The next version of FrontPage will offer simpler design of dynamic Web sites, while Microsoft's project management offering (Project) and business diagramming software (Visio) will get incremental improvements. All three releases will come out in fall 2003 as part of a wave of "Office System" products and are designed to integrate with other products in that wave, which in turn could make them more accessible to users.

FrontPage 2003 Strengthens Data-Driven Site Features

FrontPage 2003 repositions the product as a professional Web development tool; Microsoft Publisher will now occupy the low-end Web authoring niche formerly served by FrontPage, and has replaced FrontPage in the Office Edition bundles.

Most important for developers, FrontPage 2003 has more support for data-driven Web sites, which dynamically generate pages from back-end data sources. FrontPage 2003 will support the design of pages generated by XML Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) scripts, as well as pages generated from OLE DB data sources, such as SQL Server databases. An improved Web template mechanism will let designers make changes in one place that propagate through an entire site. Sample sites that use the new capabilities will include a Web log ("blog") solution, a bug tracking site, and a classroom Web site. FrontPage will also provide a substantially improved client-side script editor.

Most sites built with the new data-driven design capabilities will require Windows SharePoint Services (WSS), an add-on for Windows Server 2003 due in fall 2003. Although WSS is free, it requires Windows Server 2003, which means organizations will have to upgrade their Web servers. FrontPage 2003 can still be used to design sites on older Web servers (including some non-Windows servers)—but some new features are not supported on these servers.

Project Improves Timesheets, Uses WSS

Project 2003 will add some features for enterprise-wide project management, particularly for entering and approving employee timesheets. For example, project managers will be able to "lock down" a time period to prevent submission of new timesheets. Project 2003 will also simplify data entry by project team members; for example, team members will be able to update Project task status in the Outlook 2000 or Outlook 2003 user interface.

Project 2003 will use WSS for storing documents related to projects, which means it can take advantage of WSS document management features such as check-in/check-out. However, Project 2003's front end for browser access, Project Web Access, will not require WSS and will still be able to run on Windows 2000 servers.

Microsoft has adjusted Project's packaging: unlike its Standard Edition predecessor, Project 2003 Standard will be a standalone product and unable to access data stored in Project Server. Companies will now need to buy the Project Professional client—at least for project managers—when using Project Server with Project 2003.

Business Process, Developer New Visio Focus

Visio 2003 will include new diagram templates that are part of an important strategic direction for the product: business process modeling. For example, new templates will support business process diagrams used in Six Sigma and ISO 9000 process analysis.

Visio 2003 also improves features for developers who use it as a drawing engine in vertical applications. For example, it will include a "Shape Studio" design environment to simplify development of custom shapes. Visio 2003 will also include a new ActiveX control which enables Web developers to embed editable Visio diagrams in Web pages, thereby simplifying deployment of Visio-based Web applications. Like the similar Excel Web controls, this control will require a Visio license for the client.

2004 Releases Unlikely

The late 2003 release of these three products suggests that none will get a major release in 2004, and they probably won't be updated until the "Longhorn wave" of releases planned for late 2005 or early 2006. However, Microsoft has not released a roadmap for any of these products beyond 2003.

FrontPage 2003 is part of the Office System Beta Kit 2003, which is currently circulating. Visio and Project beta releases are also expected in early summer. Pricing has not been announced for any of these products.

FrontPage product information is at www.microsoft.com/frontpage.

Project's product site is www.microsoft.com/project.

Visio information can be found at www.microsoft.com/office/visio.

For an overview of Project 2002 and Project Server, see "Enterprise Features Enhance Project 2002" on page 19 of the June 2002 Update.

For an overview of Visio 2002, see "Visio 2002: Out of Office" on page 24 of the Aug. 2001 Update.