Next Office More Connected

A mid-2003 release of Office will be designed to expand its role as a client for corporate data, a tool for team collaboration, and a platform for software development. Although the release of Office 11, as it is currently called, is a year away, Microsoft is already talking about the product because customers are making upgrade decisions now based on what they expect in the future. However the precise features of Office 11 will remain vague until a beta release ships later this year.

Early Discussion

Microsoft rarely discusses details of an Office release so far ahead of time. One factor influencing this atypical action is the company’s new Software Assurance upgrade plan for volume license customers. Customers who have upgrade coverage under the plan (or under the older Upgrade Assurance program) will get the eventual Office 11 upgrade at no further cost. However, customers must buy coverage for their current Office licenses by July 31, 2002. Those who purchase new Office licenses after that date must buy Software Assurance at the same time. In effect, customers who buy Software Assurance coverage for Office must bet that Office 11 will prove a cost-effective upgrade when it ships. Microsoft hopes to convince them that’s a good bet.