14 DAY TRIAL // Just as it was the case with Windows releases, including Window Vista SP1 and SP2, not to mention Windows 7, as well as Internet Explorer 8, Microsoft is completely mute when it comes down to the development process of Office 14. The successor of the Office 2007 System is indeed cooking over at Microsoft, with an Alpha preview already shipped to select testers, and confirmed officially by the Redmond company, and with the first Beta on the way. However, the software giant is keeping a tight lid over the Office 14 upcoming milestones, sharing insights on the building of the productivity suite only with close partners. Still, with the Office 14 plans shared out of Redmond, the milestones for the next iteration of Office have also been leaked to the public.
Microsoft plans to offer an overview of the Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) strategy of Office 14 in the second quarter of 2009, according to TechARP. The Redmond company is reportedly gearing up to discuss the Office 14 product lineup as well as the customer value proposition. In the third quarter of this year, the Office 14 OEM royalty rates are scheduled to come into focus. Also in Q3, Microsoft plans to announce the incentive strategy for original equipment manufacturers including the referral payment program.
Not until the forth quarter of 2009 will Microsoft start discussing the marketing strategies as well as the opportunities that Office 14 will bring to the table for OEMs. In early 2010, the software giant will deliver estimates as to when it will be ready to release Office 14 to manufacturing.
In mid-March 2009, Wzor leaked the product roadmap for Office 14, indicating that Microsoft planned to offer the first Beta in July of this year, and that a second Beta would follow in November. The RTM of Office 14 is estimated to be at least a year away, no earlier than March 2010. Microsoft has offered no official confirmation on the development timetable for Office 14.