of localized versions of the latest productivity suite.

However, with Office 2010 available only in 38 languages, it is clear that some users might feel like they have been left out.

This is why the software giant is also offering what it refers to as Language Interface Packs or LIPs.

At the end of the past week, the first three out of a total of more than 60 LIPs have already started being offered to customers.

“The Office 2010 “Language Interface Packs” (LIPs) have started rolling out and are now available for Basque, Catalan, Galician and Serbian Cyrillic,” revealed Palle Petersen, a member of the Microsoft "Language Excellence" team.

“62 LIP languages in total will be available for Office 2010 over the coming months – in addition to the 38 “full” languages that have already shipped.”

Microsoft has even set up a web page where users can see just what LIPs are available. The Office Language Interface Pack (LIP) downloads enumerated by Microsoft cover not only Office 2010 but also older releases of the productivity suite, namely Office 2003 and Office 2007.

On the LIPs site for Office 2010, customers can also grab the download links for the language of their choice.

For the time being, the vast majority of Office 2010 LIPs are not available, with Microsoft only noting that they are coming soon.

The Redmond company did not deliver any specific availability deadline for the rest of the Office 2010 LIPs.

“A “Language Interface Pack” is a translated user interface that installs on top of a copy of Microsoft Office 2010,” Petersen added.

“The LIP can be downloaded and installed for free and includes spell checkers in these languages. Once the LIP is installed and configured, you can change the user interface for Microsoft Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word to your LIP language and use the spell checker in the language.”

Office Home and Business 2010 RTM Build 14.0.4760.1000 is available for download here.

Office Home and Student 2010 RTM Build 14.0.4760.1000 is available for download here.

Office Professional 2010 RTM Build 14.0.4760.1000 is available for download here.