Office 2007 Gets Delayed Too

At least the name fits more now!

As with Vista, Microsoft hopes to finish the code for Office 2007 this year. The company said work will be completed by October, when it will make Office 2007 available to business customers that have signed up for Microsoft’s volume-licensing program.

And, again like Vista, Microsoft plans to ship retail and original equipment manufacturer versions of the product in January.

“We believe this will provide an easier experience for consumers and retailers alike,” a Microsoft representative said in an e-mail to CNET News.com.

That’s a bummer! But, unlike the majority of the populace, I’d rather them take a little more longer than expected and deliver a better all around product. Through my experience writing for this blog and trying to stay up to date on all the developments of the new office suite, it really seems as though everyone involved is eager to get everything “right” instead of just “to market”. This makes sense too:

By pushing out the Office launch date, however, Microsoft will regain the ability to launch the two products in tandem. Microsoft had been planning a massive fourth-quarter launch for the products.

I have read in other places though that launching these new products shortly after the holiday, Christmas rush may not be good for sales. People either won’t buy new systems prior to Vista being available, or they’ve just bought a new system and won’t want to fork over the cash to immediately upgrade the OS. I’m sure Microsoft and retailers will be putting together some kind of upgrade promotion to purchase a Christmas in the rush and get the upgrade to Vista significantly discounted or free when it’s available.

Of course it would be nice if Microsoft would be a little more cautious with their expected launch dates so as not to cause everyone to get so upset. I always try to under-promise and over-deliver! (Having challenges with that in my own world though, so I’ll cut them some slack too!)

Source: Microsoft: Office 2007 to be late, too