Next Windows, Office in 2007

The next versions of Windows and Office will not be generally available until 2007, although volume license customers will be able to get them in late 2006. The announcement disappointed PC manufacturers and resellers who had hoped Windows Vista, the next client release, would help boost sales to consumers in the 2006 year-end holidays. The delays could also affect organizations hoping for upgrades to products covered by maintenance agreements.

Vista Volume Release for Nov. 2006

Microsoft now plans to release Windows Vista to volume license customers in Nov. 2006, with retail and OEM release in Jan. 2007. The company had previously said it planned to release Vista in 2006, two years after the last minor release (Windows XP SP2) and roughly five years since the Oct. 2001 general release of Windows XP.

The company did not say why it delayed Windows Vista. However, the first feature-complete Community Technical Preview of the product appeared only in Feb. 2006, leaving little time for testing before a 2006 release. Furthermore, Windows Vista includes new features that will require considerable hardware and application compatibility testing, such as the Aero graphical shell and the User Account Control security mechanisms.