Reading Roadmap Illustrations

Roadmap illustrations summarize software version and service pack releases, retirements, and support status by year. Shown here is an example illustration for the Office suite.

Each row of the illustration lists a software version and a service pack (SP) level (if relevant); for example, Office 2010 SP1, Office 2013 (initial release, before any service packs), and Office 2013 SP1. Planned support retirement dates are listed where known; for example, Extended support ends for Office 2003 SP3 on Apr. 8, 2014; Office 2010 SP1 transitions from Mainstream to Extended support on Oct. 13, 2015; and support ends for Office 2013’s initial release on Apr. 14, 2015, after which SP1 will be required for support.

Possible future software versions are listed with unofficial version numbers or names assigned by Directions on Microsoft; for example, the next version of the Office suite has not been announced by Microsoft but is called Office 2015 here. Release dates for future versions are Directions on Microsoft estimates; for example, Office 2015 has an estimated release date in the first half of 2015.